The mosaics hail from mosques, churches, palaces, and archaeological sites like necropoli and caravansaries spanning 3000 years, all recognised by UNESCO, the World Monuments Fund, ALIPH Foundation, and other heritage preservation institutions.
However, Awartani chose not to specifically label each mosaic’s origin, but rather focus on their common visual language that has transcended geographic boundaries. Instead of framing them as ‘Arab’ monuments, the mosaics are a heritage that connects east and west, with similar vernacular found from Europe through to Asia.
“They’re World Heritage monuments. They’re for all of us. People sometimes think of the Arab world as a very homogenised Islamic land, but the majority of the things here are from churches, monasteries, synagogues, mosques, and hundreds of different civilisations,” Awartani says. “I wanted to show the culture of east to the west by showing what we have in common more than our differences, and to raise awareness about what’s going on right now, because it’s still ongoing. Just a few weeks ago, there was destruction in in Lebanon, where another shrine was destroyed. So for me the sense of urgency is super important.”