Bahjat Tavakoli, an experienced carpet map reader, is still engaged in carpet weaving at the age of 50 in the village of Hindoabad in the Ardistan County of Isfahan Province. Since the age of 7, she has been sitting beside the carpet loom with her mother and sisters, singing and rhythmically reading the carpet patterns. Tavakoli says: "Reading carpet patterns is hard and comes with a price..." and she has well understood this price.
Learning Traditional Map Reading
Tavakoli recounts her learning process: "The first time I was 13 years old when I read the pattern of a carpet for a few rows. My older sister was sitting next to me, and I was reading slowly." She recalls how her mother used to read the pattern out loud, and that voice still resonates in her ears. In the past, the sound of map reading filled the homes, and everyone worked together on weaving carpets.
Concerns About the Future of Carpet Weaving Art
Although Bahjat Tavakoli is still passionately engaged in carpet weaving, she is worried about the future of this art. She says: "It's a pity that we are not together like before... back then we used to weave many carpets collectively." This concern is not only hers but is shared by many other carpet weavers as well. Golbano Moradi, another carpet weaver, believes that the younger generation pays less attention to vocal map reading and is more inclined towards modern technologies.
Moradi points out the linguistic differences in carpet patterns, saying: "It takes patience to know several types of vocal languages of carpet patterns..." This linguistic diversity is one reason why young people do not have the patience to learn traditional map reading. She also mentions that in the past, map readers were more popular due to their beautiful voices.
Today, carpet patterns are presented as historical and antique items in the markets, but the language and voice of traditional map reading are gradually being forgotten. Bahjat Tavakoli and Golbano Moradi, two representatives of the old generation of carpet weavers, strive to keep this art alive and pass it on to future generations.
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