Culture

READING LIST | 10 Essential Books about Syria 2022

Stock up your bookshelves this month with the ten best books to read about Syria. We’ve rounded up the best books by Syrian authors to create the ultimate Syria reading list for anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding of the country. From poetry, fiction, hard-hitting journalistic accounts and poignant memoirs to cookbooks, this list has you covered whether you’re studying the Syrian crisis, or simply looking for a brilliant new novel to sink into. There’s something for all ages too, with some wonderful ideas for the kids in your life, from preschoolers to teens!

10 Incredible Yemeni Women To Add To Your Feed

This week, we’re celebrating ten incredible Yemeni women making waves in the worlds of journalism, food, activism, photography, art, music and even paleoanthropology. From a filmmaker documenting the realities of living through the war in Yemen to an explorer uncovering the secrets of human evolution on Socotra, you need these fearless women on your feed!

Pink Jinn Happy News Roundup 2021

Here are some amazing good news stories from across the Middle East worth celebrating this year, not to mention some that gave us a giggle!

The Secret World of Tatreez: From Orange Blossoms to the Nakba

Tatreez, or Palestinian embroidery, is a textile art form which consists of intricate geometric patterns…

Reading Turkish Coffee Grounds 101: A Tradition of Fortune-Telling and Storytelling

Tasseography, also called Tasseomancy, is the art of reading coffee, tea, or wine sediments as…

31 Holiday Gift Ideas Inspired by the Middle East & North Africa

No matter who you’re shopping for, prepared to be inspired by our ideas for gorgeous gifts for the holiday season. Whether you need a present for a booklover, a keen foodie, an Arabic student, a lovely little one, or that friend who has a serious house plant problem, we’ve got you covered! As always, we’ve focused wherever possible on small, women-owned and artisanal businesses along with social enterprises and fair trade companies so that your gifts are also giving back to local communities across the MENA region.

RECIPE | Omani Qabooli Rice by Dine with Dina

The culinary traditions of the Middle East are much incredibly varied, particularly as we head south, across the rugged mountains and vast deserts of the Arabian Peninsula towards the Sultanate of Oman. Here’s a recipe for Omani Qabooli Rice with Lamb Shanks to wow your dinner party guests, courtesy of Dine with Dina.

12 Reasons Why We Create – Jordanian Artist Saba Al-Mahadin

Creativity is an overrated concept. It is not something we have but it is more of a void that we want to fill with emotions that keep us afloat, make us break, leave us speechless and helpless, and feeds us that drop of water that quenches our thirst not only to keep us alive but also to make us breathe in life relentlessly. Let’s take a look at the 12 reasons we choose to be creators:

Qahwa Hour: The Archives

Qahwa is a series of conversations conducted live on Instagram with inspiring individuals (and especially women!) in the Pink Jinn community from all over the Middle East and North Africa, where we talk culture, identity, politics and everything in between.