Culture

Aeham Ahmad playing his piano among the rubble, Syria (source: YouTube)

He came to fame as the pianist who played in the rubble of war-torn Syria, but there is so much more to Aeham Ahmad than that. He's now a popular musician and has made a home for himself and his family in the German city of Wiesbaden. By Annabelle Steffes-HalmerMore

Interview with the pianist Aeham Ahmad: Bittersweet memories of Syria Interview with the Syrian Composer-pianist Malek Jandali: "We are witnessing the fall of humanity"Music festival on the Greek island of Chios: Opportunities for reflection

Still from the animated film "Tehran Taboo" by German-Iranian director Ali Soozandeh (copyright: Ali Soozandeh)

Ali Soozandeh's film "Tehran Taboo"

Nothing but taboos

German-Iranian director Ali Soozandeh says that he made the film "Tehran Taboo" in order to "break the silence". In doing so, however, he has sketched a portrait of Iran that is almost unbearable, especially for the critical viewer with a knowledge of Iran, says Massoud SchiraziMore

Award-winning Iranian film director Asghar Farhadi: Watching the foundations crumble "Raving Iran" - a film documentary: Agents provocateurs Obituary: Iranian film director Abbas Kiarostami

A woman looks at a map at the exhibition "Jews, Christians and Muslims: Scientific Discourse in the Middle Ages, 500–1500" (photo: dpa)

Exhibition: "Jews, Christians and Muslims" in Berlin

Dispelling myths

The Berlin exhibition "Jews, Christians and Muslims: Scientific Discourse in the Middle Ages 500–1500" shows the circuitous routes by which knowledge made its way around the medieval world while dismantling the theory of a Judeo-Christian Europe. By Gustav SeibtMore

Exhibition website: Jews, Christians and Muslims: Scientific Discourse in the Middle Ages, 500–1500 Photo gallery on the exhibition: Jews, Christians and Muslims: Scientific Discourse in the Middle Ages, 500–1500 Averroes' Enlightenment legacy: An intellectual earthquake

Siwan in concert on 12 November in S'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands (source: siwan.no; photo: Annie Boedt)

Album review: Jon Balke and Siwan – "Nahnou Houm"

Chasing an elusive heritage

Juxtaposing songs in Arabic with others in Spanish and Ladino, Norwegian composer and musician Jon Balke has spent the last ten years experimenting with the music of Muslim Andalusia. Releasing their first album in 2009, he and Siwan are now back with "Nahnou Houm". Review by Richard MarcusMore

Jon Balke's and Amina Alaoui's album "Siwan": The free spirit of Al Andalus Interview with Michèle Claude: The wonderful world of muwashshahat Anouar Brahem′s "Blue Maqams": A gem of an album

Segregation of men and women at the wailing wall in Jerusalem (photo: picture-alliance/dpa)

The Jewish Museum Berlin's Jerusalem exhibition

The majesty and the misery

Shortly after Trump said the US would recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the Jewish Museum Berlin opened a long-planned exhibition about Jerusalem, a city saturated with religion, politics, conflict and beauty. By Werner BlochMore

Website of the "Welcome to Jerusalem" exhibition Photo gallery: "Days of rage" – Muslims worldwide respond Trump recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel: Whose idea was that?Photo gallery: Palestine at the turn of the last century

Palestinian artist and poet Farid Bitar and "Blade of Grass" editor Naomi Foyle (photo: Naomi Foyle)

Interview with Palestinian poet and artist Farid Bitar

″I must either be the voice of sanity or justice″

Palestinian artist and poet Farid Bitar's work was recently included in Smokestack Books' "A Blade of Grass: New Palestinian Poetry", edited by Naomi Foyle. One of the 60 people allowed to enter the Gaza strip for a few hours during the Gaza Freedom March in 2009, Bitar talks to Valentina Viene about his activism and his artMore

Mahmoud Darwish: Building bridges with Arabic poetry Qalandiya International: Palestine's contemporary arts festival Recreating Palestine in literature: A nation crafted from words

Oboist accompanies dancing children and teenagers in a school on the Greek island of Chios (photo: Stamatis Menis)

Music festival on the Greek island of Chios

Opportunities for reflection

An inspirational idea from a violinist and a composer has led to the establishment of a new music festival on the Greek island of Chios. Their idea is to help build bridges between refugees and islanders – and maybe make the hard winter a little easier to bear. By Astrid KaminskiMore

Interview with oboist Demetrios Karamintzas: "These children deserve the same opportunities as children anywhere else"Book review: ″Auf der Flucht″ by Karim El Gawhary and Mathilde Schwabeneder: Born in the wrong place Europe′s refugee deal with Turkey: The end of the road

Still from "Paradises of the Earth: Gabes" (source: http://www.paradisesoftheearth.com)

Documentary series: "Paradises of the earth"

The time is now

Nadir Bouhmouch, director of the ground-breaking web documentary series ″Paradises of the earth″, talks about the inception of the project and the urgency of telling North African storiesMore

Official "Paradises of the Earth" website Climate change and the West′s energy policy: Robbing the poor Climate change consequences for the Islamic world: Of infernal proportions Islam, environment and sustainability: "The environmental crisis is also a spiritual crisis"

Israeli author Dorit Rabinyan (photo: Getty Images/AFP)

Book review: Dorit Rabinyan′s "All the Rivers"

Star-crossed lovers

In her bestselling novel "All the Rivers", Dorit Rabinyan tells the poignantly beautiful love story of an Israeli translator and a Palestinian painter in New York, a romance that eventually dies due to the apparently unsolvable Arab-Israeli conflict. By Volker KaminskiMore

Lizzie Doron′s book ″Who the fuck is Kafka?″: ″Only as enemies did we become friends”Interview with the Jewish author Judith Katzir: Friendship across the divide Assaf Gavron's Novel "The Hilltop": Message of political reconciliation

Director Fatih Akin in front of a poster for ″In the Fade″ (photo: dpa/picture-alliance)

Fatih Akin's film "In the Fade"

Back in the saddle

In his latest film, "In the Fade", Fatih Akin puts his leading lady through hell. The acclaimed director draws on the series of murders committed by the NSU terror cell in Germany to produce some of his best work to date. By Jochen KurtenMore

NSU documentary: "Der Kuafor aus der Keupstraße": Probing the open wound German mini-series: ″Mitten in Deutschland: NSU″: Don't look the other way!Profile: German-Turkish film director Fatih Akin: The cutting edge of reality

Egyptian writer Donia Maher (source: elcinema.com)

Book review: Donia Maher′s ″The Apartment in Bab El Louk″

Chronicling a neighbourhood

Donia Maher′s award-winning graphic novel ″The Apartment in Bab El Louk″, featuring the combined talents of prominent Egyptian artist Ganzeer, political cartoonist Ahmed Nady and gifted translator Elisabeth Jaquette is a collaborative tour-de-force. Marcia Lynx Qualey read the bookMore

Book review: Basma Abdel Aziz′s ″The Queue″: Disturbingly prescient The Egyptian Revolution five years on: Ghosts of the uprising Author Mansoura Ez-Eldin: Chasing fata morganas

Iranian artist Parastou Forouhar (photo: picture-alliance/dpa)

Interview with the Iranian artist Parastou Forouhar

"Their audacity leaves me speechless"

Every year the Iranian artist Parastou Forouhar holds a ceremony in Tehran to commemorate her parents′ murder by the regime. Accused of propaganda against the system, she′s now on trial herself – for artwork that the regime considers "insults the sacred". Interview by Catrin LorchMore

A report by Iranian artist Parastou Forouhar: ″Pinning our hopes on a murderer″Parastou Forouhar: Art as a political weapon Social justice and political reforms in Iran: A ticking time bomb

Veterinary surgeon Bahgat (Mohamed Mamdouh) in the Egyptian film ″A Man Wanted″ (source: IMDb)

Egyptian film controversy

Shams buys a man

Egypt is in uproar over a film: a single woman marries solely in order to have a baby via a sperm donor and then gets divorced. A female television presenter who showcased the film and its controversial theme on her programme has been given a prison sentence. By Dunja RamadanMore

Nabil Ayouch's film "Much Loved": Sinner or saint?Freedom of speech in Egypt: Belly dancer exposes Islamists' double standards Ibrahim El Batout's film "El Ott": "We sell people, we sell souls"

Visitors to the 2017 Carthage Film Festival (photo: Sarah Mersch)

A new age dawns for Tunisian cinema

Press reboot!

With young Tunisian directors winning international awards, the decision to finally go ahead with a long-planned cinematheque, and a careful festival relaunch, the signs are all there: the winds of change are blowing in the Tunisian film sector. By Sarah Mersch in TunisMore

Raed Andoni's "Ghost Hunting" at the Berlinale: The ghosts that lurk Political documentary films from Tunisia: At the eye of Tunisia's political storm Qantara dossier: "Arab cinema"

Sudanese author Tayeb Salih, 1929-2009 (source: thefamouspeople.com)

Tayeb Salih′s ″Season of Migration to the North″

A literary hall of mirrors

Described as the most important Arab novel of the twentieth century by the Arab Literary Academy, Tayeb Salih's ″Season of Migration to the North″ was first published in 1966. For this year′s Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize Lecture, Professor Robert Irwin reflected on Salih′s unique mode of engaging with Western culture and the counternarrative he provides to post-colonial discourse. By Valentina VieneMore

Obituary: Tayeb Salih: Season of Literary Migration to the South Remembering Naguib Mahfouz: ″A wave of light on an infinite ocean of darkness″ Abdulrazak Gurnah – "Pilgrim's Way": As foreign as a drop of oil in water

Poster advertising Al Darb Al Ahmar Art School in Cairo (source: Al Darb Al Ahmar Art School)

Cairo's Al Darb Al Ahmar Art School

The chance of a lifetime

In early 2017, Cairo's Al Darb Al Ahmar Art School moved into new premises. Adjacent to the perimeter wall of the city's Azhar Park, the new building is also right next to the Genaina Theatre, venue for most of the school's performances. Islam Anwar has the detailsMore

The cultural scene in Egypt: Creative artists are the motor for change "Mahatat" dance project in Cairo: Stop and dance!The Palestinian Circus School: Spreading hope and fostering inclusion

Book review: Joseph Andras′ ″De nos freres blesses ″

A shameful chapter

Joseph Andras′ debut novel ″De nos freres blesses″ (Of Our Wounded Brothers) touches upon a sore spot in French history, recalling the time when Algeria was a French colony and French anti-colonialists fought alongside Algerians. Claudia Kramatschek read the bookMore

Book review: Kamel Daoud's "The Meursault Investigation": To kill an Arab Sixty years since the beginning of the Algerian war: National fronts?France and the 50th anniversary of Algeria's independence: A pact against memory Interview with Benjamin Stora: The bitter legacy of past Franco-Algerian relations

Iranian author Nava Ebrahimi (photo: Katrin Ohlendorf)

Young Iranian women writers in Germany

Patchwork identities

In commanding language and without a trace of sentimentality or vanity, the second generation of Iranian women authors in Germany present the balancing act between Persian and German ways of life, weaving their parents′ lives into their literary material. By Fahimeh FarsaieMore

Book review: Mehrnousch Zaeri-Esfahani's "33 Arches and a Teahouse": A million butterflies in my head Interview with the Iranian author Fariba Vafi: "Cliches have no place in writing″Photo essay: 35 years of the Islamic Republic

Django Bates, Anouar Brahem, Jack DeJohnette and Dave Holland (photo: Bart Babinski/ECM Records)

Album review: Anouar Brahem′s ″Blue Maqams″

A gem of an album

Tunisian-born oud maestro Anouar Brahem who has made a career out of defying people's expectations has done it again. His most recent release, Blue Maqams, showcases his skills in a jazz context – the results are simply stunning. Review by Richard MarcusMore

The Tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem: Remembering turmoil New Arabic oud music: From meditative to tempestuous Official Anouar Brahem website

Museum for Islamic Art in Doha (photo: Werner Bloch)

Qatar-Germany Year of Culture 2017

Crisis, what crisis?

Showing solidarity through an art exhibition? In the Qatar-Germany Year of Culture, Volkswagen and Deutsche Bank are bringing European design and paintings to the Gulf – in the middle of an existential crisis for Qatar. Werner Bloch reports from DohaMore

Qatar's foreign policy: Small emirate, potent influence Qatar vs. UAE: The not-so-beautiful game Saudi ultimatum for Qatar: Turning up the heat?

Albukhary Gallery of the Islamic World: "A soaring miracle of art"

It goes without saying that The British Museum's 4-million piece collection of historical objects is one of the most unparalleled in the world. But for the last four years, the museum has been working hard on one project in particular: a brand new gallery dedicated exclusively to the Islamic world.More

Modern art and antiques on show at Lebanon cube museum

Lebanon's Nabu Museum (source: nabumuseum.com)

Named after the Mesopotamian god of wisdom, the Nabu Museum opened in late September to showcase the cultural wealth of an ancient region devastated by conflict.More

New publication: ArabLit Quarterly

Cover of the first edition of ArabLit Quarterly (published by ArabLit.org)

The ArabLit Quarterly officially made its debut on 15 November 2018. This latest publication is the work of the award-winning literary website ArabLit.org., founded and edited by regular Qantara reviewer Marcia Lynx Qualey.More

Archaeological discovery sheds light on Islam's Early Golden Age

DCT Abu Dhabi's archaeologists recently discovered the UAE's oldest mosque in Al Ain. The excavation of the 1000-year old mosque along with a network of falaj dating back to the Abbasid Caliphate, is expected to shed new light on UAE’s history at the dawn of Islam.More

A.B. Shawky's "Yommedine": a coming-of-age comedic road trip

A Coptic leper and his orphaned apprentice leave the confines of the leper colony for the first time and embark on a journey across Egypt to search for what is left of their families.More

Pre-Islamic "ruin poetry" has a message for today

Imruʹ al-Qais, an exiled poet-king, is credited as the originator of the "ruin poetry" form – one of his poems is said to hang in the Kaaba at Mecca (source: The British Library)

The ruins that inspired pre-Islamic poets hold new meaning for today’s Arabic writers, writes Paul CooperMore

William C. Chittick lectures on Ibn Arabi

"It is He who is revealed in every face, sought in every sign, gazed upon by every eye, worshipped in every object of worship, and pursued in the unseen and the visible. Not a single one of His creatures can fail to find Him in its primordial and original nature" - Ibn Arabi, Futuhat al-MakkiyyaMore

Breathing new life into classical music

The Scottish-Egyptian Ayoub Sisters perform a stripped back arrangement of 'Talat Daqat' by Abu in Egypt during their shoot for Vogue Arabia More

"The Band's Visit" scoops 10 Tonys on Broadway

Poster promoting "The Band's Visit" (source: thebandsvisitmerchandise.com)

A heart-warming musical about an Egyptian band visiting an Israeli desert town triumphed on New York's Broadway late on Sunday, sweeping the board with 10 Tony Awards, the highest honours in American theatre.More

Street artist Banksy takes aim at migrant crisis

Celebrated British artist Banksy has confirmed that the street art appearing across the French capital is his work. The murals have sparked debate, with his art tackling France’s migrant crisis and greed.More

BBC Radio 4's The Art of Now: Guantanamo

"Titanic" by Khalid Qasim (photo: Khalid Qasim/President's Gallery, New York)

Mansoor Adayfi spent 15 years detained without charge at the American military prison in Guantanamo Bay. Now released, he guides us vividly through an unlikely exhibit of artworks made by former and current Guantanamo war-on-terror detainees.More

Voice of Baceprot: Heavy metal in hijab

Firdda, Widi and Siti call their rock band "Voice of Baceprot". They're passionate about heavy metal music. They teamed up at a provincial school in Java three years ago. Now the Muslim teenagers are busy recording their first album.More