Culture

The chamber music ensemble Musica Sequenza (photo: Musica Sequenza/Daniel Mulder)

Musica Sequenza Chamber Music Ensemble

Spanning times and cultures

Berlin-based international chamber music ensemble Musica Sequenza is known for its modern interpretation of baroque music. With his latest project, the opera "Kassia", composer and ensemble director Burak Ozdemir transcends temporal, cultural and geographical boundaries. By Ceyda NurtschMore

Musica Sequenza and Burak Ozdemir: "Rameau a la Turque": Orientalising OrientalismHindol Deb's "Essence of duality": Beyond the exotic – for a new East-West dialogueElektro Hafiz: A musical maverick
Iranians gather on the iconic Khaju Bridge over the Zayandeh Rud river in Isfahan, on 16 May 2022 (photo: ATTA KENARE/AFP)

Water mismanagement in Iran

Drought and diversions – pulling the plug on Isfahan

Drought and upstream water diversions have seen the Zayandeh Rood, "fertile river" in Persian, run dry since 2000, with only rare exceptions. The famed river bridges of the Iranian city of Isfahan are a beloved tourist draw – but much of the time their stone arches span just sand and rocks, not waterMore

Water shortage in the Maghreb: Climate change and Tunisia's water management challengeMiddle East: Water resources – another conflict trigger?Arab world: Conflict and climate change drive Syria's water crisis
Nadia Nadim was 12 years old when her family fled Afghanistan (photo: federation entertainment/echo studio)

Afghan soccer star "Nadia"

From child refugee to professional footballer

The documentary "Nadia" tells the incredible story of Nadia Nadim, who was forced to flee from the Taliban as a child and became a football star. By Annabelle Steffes-HalmerMore

The future of Afghan cinema: "The best revenge is to keep making films"Afghanistan documentary "Melting Dreams": A tale of Afghan-European failureInterview with filmmaker Mariam Ghani: The power of propaganda
Kairo vor dem Hintergrund der Pyramiden; Foto: Getty Images/K.Desouki

Marianne Manda's "Der Atem Kairos"

Portraying Cairo's everyday heroes

In this unusually beautiful book of images and text, published in German and Arabic, artist Marianne Manda presents her own unique take on the megacity of Cairo. In over fifty portraits, she offers a touching insight into the lives of those who inhabit this metropolis of millions. By Volker KaminskiMore

Overpopulation and Sisi regime propaganda: Egypt's people – nothing but a burden and a nuisanceEgypt's New Administrative Capital: The sinister side of Sisi's urban developmentGentrification in Egypt: Urban counter-revolution in Cairo
Palestinian-British singer Reem Kelani (photo: Alexander Short)

Reem Kelani's "The Singer Said: Bird of Dawn"

Homage to the grand master of Persian music

Singer-songwriter Reem Kelani's latest release – "The Singer Said: Bird of Dawn" – pays tribute to Mohammad Reza Shajarian. The two-song EP features Kelani's unique take on a famous Shajarian anthem and a second track symbolic of the iconic Iranian singer's life. By Richard MarcusMore

Mohammad-Reza Shajarian: The master rebelObituary: Iranian singer Mohammad Reza Shajarian: The voice of the poetsReem Kelaniʹs "Why Do I Love Her?": Sweet discomfort
A still from the documentary 'Sonita' about an Afghan female rapper, directed by Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami (photo: TAG/TRAUM)

The future of Afghan cinema

"The best revenge is to keep making films"

Three award-winning female directors appeal to the international film industry to save Afghan cinema. Supporting women filmmakers is more important than ever. By Christine LehnenMore

Afghanistan documentary "Melting Dreams": A tale of Afghan-European failure Hassan Faziliʹs "Midnight Traveler": That our voices wonʹt be silencedInterview with filmmaker Mariam Ghani: The power of propaganda
Women artists working in the Iranian film industry (source: Iran Journal)

Sexual violence

#MeToo revelations rock Iranian film industry

More than 800 Iranian filmmakers have signed a declaration against sexual harassment, coercion and violence in their industry. The public's response to their willingness to name and shame has been overwhelming. By Nasrin BassiriMore

″Love, sex, death and the search for truth in Tehran″: Where nothing is allowed, yet anything is possibleWinner of the Berlinale 2020: "Sheytan Vojud Nadarad": There is no evil, unless it's perpetratedQantara dossier: Iranian cinema
Pakistan rapper Eva B (photo: Asif Hassan/AFP)

Behind the veil

The double life of Pakistan rapper Eva B

Pakistan's breakthrough rapper Eva B has racked up millions of views online, but walking through the labyrinthine streets of her Karachi neighbourhood, she is anonymous. Her hair covered with a hijab and a veil falling below her eyes, she evades the attention of fans and detractorsMore

Theatre in Pakistan: "I just want to dance"Teenage pregnancies in Pakistan: What sex education is really aboutPalestinian-Israeli rappers: Dugri duo for dialogue
Cover photo of Peter Sanders' book "Meeting with Mountains. Encounters with the Saints and Sages of the Islamic World" (published by Inspiral Books)

Saints of Islam

Capturing the light of sages

For over fifty years, British photographer Peter Sanders travelled across the Middle East and further afield, seeking out the saints of Islam. His work uncovers a little-known world. By Marian BrehmerMore

Islamic mysticism: A flute like the breath of GodSufism: Lifting the lidSufism: A soft form of Islam?
"El-Ekhteyar 3" publicity photo (source: Synergy)

Egypt's Ramadan series "El-Ekhteyar 3"

At Abdul Fattah al-Sisi's expense

In the third series of "El-Ekhteyar", actor Yasser Galal delivers a remarkable performance in the role of Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, attracting admiration and ridicule in equal measure. By Shady Lewis BotrosMore

Mass propaganda in Egypt: "El-Ekhteyar 2" – twisting the facts for President SisiEgypt's National Human Rights Strategy: Propaganda tailored to the U.S.?Overpopulation and Sisi regime propaganda: Egypt's people – nothing but a burden and a nuisance
Aref El Rayess' works express the darkness of the civil war (courtesy: Saradar Collection)

Lebanon between the wars

The revolutionary art of Beirut's golden 60s

A Berlin exhibition explores the buzzing heyday of Beirut's art scene in the 1960s – and how it was cut short by the darkness of the Lebanese civil war. By Ruairi CaseyMore

″Beirut Noir″: Chronicling life in the corrupt cityEtel Adnan, Lebanese American poet and artist: A woman full of questions and innocenceExplosion in Lebanon: The soul of the city – Beirut's cultural decline
Members of the Cypriot Melodists Byzantine Choir chant at the Greek Orthodox Church of Ayia Napa (Panagia Church) (photo: Lisa Golden/AFP)

Chanters in Cyprus

Preserving the 'rich heritage' of Byzantine music

Chanting resonates through a church in the Cypriot resort town of Ayia Napa, darkened but for a few low lights and mobile devices displaying the singers' Byzantine melodiesMore

Greek Orthodox liturgy in Turkey: Uncovering the country's non-Muslim cultural heritageTurkey's Aramean Christians: Where they speak Jesus' languageIslam and tolerance: Albania's Bektashi Muslims
A woman with her child in Darfur, Western Sudan (photo: picture-alliance/AP Photo/UNAMID/A.G.Farran)

Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin’s "The Messiah of Darfur"

A peacemaker in times of war

In his multi-layered novel, Sudanese author Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin tells the incredible story of a charismatic "prophet" rallying followers in Darfur, a region devastated by bloody civil war. It is a moving tale of war and love, revenge and hope. Volker Kaminski read the bookMore

Tayeb Salih′s ″Season of Migration to the North″: A literary hall of mirrorsSudan's ex-dictator Bashir at the International Criminal Court: Arab dictators take noteSudan/Chad: War without borders
Tamashek band Imarhan (photo: Julien Bourgeois)

Album review: Imarhan's "Aboogi"

Looking beyond the horizon

"Aboogi", on the City Slang label, is the latest release from Imarhan. Hailing from southern Algeria, Imarhan are one of the many bands that have emerged from the Tameshek diaspora. They see their music as a chance to preserve the culture and history of their people. By Richard MarcusMore

Album review: Imarhanʹs "Temet": Keeping it realAlbum review: Tartitʹs "Amankor/The Exile": Lapping at your consciousnessAlbum review: "Alone" by Terakaft: The lions of Tamasheq music
The Tunisian Ramadan TV series "Baraa" has been criticised by rights activists and secular politicians over the issue of polygamy (photo: Achraf OUERGHEMMI/AFP)

Ramadan

Tunisia TV series sparks polygamy row

A Ramadan TV series dealing with polygamy has sparked a heated debate in Tunisia, an Arab pioneer in women's rights that banned the practice decades agoMore

The Prophet and Sharia: Islamic family law reform – a question of interpretationWomen's rights in the Middle East: Feminists in Tunisia claim civic space Zahra Ali's "Islamic Feminisms": Female emancipation based on the spirit of Sharia
Algerian ethnologist and poet Habib Tengour (photo: private)

Book fair in Algiers

Habib Tengour and the "Poems of the World"

The Algiers book fair has taken place for the 25th time, following a two-year break owing to the pandemic. Independent Algerian publisher APIC used the occasion to showcase its avant-garde poetry series, initiated by the Algerian poet and ethnologist Habib Tengour. Interview by Regina Keil-SagaweMore

Habib Tengour's "Le Vieux de la Montagne": True legendsFady Joudah's "Footnotes in the Order of Disappearance": A web of living tissuePersian poetry in the 21st century: The poem in contemporary Iran
Sufi Mysteries Quartet montage, showing the covers of all four books. The final volume, "The Peace", is due to be published in 2022 (source: Laury Silvers)

Laury Silvers' "Sufi Mysteries Quartet"

Sleuths on a Sufi path

Rarely has the world of crime-writing taken such an interesting turn. Richard Marcus spoke to American Muslim historian and novelist Laury Silvers about her four detective novels set in Baghdad under the Abbasid caliphate and the advantages of self-publishingMore

Sufism: Lifting the lidInterview with Mevlevi sheikh Kabir Helminski: Sufism and the power to transformAlbum review: Trygve Seim′s ″Rumi Songs″: Musical wanderlust
Lebanese female metal band "Slave to Sirens" (photo: YouTube screenshot)

Filming Lebanon’s all-women metal band "Slave to Sirens"

Heavy metal combats the Beirut blues

U.S. filmmaker Rita Baghdadi’s film following an all-female Lebanese metal band is well worth a watch. It’s the story of five fascinating young women embarking on their careers as their country falls apart. By Rene WildangelMore

Massive Scar era: Women's Heavy Metal from AlexandriaExplosion in Lebanon: The soul of the city – Beirut's cultural decline Lebanon: Beirut nightlife grinds to a halt
Nobel Prize for Literature winner Abdulrazak Gurnah is from Zanzibar, has lived in the UK since he was 18 (photo: Matt Dunham/AP/picture-alliance)

Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah

Exile, migration and the art of writing

The Tanzanian-born Nobel Prize winner talks to Annabelle Steffes-Halmer about his decision to leave Zanzibar, to write in English – and about the rise of African writers in the post-colonial eraMore

Abdulrazak Gurnah's "Paradise": "Freedom is not something they can take away"Abdulrazak Gurnah – "Pilgrim's Way": As foreign as a drop of oil in waterQantara dossier: Literature
Still from the film "Melting Dreams" by Haidy Kancler (source; Thessaloniki Film Festival Press)

Afghanistan documentary "Melting Dreams"

A tale of Afghan-European failure

Haidy Kancler’s documentary "Melting Dreams" celebrated its world premiere at the Thessaloniki Film Festival in February 2022. The film follows the fortunes of three young female skiers from Afghanistan who travel to Europe for professional training. Their hopes are running high, but the trip ends in disaster. Rene Wildangel reports for Qantara.deMore

Berlin's Human Rights Film Festival: "Captains of Zaatari" – the unshakeable power of dreamsAfghan women defy the Taliban: "My heart and body shake"Interview with filmmaker Mariam Ghani: The power of propaganda

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Understanding Iran's protests through its literary legacy

1979: Iranian actress Maliheh Nikjoumand argues with two clergymen who want to enforce the compulsory veil (photo: ISNA)

The protests of 2022 are not new in the political landscape of Iran, and novels can help us place them in a larger historical context, writes Laetitia NanquetteMore

Seven extraordinary Arab female modernists

Iraqi artist and calligrapher Madiha Umar pictured in Egypt in the 1950s (source: en.vogue.me)

A staunch champion of Arab women artists, Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi, founder of Barjeel Art Foundation, curates for Vogue Arabia the modernists who have left an indelible mark on the region and the worldMore

India: Netflix audiences jump on "Darlings"

Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah and Vijay Varma have won much praise for their performances in Darlings (source: Netflix)

Domestic violence is no laughing matter, but a dark comedy streaming on Netflix on the topic is wowing audiences in IndiaMore

Al Saqi, Europe’s largest Middle Eastern bookseller, to close

Al Saqi Books shopfront in Bayswater, London (photo: Al-Saqi Facebook)

London-based Al Saqi Books, Europe’s largest specialist bookseller for publications from the Middle East, has been forced to close because of the hike in prices of Arabic-language books and because Brexit has been "detrimental" to businessMore

How Arab and Moorish culinary innovation reinvented Portuguese cuisine

Cover of Leandro Carreira's "Portugal: The Cookbook" (published by Phaidon Press)

Arab and Moorish contribution to the Iberian Peninsula remains evident through architectural and academic advancement. But what about the cuisine? "Portugal: The Cookbook" details the vast extent of Arab culinary innovation in the country.More

Arab culture: Don’t call it belly dancing

Dance of the Almeh by Jean-Léon Gérôme (source: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Right now, there is a crisis in American belly dancing: highest on the list is the question of cultural appropriation and whether Americans – particularly white Americans – should perform this Middle Eastern dance form at all.More

Egypt's great River Nile!

Cover of Amandine Marshall's "Childhood in Ancient Egypt", translated by Colin Clement (published by AUCPress)

French Egyptologist Amandine Marshall has a wonderful way of telling kids the story of the Nile! She is the author of 'Childhood in Ancient Egypt'More

"Mali Magic": Ancient Mali's manuscripts available online

A page from the ancient Timbuktu manuscripts (photo: Elias Altmimi, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

A virtual gallery containing thousands of Mali's ancient documents has been launched. The gallery contains up to 40 thousand documents written in ancient Arabic that have been digitised and made available online.More

New York Times: What a tiny masterpiece reveals about power and beauty

Rosette bearing the names and titles of Shah Jahan; folio from the Shah Jahan album (photo: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Four centuries ago, mighty crosscurrents of religion and culture flowed into a new Indian art. It was courtly and refined, but also eye-poppingly luxuriant.More

Qantara dossier: Iranian cinema

Film scene from 'The Salesman' shows a veiled woman in a doorway (photo: picture-alliance/dpa/Cannes Film Festival))

Since the Islamic Revolution, film culture in Iran has changed: from state propaganda films of the Khomeini era to socially critical productions today. We illuminate the facets of Iranian cinema and its resonance in the West.More

Indie film "Warsha" tackles Arab gender taboo

Still from the short film "Warsha", directed by Lebanese-Canadian Dania Bdeir (source: imdb.com)

Lebanese director Dania Bdeir, who has just scooped up the Sundance Film Festival's award for best international short film, says she wants her short to "break the norms" on sexuality and gender in the Middle East.More

Banipal Translation Prize 2021: Shortlist of 5

Saif Ghobash Banipal Translation Prize logo (source: arablit.org)

Organisers of the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation have announced this year’s shortlist. Three translators have made the shortlist for the first time in 2021: Sarah Enany (for Rasha Adly’s 'The Girl with the Braided Hair'), Sawad Hussain (for Shahla Ujayli’s 'A Bed for the King’s Daughter'), and Elisabeth Jaquette (for Dima Wannous’ 'The Frightened Ones').More

Young Senegalese author Mohamed Mbougar Sarr wins Prix Goncourt

Mohamed Mbougar, 2021 winner of France's prestigious Prix Goncourt for Literature (photo: Joel Saget/AFP)

A young Senegalese writer unknown to the general public was on Wednesday awarded the Prix Goncourt, France's leading literature prize, with a novel exploring the destiny of a cursed African author.More

Elias Khoury: "Lebanon has always rebelled against political repression"

Lebanese writer Elias Khoury (photo: imago/ZUMA Press)

What’s the difference between an assassination and an execution? This is the headache of a question facing Lebanese; it existed before Lokman Slim was killed, and it looks likely to preoccupy people for a long while to come. The question goes to the heart of the cultural scene and the intellectuals in Lebanon, Egypt and the Arab Levant.More

"Two Gods" studies the life of a Muslim casket maker

An intensely cinematic portrait of male friendship and mentorhood. In Newark, NJ a Muslim casket maker and ritual body washer brings two young men under his wing to teach them how to live better lives.More

Lughatuna: The Living Arabic Project

The Living Arabic Project logo (source: livingarabic.com)

The Living Arabic Project, created by Hossam Abouzahr, is home to the first online, multi-dialect Arabic dictionary – app or desktop version – that focuses on practical usage and can be searched in Arabic and English.More

New Lines Magazine: How the eggplant conquered Arab cuisine

(source: DW)

From feared culinary outcast to omnipresent ingredient, this misunderstood fruit has come a long way since the 9th century.More

Treats and tradition in Tehran's oldest, tiniest teahouse

Owner Kazem Mabhutian, 63, serves tea at the smallest and oldest teahouse tucked away in an alleyway of the Grand Bazaar in the Iranian capital Tehran on 20 September 2021 (photo: ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Tea is a mainstay of popular culture across the Middle East, from Morocco to Qatar. Tucked away in Tehran's Grand Bazaar is arguably the world's tiniest tea shop. The owner's signature brew – "the tea of kndness" – is just one of the many treats awaiting discoveryMore

"Iberian Moorings" compares Muslim and Jewish golden ages

Casa de Sefarad, Cordoba (photo: Zarateman, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Known to Jews, Muslims, and Christians by three different names – Sefarad, al-Andalus, and Hispania, respectively – the Iberian Peninsula has been a centre of fertile intellectual, cultural and spiritual production for multiple religious traditions.More

New York Times: What a tiny masterpiece reveals about power and beauty

Rosette bearing the names and titles of Shah Jahan; folio from the Shah Jahan album (photo: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Four centuries ago, mighty crosscurrents of religion and culture flowed into a new Indian art. It was courtly and refined, but also eye-poppingly luxuriant.More

Eight Arab architects who shaped the world

New Gourna, Egypt, designed by Hassan Fathy (source: Mille)

For centuries, Arab and Islamic architecture has given birth to traditional styles and world heritage sites, which are studied across the world today for their level of detail and craftsmanship. It is a rich architectural heritage that has paved the way for modern Arab architects. We take a look at eight Arab architects who have shaped the region’s architectural scene over the past fifty years.More

BBC: How the Arab Spring changed cinema

Still from Tamer El Said's "In the Last Days of the City"

A decade after the revolutions, Joseph Fahim looks at how filmmakers reacted to the seismic events – and asks whether the real story of the uprisings is yet to be told.More