The old city of Srinagar contains dozens of working carpet workshops where hand-knotted carpets are produced on upright looms in the traditional way. Many of these workshops are open to visitors, and watching the weavers work — one calling out knot colours from a paper pattern while others tie individual knots across a warp of cotton or silk threads — is one of the more instructive experiences available in Kashmir. A carpet of any size takes months to complete; a fine silk carpet of 900 knots per square inch can take a year.
The craft quarter around Khanqah-e-Moula and the lanes running north from the Jama Masjid has the highest concentration of workshops. Many are directly attached to shops, and the transition from watching to buying can be seamless — the hospitality of offering tea is also the opening of the sales process. Being honest about your intentions (I am interested in the craft but may not be buying today) usually results in a genuine tour without excessive pressure. The range of Kashmiri carpets — from affordable wool-on-cotton pieces with simple patterns to extravagant pure silk carpets with 800 or more knots per square inch — is extraordinary. The difference in quality is visible once you know what to look for.