New luxury Afghan rug stall comes to Macclesfield Indoor Market
By Alex Greensmith
4th Jun 2023 | Local News
An NHS worker's new Macclesfield venture to support women in Afghanistan.
There's one less empty stall inside Macclesfield Indoor Market, thanks to Waheedullah Farooqi Zargar.
The new Grosvenor Centre's newest trader is selling handmade carpets and rugs that are woven by women in Afghanistan.
The Afghani relocated in Macclesfield in September 2021, when the Taliban regained control of the Asian nation.
"They are all handmade," said Waheed.
"I believe at least 1.2 million people are employed in the industry in Afghanistan."
"There are around 37 processes that go into making one carpet or rug, from the cutting of the sheep wool to my importer sending the rugs to the UK.
"It is mostly a female-dominated industry. You can have up to five or six families working on one rug.
"All of the creating is done in Afghanistan, and is mostly handmade with very minor machine assistance."
Waheed is originally from Eastern Afghanistan, but the rugs are from the North where the rug-making industry is particularly huge.
Waheed worked in the north as a civil servant in 2006.
"I only worked in the north for a year, but I made so many friends there, and when I came to the UK, I thought of these people," Waheed explained.
"I thought I could help them by selling carpets and rugs.
"But I also saw it as a way to help my host society - the UK - by having a business that pays taxes and has a presence in the town.
"It was a win-win situation. It is not a profit maximisation thing for me. I have a full-time job during the week for the NHS.
"But I am looking for people who can help sell the items in the shop, right now I can only open on a Saturday but I want this to grow.
"The rugs have traditional designs that date back hundreds of years. And what is amazing that even with all the intricate details that it is all handmade.
"You can notice that some dots are different to other dots, but that is part of the beauty of it being done by hand. For me, a machine-print is boring. With these rugs, you don't get bored, it looks different from every angle which is why it is great to have in your home.
"I always loved these rugs back home, and wanted to share that love here as well."
In 2021, Afghanistan exported 800,000 square meters of Afghan rug, which generated £24.1 million.
Afghanistan was a key part of Central Asian and Persian routes on the historic Silk Road. So there is a sort of poetry that a new resident of Macclesfield is bringing back a connection to that with this new shop.
The stall is located where Loola Loves used to be.
Waheed was one of 18,345 people who resettled in the UK after the fall of Kabul in 2021.
"As well as for the people of Macclesfield, I would like to think that other people who have resettled here would like to buy a rug, as a reminder of the home they left in Afghanistan," revealed Waheed.
"When people came, they left in a hurry whether it was half an hour or a few hours. So you weren't going to pack a heavy rug with you.
The shop is almost like a showcase. As many of the rugs sell for a few hundred pounds, depending on size, the shop is a way for people to see the rugs in person before committing to a purchase.
To help attract more eyes onto the stall, Waheed is also selling other products such as saffron from Afghanistan, along with antiques he has collected since arriving in England.
The family man has set up as a limited company to support our town's economy, as much as he wants to raise awareness for the rug industry in Afghanistan.
"The whole of the UK has been really hospitable to me and my family", added Waheed who lives in South Macclesfield.
"The community has also been really supportive for when I started this business, from the Council to the other traders to the people that come visit the shop on a Saturday.
"Despite being only here one day a week, I know all the traders by name and they are all lovely and welcoming people.
"When I came here, I originally didn't have any money to start the business. I told my friend in Kunduz in Northern Afghanistan about the idea and he loved it, so he became an investor for the business. He goes to the villages and picks the carpets.
"The rugs are from 10-12 provinces in North Afghanistan, so its impact is spread around.
"This industry could die as Afghanistan is disconnected from the world. It may feel like a small thing here in Macclesfield, but it impacts so many families back there."
"Macclesfield is a very welcoming place. People are very polite, supportive and are great listeners. I can proudly call it my second home.
"I want to be an active and contributing member to the community, which is why I decided to do this on top of my Project Manager job."
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