What links the city of Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan to Paris, France?

“The bakeries, they both have excellent bakeries...”

Or Bamiyan, Afghanistan to Schwennig, Germany? 

“There are nearby mountains where you can ski" 

When we think about forced migration we often think of cities like Lesvos, Lampedusa, or Calais; cities that make headlines for the influx of people seeking refuge in camps. In reality, many people will also end up in cities across Europe that are rarely included in this narrative. Cities like Schwennigen in Germany. These colourful flatweave rugs, handmade in Afghanistan, are a collaboration between Paris-based jewellery studio Bangla Begum and ISHKAR. They highlight the stories of some of ISHKAR’s Afghan partners who fled the country in 2021 and are now building new homes in unfamiliar cities. We chose to weave the names of European cities in the Dari script too, to illustrate how they had become part of a common narrative.

Watch how the rugs are made here.