Beni Ourain Rugs

Buy a Beni Ourain rug online with worldwide shipping including to Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, UK and Europe.

Nouvelle Nomad Beni Ourain rugs and carpets are authentic vintage finds. Mostly aged 30 to 80 years old. Hand woven from thick 100% natural un-dyed sheeps wool and originating from the mountainous Beni Ourain region of the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco where cold Winters call for thick wool carpets for warmth.

Authentic vintage Beni Ourain rugs and carpets, and Marmoucha tribe rugs are some of the most sort after of the Berber rugs and vintage Moroccan rug styles.

The larger sized Beni rugs are ideal for dining area rugs, master bedrooms and high traffic lounge area rugs with their cosy thick wool. The smaller sized rugs perfect for kids bedrooms and nurseries or a beautiful feature rug for your creative studio or study. Hallway runners are not as commonly found in the vintage Beni Ourain styles but are available in new made rugs.

These classic black and white rugs an Neutral rugs range in colour from a creamy natural white base through to darker honey tones. With simple line work in criss cross diamonds, linear and geometric designs in natural black, grey, brown and caramel coloured wool.

The wool pile of Beni Ourain carpets can range from a low flat surface area, to cosy medium pile through to a thick shag pile rug. Often finished with hand plaited tassels or natural wool fringe at one end.

An authentic Beni Ourain carpet uses a very specific weaving and knotting style by the women of the Beni Ourain tribes, using 100% wool from the sheep of the region. Often taking weeks to months to produce one carpet. Truly a masterpiece of traditional weaving techniques and artisan craft.

The older antique Beni Ourain carpets and mid-century Beni Ourain rugs aged between 50 - 80 years old are now considered highly collectable. As they become harder to come across they also increase in value when they are found in excellent original condition.

The vintage Beni Ourain style rugs are often quite narrow and long shaped rugs due to the width of the old style weaving looms and traditional Moroccan architecture. Usually measuring around 1.8 - 2 meters in width, and up to 4.5 meters in length. 

Newly made rugs from the Beni Ourain region are an excellent quality option for those wanting larger area sized rugs in a 3 x 4m size for example. We offer Beni Ourain rugs made to order to your size specifications with a lead time of 2-3 months in our Custom Rugs collection with our classic Beni Rug a popular favourite.

These new make rugs are not to be confused with the white wool rugs being made in the Boujad region of Morocco which are made in a very different quality and style.

Both traditional and contemporary Beni Ourain rugs are a favourite feature in architectural design magazines, minimal Scandinavian and Mediterranean style homes and bohemian tribal interiors. They instantly add a layer of warmth, texture and classic elegance to a space with their earthy neutral tones and handmade nature.

With their rise in popularity over the last few decades, the Beni Ourain style is unfortunately often replicated and misappropriated, called a "Beni rug" or "Berber rug" by commercial homewares brands and mass-produced carpet retailers who manufacture in India and other regions.

How to tell if a Beni Ourain rug is real? The knots visible from the back side of the rug will have thick loops and a hand done look to them. Many fake Beni Ourain rugs are machine made rugs that will have perfect knots in perfect rows. The wool should be un-dyed and natural in colour, light to dark cream or a warm honey tone - not bleached or bright white.

Beni Ourain or Beni Ouarain? Both Beni Ourain and Ouarain spelling is correct and used frequently in Morocco. As the traditional Berber language is primarily verbal rather than a written language you'll find many words or names of places have varied spelling when written in English. Shokran and shukran (Thank you) or Boujad and Boujaad (the region) for example.

Looking for sustainable rugs that are good for the planet? You can't go past the natural 100% wool rugs from Morocco. Wool is a natural insulator, easy to clean as its natural oils repel stains, and the absence of any artificial synthetic dyes or bleach means it is kind on the environment when it eventually breaks down.

Shop Beni Ourain rugs by size - large sized rugs, small sized rugs and vintage runners.

For more information on our vintage Moroccan rugs, and where and how we source visit our article: About our rugs

For more information about how to clean a vintage Beni Ourain rug visit our article: FAQ: Rug cleaning and care.

Shop authentic vintage Beni Ourain rugs online or enquire for sourcing and wholesale.

Nouvelle Nomad Beni Ourain rugs Melbourne, Australia and Marrakech, Morocco.