The third edition of the Festival of the Bessarabian carpet

Hundreds of visitors have discovered the beauty of traditional Bessarabian carpets at the third edition of the Festival of the Bessarabian Carpet.  The event took place on June 19 in the premises of the traditional crafts complex "Rustic Art" in the village Clisova Noua, in Orhei. The festival was organized by the Association "Rural Women" in partnership with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova, USAID Moldova Competitiveness Project, Craftsmen Union of Moldova, National Center for Preservation and Promotion of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Department of Culture of the District Orhei and the administration of the village Ciocîlteni.

The Carpet Festival 2016 took place in a village atmosphere, in one of the peasant households, where visitors were able to participate in various workshops ,on processing of the wool or staining of wool in natural colors. Along with the masters of the complex "Rural Art" participants learned step by step, how to weave traditional carpet. The most daring visitors signed up for several hours in the School of Young Artisans and gained new skills in the art of woodcarving, knitting vegetable fibers and traditional crochet.  

The festival hosted an exhibition - sale of Bessarabian carpets, on which more than 70 traditional patterns were depicted. The most important element of the Bessarabian carpet, of course, is the Tree of Life, an ancient Christian symbol that unites heaven and earth, meaning youth without old age and life without death. It is this pattern, which became the inspiration for the creation of the National tourism brand "Tree of Life".