SOAS Library

😍

Graduation week was so joyous! Congratulation to all 2026 graduates🎉

You will be forever welcome at SOAS Library

Don't miss this

✨ One week left!

Embroidery Traditions of Afghanistan closes at SOAS Gallery next Saturday, 19 September.

Among the exhibition’s highlights are remarkable nineteenth-century Arabachi coats embroidered in red on blue, rarely displayed Mangal and Pashai shirts, bold women’s capes worked in yellow on black, and an unusual green Kandahari woman’s face veil decorated with intricate khamak embroidery.

Through silk, wool, beads, coins, chain stitch, cross stitch, couching and more, these objects offer a glimpse into the lives, creativity and extraordinary skill of their makers and wearers. The exhibition also preserves examples of styles and techniques that are now disappearing.

Don’t miss your chance to see around 100 embroidered textiles from across Afghanistan, drawn from the Karun Thakar collection and the V&A.

📅 Closing Saturday 19 September
📍 SOAS Gallery, Ground Floor Gallery
🕥 Tuesday–Saturday, 10.30am–5pm
🌙 Open late Thursday until 8pm
🎟 Free admission

Such a wonderful time of year 😍

SOAS alumni are forever welcome in SOAS Library!

We are delighted to announce a new scholarship funded through the Philanthropic Consortium and Omenaa Foundation, helping widen access to postgraduate study for underrepresented international students.

The scholarship will support students pursuing an MA in African Studies or an Africa-focused MA in History of Art and Archaeology, removing financial barriers and creating new opportunities for academic growth.

👉 Read more on the SOAS website: soas.ac.uk/about/news/omenaa-foundation-gift-widens-access-study-africa

The library will be closed on the morning of Saturday 29 August due to essential maintenance work. We will be open from 12:00pm-10:00pm.

We apologise for the short notice.

Image credit: Andrew Codrington, Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/acodring/543527175/in/photostream/

Please note that the SOAS Gallery will be closed this Saturday, 29th August.

We apologise for any inconvenience and will reopen as usual on Tuesday 1 September at 10:30am.

We look forward to welcoming you back to the Gallery then.