A Tribute to the Blind, Romantic, Saudi Poet

The romantic poet, Al-A’sha’s writings were way ahead of their time. Al-A’sha used his poetry skills to charm many and his name came from the fact that he was blind. Despite this he travelled from town to town on camelback with only a harp.

To commemorate the prolific writer, we designed an event to highlight and preserve this part of our Saudi heritage. This project was commissioned by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Culture and we collaborated with Sidra to bring this event to life.

We created a village combining traditional building techniques and materials with the latest digital technologies to create a memorable experiential journey. Craft handled all the aspects of the project: from concept development, user journey, and experience to building the city. We worked with specialized artisans to build structures using traditional mud techniques and construction methods. We design-built an architectural installation that integrated a verse of the writer’s poem on its facade and that housed an exhibition celebrating the poet’s life, journey, and achievements. We also used projection mapping on the main entry gates, to tell the author’s story.

Craft also catered to each age group by providing various types of activities such as carpet making, weaving, papermaking, embroidery, sword-making, and more.

We are proud to represent the late author who contributed substantially to the nation’s cultural scene. Our company holds great value in preserving the culture, traditions, and heritage of Saudi Arabia and we believe it is our social responsibility to continue working on meaningful projects such as Alasha Village.