Among all the steps that precede the actual weaving, there is one whose significance goes beyond mere technique: the mounting of the “Annira” warp bar. If the “ourdissage” organizes, if the spreading balances, and if the mounting of the chain sets the stage, then the “Annira” breathes life into it. Without it, no movement, no crossing, no foundation is possible. It is the “Annira” that creates the space, the interval between the odd and even threads, this living gap that the weavers, with a word full of mystery, call “Arrouh,” literally meaning the soul.

The “Annira” is a modest piece in appearance, yet essential in its role. It is a rigid metal tube, slightly longer than the width of the loom. Attached to this bar is a string, the “Khite Annira,” fine, strong, yet decisive. Its mission: to grasp the odd threads of the chain, referred to by the weavers as “Al khite Annayir,” while the even threads, called “Al khite Alhayir,” remain free. This fundamental distinction is the basis of the plain weave structure, the oldest and purest form of weaving. Every carpet is born from this millennia-old alternation: one thread taken, one thread left, creating the texture of the carpet’s foundation onto which the knots will later be anchored.

Once the Quilo is in place and the chain is properly mounted, the weavers intervene at the base of the structure created during the “ourdissage.” This initial cross, this opening in the chain, is carefully preserved. The weavers then introduce a solid reed, called “Algasba.” This reed plays a key role in the weaving process: it is raised or lowered to create the “foule,” this ephemeral space through which the weft will pass. The “Algasba” is like a conductor’s baton.