Lori Carpet Weaving

This small-group workshop in Stepanavan focuses on the Lori-Pambak carpet tradition—a weaving tradition with motifs, symbolism, and dye techniques that have remained essentially unchanged for centuries. The workshop runs in a converted room of a traditional house in Stepanavan's old quarter, and the experience is split between two sessions: natural dyeing and weaving instruction. You will learn, work, and make something tangible with your own hands.

The dyeing session centers on vordan karmir—Armenian cochineal, a natural red dye derived from insects that live on a particular cactus. The process is alchemical: participants learn to prepare the mordant bath (a chemical foundation that allows the dye to bond with wool), then dye prepared wool yarn in the cochineal bath. The real magic happens as you watch the colour shift with pH changes. Add lemon juice and the crimson shifts toward orange; add ammonia and it deepens to purple. The dye is permanent and powerful; the same technique has produced Armenian red for thousands of years. You will take home a dyed wool sample to examine and remember the experience.

The weaving portion introduces the specific Lori pattern vocabulary—the "ram's horn" motif that curves and echoes through traditional designs, the stylised tree of life border, the geometric fields that make Lori carpets instantly recognisable to those who know Armenian textiles. No experience is necessary; the weaver works at a patient pace, explaining technique and meaning as you work. The loom is a traditional wooden construction, narrow and upright. Your hands will learn the rhythm of the shuttle, the tension of the warp. By the end, you will have contributed a row or two to a piece that may take weeks to complete—your work will remain in the carpet, a small immortality. Participants take home a printed guide to Lori carpet symbolism and a small dyed wool sample.

Getting there

Stepanavan is 95 kilometres north of Yerevan, reachable by marshrutka bus (3–3.5 hours) from Kilikia Station. The workshop is located in the old quarter of the town; ask your bus driver or guesthouse for directions. The experience must be booked in advance through the Explore Lori contact form or directly through the workshop. Minimum group size is 2 people; maximum is 8. The workshop can accommodate groups at scheduled times or on demand with advance notice (at least 48 hours).

What to bring

• Old clothes that you don't mind staining—natural dyes are permanent and do not wash out completely
• Closed-toe shoes (the work involves standing and moving between the dye bath and the loom)
• Water bottle (weaving and dyeing involve concentration and can be dehydrating, especially in winter when the wood-heated room is warm)
• Notebook to record the symbolism of the patterns, the mordant ratios, or anything else the weaver shares
• Camera (photography is welcome throughout the experience)
• AMD cash if you want to purchase a finished carpet piece or additional dyed yarn samples