afikra recently collaborated with QFI to create a series of infographics all about the Arabic language. Each infographic aims to highlight the vibrancy and widespread influence of the Arabic language in an easy-to-digest, visual way. 

A curated Listen, Watch, Read list spotlighting works from Syria. Featuring an album by TootArd, a novel by Khaled Khalifa, and a documentary film by Taim Karesly.

In our Kawalis interview with Carol Mansour, we asked for her top recommendations fo

A look at the life and art of Jewad Selim — an Iraqi painter and sculptor who was considered one of the founders of modern art in Iraq. Image via The National News.

A curated Listen, Watch, Read list spotlighting works from Egypt. Featuring an album by Dina El Wedidi, a book by Nawal El Saadawi and a film directed by Ayten Amin.

Northern Mauritania’s Chinguetti is said to be the seventh holiest city in Islam, home to some of the world’s most important medieval Quranic texts. Image via Reddit.

Our new series, Tsawwar, explores places, people and moments in time through the eyes of photographers and their photos. This week’s features a photo and blurb by George Azar.

Ibrahim Abu-Lughod pioneered the understandings and portrayals of the Middle East in political science and more broadly in America. Close friend Edward Said described him as “Palestine’s foremost academic and intellectual.”

A Quick Look at Al-Massrieen, the first Egyptian pop band. Founded by Hany Shenouda in 1977, the group brought new harmonies, electronic sounds and instruments to Egypt’s music scene. Image via Habibi Funk & Egyptian Streets.

The historic town of Ushaiqer was a significant stopping place for pilgrims who travelled to modern-day Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj or Umrah. Today, though no longer a stopover, it’s a well-preserved example of Najdi architecture.

Before his solo career, Rachid Taha was part of a band called Carte de Séjour that shot to fame during the 1980s. Their cover of “Douce France” became an anti-racist anthem for Arabs across France. Image via Les Trans.

A brief history of Nablus’ artisanal soap making. Starting in the 14th Century, Nablus became a major soap making center. In 1907, Nabulsi soap factories were producing half of the soap in Palestine. Image via Palestinian Soap Cooperative.

A curated Listen, Watch, Read list spotlighting works from Saudi Arabia with Moayad Alnefaie’s Bath Al Shaer, Abdulrahman Munif’s Cities of Salt and Yallah Yallah Beenah.

Suhaib Gasmelbari’s 2019 documentary Talking About Trees Image is a celebration of cinema and film, following four retired filmmakers as they work to reopen an outdoor cinema in Omdurman. Image via Hollywood Reporter.

DJ amen RA (aka Ramy Abou El Oyoun) introduces us to Egyptian sounds and artists we should have on our radar. The first half of the playlist focuses on the instrumental side of the producers. The second highlights some of his favorite hip-hop artists, each with a unique voice and sound.

Our new series, Tsawwar, explores places, people and moments in time through the eyes of photographers and their photos. The second of this series is Jinane Ennasri, a Moroccan photographer.

A history of Sudan’s Nubian pyramids and why they look different from their counterparts in Giza. Image via Intro Africa.

A brief look at the Tripoli International Fair (Rashid Karameh International Exhibition Center), an unfinished relic of modernist architecture from the 1960s built on southern Tripoli’s orange orchards. Image via Anthony Saroufim & Design Boom.