Author: Bunyaad

All of us here at Bunyaad believe in preserving the rich cultural heritage of traditional rug-making. We love to share our love and knowledge of hand-knotted rugs, Pakistani culture and artisan stories. Stop by anytime and enjoy a cup of Pakistani green tea with us!

  • The Dougs Arrive in Lahore, Pakistan

    ByBunyaad

    Doug Horst and Yousaf Chaman

    We (Doug Horst & Doug Dirks) left Lancaster, PA at 4 pm on November 10 and drove to JFK airport in New York with Marion Schrock serving as our airport driver. We checked into our Emirates flight at 9:30 pm and were in the air by 11 pm.

    After 11 hours in the air we landed in Dubai to change flights and take off again for Lahore, Pakistan. Our flights were smooth and uneventful and we easily cleared customs and picked up our bags in Lahore. We were very happy to see the smiling faces of Yousaf and Ehsan as we exited the airport baggage area. It was 3 am on Thursday, November 12, by the time we reached the Chaman family home in Saeed Park.

    We enjoyed a breakfast of fried eggs,
    coffee, saag and chicken.

    By 4 am we gladly fell into bed after more than 24 hours of total travel time. Doug and Doug work up late, just in time to have “breakfast” at 2 in the afternoon. After enjoying a breakfast of fried eggs, coffee, saag (spinach) and chicken we (Yousaf, Doug and Doug) drove to the Bunyaad/JAKCISS office and warehouse to pick up Ehsan.

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    Bunyaad Learning Trip – Before Departure

    ByBunyaad

    Female Bunyaad Rug Knotter

    On November 10, Doug Horst and I (Doug Dirks), from the Bunyaad office at Ten Thousand Villages in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, will fly to Pakistan to visit rug makers and learn about rug making. We will join Yousaf Chaman who traveled to Pakistan a week earlier.

    We are very much looking forward to this two week trip because we will meet rug makers and their families in their homes, right where Bunyaad rugs are created. This will help us to better understand how rugs are made, who makes them and under what circumstances they are made. We’ll get to visit and stay in rug making villages so we can soak up local culture and enjoy wonderful village hospitality. The food will be delicious and the conversations will be delightful.

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    Delicious Meals on Gorgeous Rugs

    ByBunyaad

    Chobi in kitchen nook

    Entertaining friends and family are a natural extension of Bruce and John’s lives.

    Cooking delicious meals is just one aspect of their generous hospitality. From brunch in the kitchen nook with sunlight streaming through the windows to elaborate dinners in their more formal dining room—YOU get to ENJOY.

    Meals are prepared in the kitchen while standing on long Tribal Chobi runners. Oh, did I say “standing on rugs while cooking”? I sure did, because this is the other aspect of life at the home of John and Bruce. You will find Bunyaad rugs in all areas of the home.

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    Bright Colors, Intricate Designs and Fair Trade

    ByBunyaad

    Bold design Persian

    The new rug shipment just arrived and we are amazed. Bunyaad rug artisans in Pakistan keep surprising us over and over again.

    You would think that we’d know what to expect when we open the bales. Craftsmanship and quality of wool and colors are always high. Yet this newest shipment shows again the incredible artistry of the rug artisans we work with.

  • Not Packing Book Bags…We’re Packing Rug Trucks!

    ByBunyaad

    Packing up our Rug TrucksAs kids pack up their book bags and head back to school, we here in the Bunyaad Rug Room are also busy packing up as we head into our Fair Trade Rug Event fall season.

    What is a Rug Event?

    To make sure that everyone gets to enjoy the fair trade rug experience, we take our rugs on the road and travel to over 30 fair trade locations every year. For each event we organize up to 350 rugs from 2’x3′ to 10’x14′ to create temporary mobile fair trade rug stores across the US and Canada. With the help of volunteers and staff at the hosting locations, we are able to set up and afterwards tear down our rug piles in roughly two hours!