Afghanistan · Weaving / Flat-Weave / Textile
میمنه کیلیم (Maimana Kilim)
The Maimana kilim (میمنه کیلیم) is the flat-weave textile tradition of Faryab Province in northern Afghanistan — the meeting point of Uzbek and Turkmen weaving traditions with Afghan Pashtun aesthetics, producing kilims of extraordinary geometric complexity. Maimana kilims use a weft-wrapping technique where the weft yarn wraps around individual warp threads rather than passing under and over groups — producing a more flexible and finely detailed surface than standard slit tapestry. The defining technical knowledge is the weft tension equalization: every weft row must have identical tension throughout — 'I test every row by pressing the flat of my hand across the weft before beating — the hand should feel no high points or low points, only one surface.'
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Afghanistan national ICH list
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