Trying our Hands at Traditional Handicrafts: Oujla Artisan Workshop

Yesterday, our HSSA students had the opportunity to tour the Oujla Artisan Workshop and see firsthand how the famous Moroccan tajine pots are made by hand. The tour started with seeing how the clay is made and dried out in the sun and continued inside the workshop itself where the students saw a 'mualim' or trained professional putting the finishing touches on the bottom half of the tajine pots. The students had the opportunity to ask questions about the process directly from the artisan and asked questions such as: "How long does it take to become a Mualim?" "How long has he been doing this work?" "How many tajine pots does he make in a day?" They learned that the artisan they were speaking with had been doing the work for 30 years and on average makes about 200 tajine pots per day. The process to become a Mualim varies depending on people's skill and goals, but generally about 6 years and is split between the making of the tajine pots themselves and the painting/decorating of them.

Students were also given the choice to try their hands at one of the three different traditional Moroccan handicrafts: Pottery, Basket weaving, or Zellji (Moasics). The pottery group took turns using the pottery wheel to make their pieces and afterward, they decorated their creations by molding clay into different shapes that would later go on to the piece they created. The Zellij group created their own designs using small hand-cut pieces of tiles of differing shapes and colors. After they were satisfied with their design, they then carefully placed each piece upside down to then be covered in cement so that they stick together. The basket weaving group learned to put together a small basket. Check out the pictures above to see the process and finished results! 

After making their own creations, the students then had the opportunity to shop around the collection of shops selling pottery, bamboo, and other traditional crafts.