Sotheby’s Celebrates MENA Region in Hafla Event

This Summer Sotheby’s in London is hosting its second iteration of “Hafla”, a celebration of Middle Eastern art. The title comes from the Arabic word "hafla" or “حفلة”, meaning "celebration".

This year, the celebration is made in collaboration with Turquoise Mountain Trust, an NGO founded in 2006 by His Majesty King Charles III. Their work is rooted in the belief that cultural heritage has the power to transform lives, currently working with artisan communities in Afghanistan, the Levant, Myanmar and Saudi Arabia. They have employed and trained over 20,000 artisans across 80 crafts, restoring more than 200 historic buildings, and providing primary healthcare and education for artisans and their families.

The central component of the 2025 edition of Hafla is an exhibition called Weaving Poems, a presentation of 14 carpets created by Afghan designer Maryam Omar and women weavers of Bamiyan in central Afghanistan. Each design is inspired by a poem associated with traditional weaving practices and by the natural and cultural communities and their heritage. The carpets were first exhibited at Qatar Museum’s inaugural Design Doha in 2024, with a sister exhibition opening at the UNESCO Cultural Centre in Bamiyan in September 2025. The carpets are displayed alongside paintings by modern and contemporary artists from the MENA region. These include works by Paul Guiragossian, Douglas Abdell, and Hamed Owais.

In addition to the exhibition is a month-long programme of events including panel discussions, auction highlights and artisan demonstrations in the art of calligraphy, miniature painting, and jewellery design and crafting.

Weaving Poems are on display at Sotheby’s Bond Street from 28 July to 22 August 2025