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ALEMBANG: The South Sumatra provincial administration opened on Monday the Graha Songket or House of Songket as a place for songket (woven cloth) weavers to exhibit and sell their products.

Located in downtown Palembang, the provincial capital city, the place is easily accessible by buyers and tourists who want to buy the woven cloth.

'€œVisitors will also be able to directly see the process of making songket by the weavers,'€ said an executive of Graha Songket, Nyayu Nur Komaria.

She said songket was sought after by tourists visiting South Sumatra.

While there were already songket sales centers in Pasar Kito and Tangga Buntung, Nur said many visitors found it difficult to visit such centers because they were not located downtown. She added that the Graha Songket also accommodated weavers who did not have their own shops.

There are various motifs of songket being exhibited, such as Bungo Intan, Lepus Pulis, Nampan Perak, Limar Beranti, Lepus Bintang Berakam, Nago Besaung, Limar Tigo Negeri Tabur Intan, Limar Tigo Negeri Cantik Manis, Lepus Bintang Penuh and Limar Penuh Mawar Berkandang.

Songket weavers said they were very happy with the opening of Graha Songket as it would allow them to increase their income.

A piece of songket is priced between Rp 1 million (US$101) and Rp 5 million depending on the design, weaver Laila said.

She said currently buyers come from various places in Indonesia as well as abroad such as Malaysia, Singapore, China, the US, Australia, Great Britain, the Philippines, and Thailand.