If you like perfumed candles*, we have just the exhibition for you – Parfums d’Orient (Perfumes of the Orient) at the Institute of the Arab World, very close to our hotels.

You’ll learn how fragrances have always been an essential part of Arab culture, through a visit punctuated by a number of new scents screated specially by perfume creator Christopher Sheldrake.

_{* Everyone likes perfumed candles}

The Institute of the Arab World has an exhibition of a different kind to offer you for the next five months – perfume explored and explained through 200 exhibits – paintings, textiles, manuscripts, installations, photos, vidéos…

The exhibition presents not only the basic building blocks of perfumes, giving the history of ambergris, myrrh and musk, but also explains the place of perfume in Arab society, and the importance of fragrances, oils and balms in everyday life.

You’ll discover the multiple uses of perfume in public spaces, the importance of the location of the perfume quarter (at the centre of the souk, very close to the main mosqu) and how perfume was used in Arab-Muslim houses, for example to inspire poetry with it’s supposedly aphrodisiac vertues.

Throughout the visit you’ll encounter perfume stations designed by the Magique creation studio, featuring new fragrances from perfume creator Christopher Sheldrake.

An impressive programme of events has been organised for the duration of the exhibition, in addition to the usual guided visits:

— workshops about the close link between taste and smell, and another about glass and bottle creation,

— a masterclass about leather on 18th November at 3.30pm,

— La Roseraie de Leila et autres contes parfumés, a tale for kids on 21st October at 3pm,

— a conference Les odeurs qui guérissent (odours that heal) on 8th October at 3pm with a researcher from the CNRS (the French National Centre for Scientific Research) and a perfume creator with expertise in aromatherapy (part of the annual Science Festival),

The complete list of events on offer can be found here, and there are even more coming in January 2024 (soon to be announced) – an ‘olfactory cabaret’, music, podcasts…

A catalogue of the exhibition is also available (224 pages) here at your local Amazon for around 32€.

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The exhibition Parfums d’Orient (Perfumes of the Orient) is at the Institute of the Arab World (here) until 17th March 2024

Open every day except Mondays from 10am-6pm (7pm weekends and public holidays). Late night opening the first Wednesday of every month until 9.30pm

Admission: 13€ / 11€ (tickets here)

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Une publication partagée par Institut du monde arabe (@institutdumondearabe)

To read the English press release for the exhibition, simply click the ‘fullscreen’ button at the bottom right of the image below.