Encyclopedia of Traditional Arts

Explore the traditional arts of the Kingdom — their history, their techniques, and the crafts that carry our cultural identity.

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  • A builder shaping mud inside an earthen house

    Traditional Building

    Earthen Building & Gypsum Ornament

    A traditional craft of adorning homes with geometric gypsum carving and ornament drawn from Najdi heritage.

  • A black Hasawi bisht embroidered in gold zari

    Textile Crafts

    Hasawi Bisht Making

    A time-honoured craft of Al-Ahsa built on fine tailoring and hand embroidery in zari thread, producing a bisht that joins quality of making with beauty of detail and reflects the authenticity of Saudi heritage.

  • A craftsman restoring an old manuscript

    Bookbinding & Gilding

    Bookbinding & Gilding

    A handicraft that binds books and manuscripts and adorns them with fine gold ornament, devoted to keeping texts safe from one generation to the next.

  • A craftswoman treating leather by hand

    Leatherwork

    Leather Tanning

    A heritage craft of cleaning and treating hides by traditional methods, turning them into leather fit for tools and everyday goods.

Discover traditional arts
across the Kingdom’s regions

Discover the traditional arts tied to each region of the Kingdom, and what makes every region’s crafts its own.

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Videos

  • A craftsman measuring bisht cloth with a ruler

    Video Textile Crafts Beginner

    A handicraft of embroidering the bisht in zari thread, known for fine detail and ornament drawn from Hasawi heritage.

  • Hands carving a circular gypsum ornament on a wall

    Video Traditional Building Beginner

    A traditional craft of adorning homes with geometric gypsum carving drawn from Najdi heritage.

  • A carpenter sawing a plank in the workshop

    Video Woodwork Beginner

    A heritage craft reflecting the beauty of Najdi architecture, with hand-carved motifs from the local landscape.

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