Zawiya 97

Zawiya 97 is a creative hub nested within the heart of the historical Al Balad, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Located in Al-Bait Al-Shargi, the hub also encompasses the building’s surrounding alleyways, activating a comprehensive creative cluster within the district. Deriving its name from both its literal and spiritual identities, Zawiya 97 represents the angle of Al-Bait Al-Shargi itself, which is 97 degrees off the north, as well as Jeddah’s angle to the Islamic Qiblah, at 97 degrees, as well. In that light, Zawiya 97 incubates creative endeavors of every length and breadth. From events, workshops, and residencies in the fields of music, the arts, and fields in between, Zawiya 97 also aims to revive the traditional crafts that were present in historical Mecca and in Al-Balad by extension. With a specific focus on the adjacent alleyways of Zugag Al-Kayyal, Zugag Al-Attara, and Zugag Al-Layyat, Zawiya 97 aims to stay true to each of the alleyways’ namesakes and histories by reviving their respective traditional crafts. A standing symbol of the metaphysical representation of inhaling and exhaling, its initiatives embody how Mecca, in the past, has inhaled these groundbreaking notions, then exhaled them to Jeddah and the world at large.