Lebanon
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Literary power politics
Spotlight on the UAE's 30th Abu Dhabi Book Fair
They’ve already got the Louvre; they’ll soon have a Guggenheim Museum as well – and now the Emirates have added literature to their quest for cultural supremacy in the Arab world. Stefan Weidner reports from Abu Dhabi, from the first book fair of this year to take place in person
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The legacy of Lebanon's Lokman Slim
"His work lives on in all of us"
German filmmaker Monika Borgmann, widow of slain Lebanese activist Lokman Slim, is continuing the work they began together in Lebanon. By Lea Bartels
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COVID-19 in the Middle East
Arab countries face high coronavirus vaccine hesitancy
The rollout of coronavirus vaccines in the Middle East and North Africa is already taking place on a massive scale, with the United Arab Emirates leading the way. Nevertheless, many people are in no rush to get the COVID-19 jab. Cathrin Schaer poses the all-important question: why?
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Chaza Charafeddine's "Beirut für wilde Mädchen"
Flashback from Beirut
A childhood and youth in Beirut, a life lived between Lebanon, Switzerland and Germany, and a unique voice in Arabic-language literature: "Beirut für wilde Mädchen" sees Lebanese author Chaza Charafeddine tell her country’s story from a highly personal perspective. Gerrit Wustmann read the book
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Pete Katz and "The Prophet: A Graphic Novel"
Romantic ideals for a new generation
Often disdained by intellectuals, Kahlil Gibran’s "The Prophet" has remained immensely popular for nearly a century since its publication in 1923. Now one of the most translated books in history has undergone another translation – into the visual sphere – by Pete Katz, who both adapted and illustrated the new volume. By Nahrain Al-Mousawi
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COVID-19 rages on
Muslims begin Ramadan 2021 under the shadow of coronavirus
Surging coronavirus cases in many parts of the world have overshadowed the start of this year's Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with festivities once again curtailed by contagion fears.
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New books on the Middle East
The clouds of war or the dawn of a new beginning?
German Middle East analyst Guido Steinberg and television journalist Ulrich Tilgner have both published new books on the conflicts in the Middle East. Their analyses and their forecasts for the region could not be more different. By René Wildangel
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Baalbek Reborn: Temples
The "Baalbek Reborn: Temples" app uses the latest technology to reconstruct the ruins at Baalbek, Lebanon
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Baalbek Reborn: Temples
Virtual 3D tour of the Roman temples at Baalbek, Lebanon
The famous temples of Baalbek, the ancient Heliopolis in Lebanon, are one of the largest Roman religious sites in the world and a World Heritage Site. The app "Baalbek Reborn: Temples" uses the latest technology to reconstruct the ruins
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Mass expropriation in Syria
How Assad is preventing the return of refugees
The Syrian war has moved through many phases and included a number of changing actors. But one aspect has remained constant throughout: the Assad regime is using the conflict to rid the nation once and for all of what it considers to be undesirable demographic groups. By Stefan Buchen and Sulaiman Tadmory
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Author and critic Elias Khoury
"Lebanon has always rebelled against political repression"
For years the Arab intellectual elite looked to Lebanon, coveting its atmosphere of freedom. Feigning the non-existence of repression, Beirut welcomed intellectuals from across the region, published their works and celebrated them. Yet, even following the murder of Lokman Slim, the powers that be are incapable of controlling everything. An essay by Elias Khoury
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The legacy of the Arab Spring
"The Syrian revolution is resumable today and tomorrow"
On the 10th anniversary of the Arab Spring we can’t quite escape that substance called remembrance. Yet, eschewing facile modes of nostalgic remembrance and/or tragic lamentation, we opt for asking questions. Yassin Al-Hajj Saleh reflects