AZ INTERNATIONAL RUGS

Alexander Abdul Zahir came to the United States from Afghanistan 15 years ago. After leaving in New York and Boston, he settled his AZ international rock store in Knoxville in 2006. I was also looking somewhere to get closer to the America's Martial, which is an Atlanta twice a year. In this store, he sells rugs and carpets of different sizes, colors and quality. I don't want to sell a rug just for the sake of selling something. I want the buyers to know about it. The more they know, the more they are going to love it. It's history woven into each individual knot. It's a love story. Selling traditional Afghan rugs is in Alexander's family from early 90s, when his grandfather made the decision to weave rugs. Today, manufacturing has kept some of traditional methods. Rugs are designed, then weaved with a hand-spooned wall and dyed with natural vegetable dyes. Tie and knot by appropriate colors around a pair of these dress warps, back and forth This is how it's woven. However, for Alexander, the reason to move to the United States was not related to job opportunities. My life was in danger and still is for part of my family. So it is obviously painful. His own past experience made him help his compatriots. The awards that hang from the shop's wall proudly show his deeds in helping Afghanistan children. For TNJN, this is Yelena Petrovich reporting.