Kahhal 1871’s Carpets Float Above Cairo’s Mazeej Balad

On a bustling Cairo rooftop, the world is turned upside down; rugs lay not at your feet, but float dreamily above you, hovering over the ancient city and the diners of Mazeej Balad.

The installation, ‘Rugs in the Sky’, can be seen until the end of Ramadan and features three hand-knotted rugs hung dramatically above the rooftop’s dining area, where guests gather each evening for iftar and suhoor. Against the backdrop of Old Cairo’s skyline, the pieces hover overhead, transforming Mazeej Balad into an intimate majlis. As people leave their homes for restaurants for long nights of dining and conversation, Kahhal 1871 transforms this public space into a familiar home setting, surrounded by plush carpets and warm tones.

"Rugs have always carried stories across cultures. With the flying rug installation at Mazeej, we wanted to take a craft traditionally placed on the floor and elevate it into an experience that celebrates movement, heritage, and imagination," says Mohamed El Kahhal, the managing director of Kahhal 1871.

By lifting the rugs above the rooftop rather than laying them beneath it, the installation invites visitors to see a centuries-old craft from a new perspective - shifting attention away from their function towards their artistry.

Rugs have long been a site of both heritage and humanity. This age-old craft has offered Egyptians a designated space for sitting, gathering, playing, eating, and laughing for centuries - all within the rectangular confines of their parameters. ‘Rugs in the Sky’ focuses our attention on what these carpets hold - both in design and in cultural memory - by placing them overhead.

At Mazeej Balad, these pieces hover quietly, acting as celestial nets for the memories made below them. Though suspended, they remain a designated space for gathering; as the words of loving conversations and hums of shared laughter drift upward into the night, the rugs catch them, hanging as a continued witness to the culture they have always sheltered.