UAE’s gift to Pope Francis sells as NFT to raise funds for Afghanistan

A replica of a carpet gifted by the United Arab Emirates to Pope Francis was auctioned for Dh306,184 to help generate funds for Afghans.

This Pontifex  carpet was gifted by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to Pope Francis 2016. The original carpet, measuring 272cm by 183cm, is still with Pope Francis, but Zuleya, the marketing arm of the Fatima Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed Initiative (FMBI), has manufactured an 187cm × 125cm duplicate that will be given to everyone who purchases it as an NFT.

 Musfir Khawaja, co-founder of nftOne stated that, “This is possibly the most notable NFT to ever be sold in the Arab World. the purchaser will receive a true copy of the carpet along with an elegant 165cm gold frame.”

NFTs are digital tokens that enable buyers to purchase digital items like art, music, and drawings. Although Pope Francis still possesses the original carpet, the NFT has worked to “immortalize” the work.

The literal copy of the carpet was handmade by Afghan women and is part of Zuleya’s Tolerance collection. As for Zuleya, it is a retail division of the FMBI, selling Afghan handicrafts.