Handmade treasures of greek villages
January 30, 2023 || views
So, craft and village grassroots are my thing. A lot of my past articles were always focused on Albanian Leshi (wool), which I adore and wear every winter.
However, this time I wanted to convey to you a little of the life of the artisans of Greece! Visiting Athens for the 4-th time was different this time. I went straight for the hearty things and absorbed the amazing things Athens offers.The university, the world of books and crafts.
In Plaka, in the shadow of the Acropolis, where we all drank tasty wine and ate Greek food I came across my favorite room. The LOOM. A family owned business that deals with the oldest craft women of Greece. A slice of heaven. But what makes the LOOM different? Their staff, mainly family, are well informed of their products and origin and also the pieces that are chosen for handmade crafts. If you look carefully at the pieces, you will notice the fine print of the Orthodoxy heritage, the pomegranate and the life history of olives. Some of them are the FLOKATI, the traditional sheep wool carpet, locally known as VELEGA.
Cushion covers made in Meteora by the Orthodoxy monks, and the KILIM CARPET made on the island of Kythira. After leaving Albania to explore more, it was an honor to connect to the roots of Greek women and learn all this again. The craftsmanship is so ingrained and Albania and Greece have such a deep and long history of this from their amazing women. Read through the dots and understand the culture of the people and their origin. The handicraft in Greece is spread throughout the Greek islands and is still very much in production every year. Don’t miss it when you are in Plaka!
