With images of war, occupation, and violence, the South's vibrant and rich history of agricultural gets overshadowed and destroyed daily. We're taking a moment to shine the light on the bountiful harvests that the Southerners share with the rest of Lebanon.

Soha Bechara is a former prisoner at the Khiam detention center and undoubtedly one of the centre's most famous detainees. She was held for 10 years from 1988 after an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Antoine Lahad, the leader of the Israeli-backed South Lebanon Army, at just 20 years old. It was only after an intense freedom campaign that she was eventually released (in 1998). 

Did you know that Tunisia has been a pioneer in women's rights in the Arab word? The country passed a groundbreaking law called the Personal Status code in 1956 which granted Tunisian women significant rights, including the right to divorce, equal guardianship of children, protection against polygamy, the right to choose their spouse, and the right to work and own property.

Tunisia has a long and vibrant history of cinema. Starting in 1922, Samama Chikly made what are widely considered some of the first films to come out of Tunisia: Zohra and Ain El Ghazel starred his daughter Hayde. By the late 40s, Tunisia had a booming film scene. Omar Khlifi’s L’Aube (1967) was the first Tunisian feature film to be released. This came one year after the inaugural edition of the Carthage Film Festival, launched in 1966 to celebrate Arab-language and African film. We’ve gathered a selection of Tunisian films that's not to be missed from across the decades.

Baya’s dreamlike paintings redefined North African art. Her bold use of color and surreal depictions of women, nature, and folklore captivated the likes of Picasso and Matisse. Blending tradition with fantasy, her work became a powerful symbol of identity and resilience, celebrating the richness of Algerian heritage through a unique lens.

There was a pivotal post-independence art movement that redefined Tunisian identity through modernist expression. Emerging from Le Groupe des Dix, L’École de Tunis’ artists merged local traditions with contemporary styles, moving beyond colonial Orientalism.

Hamed Gohar — “King of the Red Sea” — was featured as a Google Doodle on November 15, 2023, to mark what would have been his 115th birthday. We were curious to learn more about his contributions to marine biology and pioneering work as a much-loved TV presenter

Shik Shak Shook Ones hosts Deana Soni and Danny Hajjar bring us a year-end music review of the Arab music scene. From bangers to blunders they highlight their favorite tracks and albums, artists who surprised them (both positively and negatively), overrated and underrated music, memorable collaborations, and predictions for the music scene in 2025.

DJ, producer and composer Jihed Khmiri (aka Pan-J) compiled an all-Tunisian mixtape for us this month featuring artists like Nuri, Badiaa Bouhrizi, Dali Chebil, Bargou 08, Najet Ounis, Lobna Noomen, and Ratchopper.

Image by Mohannad Ahmed