Relive every major “Game of Thrones” moment via this gorgeous tapestry
Warning, the following post potentially contains spoilers for every season of Game of Thrones. So if you’re not quite caught up or are one of the few who is still on episode two of season one, read on with eclipse glasses-level caution.
While Game of Thrones has become a part of the cultural fabric all over the globe, this holds especially true for Northern Ireland, the production base for the HBO hit series. While the series shoots in various exotic locations in various parts of the world, Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland has served as GoT headquarters and main filming site — so it’s safe to say that the show means a *lot* to the country.
As the series heads into production on its final season, Tourism Ireland is commemorating the show’s contribution to its culture with a stunning hand-woven tapestry.
The 77 meter long (262.5 feet) tapestry, which was created using linen from one of Northern Ireland’s last remaining textile mills, depicts some of the most iconic scenes from the every episode of the series — from Ned Stark’s beheading and the Red Wedding to Joffrey’s death and the Sept of Baelor explosion — hand woven onto the fabric. Sixty-six meters of the traditional medieval tapestry was constructed prior to the seventh season premiere, with new pieces being added after each new episode of season seven airs.
According to Tourism Ireland, there’s an intricate process to creating each scene on the tapestry.
"Before being woven and embroidered, each key scene and character from the show has to be painstakingly recreated and designed by artists and illustrators – condensing over 77 hours worth of storytelling into 77 metres of drawings. Once the hand illustrations are complete, designers recreate the drawings digitally, in order to map out the weaving guide and colour pallets befitting each individual scene. These are then hand-woven and brought to life by expert weavers, on a state-of-the-art Jacquard Loom. Each section of the tapestry comprises of Northern Irish linen, as well as the same fabrics and textiles used for the costumes and sets in the show."
While the entire tapestry is being kept on display at the Ulster Museum in Belfast, Tourism Ireland has a digitized and interactive version on their website, where fans can learn facts about the episodes, GoT lore, and the shooting locations within Northern Ireland. Yes, we’re in love with this incredible tapestry and how they’re constantly updating it with new scenes.
As we watch the season seven finale on HBO on Sunday, we’ll be thinking about which scenes we’d like to see on the gorgeous Irish linen.
