Culture

Silver Savings: Of Bracelets, Banks And Ladies Who Mean Business

Jewellery in the Middle East and North Africa has always played a far more significant role than just that of adornment. One of its most valued functions was that of portable wealth, a practice that finds its origin in the times before finances almost automatically included monetary currency and banks. As such, jewellery was a major factor in women’s financial independence.

11 Creative Platforms Celebrating Middle Eastern Arts And Culture

In the following list you’ll find a mixture of different platforms ranging from traditional media outlets to inherently modern and dynamic projects, sharing arts and culture from across the Arab world.

African Arabs: Migration and cultural exchange on the Swahili coast

Throughout its rich history of trade, migration and empire, the East African coast – from Eritrea in the north to Mozambique in the south – has developed a unique cultural, religious and demographic identity that makes it distinct from the rest of the African continent.

10 Palestinian foodies to follow

These 10 foodies are creating delectable dishes from Gaza to London to California. On this list you’ll find a mixture of famous best-selling authors and lesser-known, creative, sometimes part-time cooks. Follow them on social media for recipe inspiration, cooking classes and a unique insight into Palestinian cultural heritage.

5 Things You Can Do As A Traveller To Increase Your Cultural Awareness

The term ‘cultural awareness’ is thrown around a lot these days, but what does it really mean and why does it matter for travellers? We’ve put together this list of 5 things you can do before and during your travels to increase your cultural awareness, so that you can reduce your footprint as a traveller and enjoy deeper and more meaningful experiences.

Arabic Coffee: 5 things you didn’t know about coffee and its roots in the Middle East

Here’s a list of a few things you may not have known about the history of coffee and what makes Arabic coffee the cultural institution it is in the Middle East and North Africa.

10 essential ingredients for Middle Eastern sweets and desserts

The Middle East is the home of some of the world’s most delicious and indulgent sweets and desserts, from Turkish Delight to Kunafa and Bastani – Iranian ice cream. To make Middle Eastern sweets and desserts at home, make sure you add these 10 cupboard essentials to your shopping list.

Beautiful photos from the Middle East and musings on the future of travel

We’ve been umming and ahing about whether we should continue to content focused on travel in the Middle East and North Africa right now what with everything going on in the world. But after a lot of thought we decided that people still need reminding of what a beautiful place the world is, and of what’s waiting for us beyond our front doors when this is all over.

3 Middle Eastern crafts to try at home

Here’s everything you need to get started at home with three beautiful traditional Middle Eastern crafts – Arabic calligraphy, Palestinian embroidery, and Islamic geometric art.