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This fragment is part of the "CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the Future" carpet.
Through the fragment we trace the journey of the fragment owners and their collabs as they explore, experiment and creatively advance socially relevant themes. Here is the fragment as we are sending it on this three and a half-year journey.
Follow this story to observe the transformations the fragment undergoes over the course of these years...
The journey begins...
...with Thalia Kennedy
Patterns of Faith: Living Traditions in Islamic Art – An exhibition of crafts masterpieces from across the Islamic world
This CulturalxCollabs story is about an exhibition, shown at Sotheby’s London in 2025, that displayed a series of Islamic art objects and architectural elements developed in partnership between artisan communities, the UK charity Turquoise Mountain, and the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
The exhibition was titled “Patterns of Faith: Living Traditions in Islamic Art”. Created by leading Afghan, Palestinian, Syrian, Jordanian and Saudi Arabian master artisans working with Turquoise Mountain, each object displayed stands as testament to vibrant practice, design and innovation inspired by diverse heritage traditions and brought together by faith.
The exhibition showed a broad range of techniques and design traditions, from painted and inlaid woodwork, glass blowing and tile-making, to hand-woven carpets and calligraphy. Objects displayed included a fine marquetry minbar, Qur’an stands and Qur’anic manuscripts, stone ablution bowls, mosque carpets and floor tiles, a painted ‘ajami ceiling, glass mosque lamps, carved doors, decorative arcading and a fine fretwork panel.
Originally made for Ithra’s permanent collection, Patterns of Faith: Living Traditions in Islamic Art brought these objects to wider audiences in the United Kingdom.
Listen to master artisan Abdelrahman speaking about the making of the minbar.
A master artisan of Syrian wood mosaics, Abdelrahman left Syria due to the war and resettled in Jordan, where he built a business around the traditional Syrian craft he’s perfected since the age of 13.
A minbar is a sacred raised platform in a mosque where the imam delivers sermons, often adorned with intricate carvings and a staircase. This spectacular mosaic minbar is the first of its kind, crafted by Abdelrahman for the 2022 Ithra exhibition in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Creating this minbar was both a personal and spiritual journey for him. The piece also represents one of his most complex works to date, a testament to the patience and dedication required for this craft. Listen to his story....
Read reflections from the master artisans on their crafts practice and the objects features in Patterns of Faith.
“For me, carpet weaving means preserving a piece of who I am through this art.”
Zahra, Carpet Weaver, Afghanistan
“Carpet weaving represents our culture, art, and skills as Afghan women. We want our country to be known for our work, not war.”
Shukuria, Carpet Weaver, Afghanistan
“Carpet weaving makes us feel valued, and when you feel valued, it encourages you to work better and brings positive energy.”
Farida, Carpet Weaver, Afghanistan
“I am inspired by the material of stone, by working by hand, and looking back to historic artefacts found in Makkah Sharif and Madinah – and along the pilgrimage routes between - as an inspiration.”
Helwa Al-Atawi, Stone Carver, Saudi Arabia
“There’s a relationship of love between this craft and the people who practise it. If we want to pass this craft on to the next generation, the first thing we must do is encourage them to love it.”
Moataz Hammoush, Woodworker, Syrian living in Jordan
“We only use the best materials, because in the end, the piece is taking part of your body and your soul. It speaks to you. That’s why we give a piece the best, so that we can see the best possible.”
Moataz Hammoush, Woodworker, Syrian living in Jordan
“I have dedicated myself wholeheartedly to this craft, but I also believe that my patience and calmness—gifts from God—have played a crucial role in excelling at this art. The more patience one has, the greater their creativity and precision, which brings out the true beauty of the craft.”
Abdul Rahman Sha’aban, Woodworker, Syrian living in Jordan
“Knowing that so many people, both Muslims and non-Muslims, have seen and admired this minbar fills me with immense pride and joy. I believe it has been appreciated by people of all faiths, offering them insight into the beauty of this craft.”
Abdul Rahman Sha’aban, Woodworker, Syrian living in Jordan
“In any work, if there’s no passion, there’ll be neither skill nor craft. We have an expression that says our craft is a sea – there’s always more to learn. If you give it your soul, if you work with it, and show interest in it, it will look after you. Wood has a soul, after all.”
Abu Nidal, Woodcarver, Syrian living in Jordan
“When I came to Murad Khani, I visited some of the old houses […] When I saw this house and the things inside, I realised what a history – what a civilisation – Afghanistan had. How strong it was artistically. I realised that we really had something in the past that we must continue and develop.”
Naseer Yasna Mansouri, Woodcarver, Afghanistan
“These techniques are deeply rooted in Afghanistan’s history and are a longstanding traditional art form. They must continue and I am proud to be a part of the keeping the craft alive.”
Mansour Armaghan, Woodcarver, Afghanistan
“I lose myself in my craft — in its formations and reformations. For me, glass-blowing is a spiritual process and sharing it with future generations is vital to its very existence.”
Mohammad Twam, Glass-blower, Palestine
“Tile-making is part of our heritage. Preserving it is our duty — mine, my family’s, and our community’s. Nabulsi tiles tell the story of Palestinian aesthetics.”
Anan Aslan, Tile-maker, Palestine
Front and Back
About the Project
The Museum for Islamic Art's project, #CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the future, celebrates the transformative power of cultural exchange and the shared threads that unite us all. All the things we love, have loved and will ever love come from cultural exchange, migration and diversity, or as we like to call it #CulturalxCollabs.
100 carpet fragments, cut from a replica of the iconic dragon carpet, will travel the world (delivered by DHL). The fragments will ignite #CulturalxCollabs with co-creators, inspiring human ingenuity, fostering community and ultimately demonstrating how cultural exchange enriches all our lives.
Follow #CulturalxCollabs on Instagram as the project unfolds...
...or learn more here
Weaving the Future
Join us on a journey with 100 carpet fragments as they travel around the world for three and a half years, finding temporary homes while bridging cultural boundaries, fostering worldwide community united by the power of human stories.
Fragment Journeys
100 carpet fragments part of the "CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the Future" project. Follow their journeys through the ever changing owners' over three and a half years.
Where is the Dragon?
The star of the "CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the Future" project is a so-called Caucasian dragon carpet from the 17th century. A dragon carpet - all well and good - but: where is the dragon?
