Essays

Zahhāk: An Etiology of Evil

Zahhāk: An Etiology of Evil

Omid Arabian recounts the legend of the serpent king from Ferdowsi's epic "Shāhnameh," exploring human psychology and the...

2 JULY 2023 • By Omid Arabian
Rebels of the Alpujarras: a House in Granada

Rebels of the Alpujarras: a House in Granada

Nestled in the old Arab quarter of Granada lies a house with an exceptional Morisco history, the Carmen...

2 JULY 2023 • By Doreen Metzner
The Ghost of Gezi Park—Turkey 10 Years On

The Ghost of Gezi Park—Turkey 10 Years On

An art critic comments on the 10th anniversary of the Gezi Park protests with an overview of a...

19 JUNE 2023 • By Arie Amaya-Akkermans
Newly Re-Opened, Beirut’s Sursock Museum is a Survivor

Newly Re-Opened, Beirut’s Sursock Museum is a Survivor

Arie Amaya-Akkermans recounts the history of Beirut's museum, with its multiple destructions and resurrections.

12 JUNE 2023 • By Arie Amaya-Akkermans
An Island Without a Sea: Bahrain Odyssey

An Island Without a Sea: Bahrain Odyssey

UK-based poet and editor of Between Two Islands, Ali Al-Jamri takes us on a Bahrain journey.

4 JUNE 2023 • By Ali Al-Jamri
From the City to the Desert—Tahmineh Monzavi

From the City to the Desert—Tahmineh Monzavi

A social realist photographer travels to the Iranian coastal provinces of the Persian Gulf, including Sistan and Baluchistan,...

4 JUNE 2023 • By Tahmineh Monzavi
Turkey’s Earthquake as a Generational Disaster

Turkey’s Earthquake as a Generational Disaster

Sanem Su Avci looks at this year's destructive temblor and asks where can man go when he's being...

4 JUNE 2023 • By Sanem Su Avci
Lithium Dreams, Crisis of the Anthropocene

Lithium Dreams, Crisis of the Anthropocene

Artist and writer Francisco Letelier ponders the earth and the future of his native Chile as it debates...

4 JUNE 2023 • By Francisco Letelier
Earth Strikes Back

Earth Strikes Back

Malu Halasa finds that when it comes to Mother Earth, some artists say it's time we go from...

4 JUNE 2023 • By Malu Halasa
Alien Entities in the Desert

Alien Entities in the Desert

Dror Shohet recalls her otherworldly journey in the desert with her Bedouin guide, Hafez, and a caravan of...

4 JUNE 2023 • By Dror Shohet
Working the News: a Short History of Al Jazeera’s First 30 Years

Working the News: a Short History of Al Jazeera’s First 30 Years

Iason Athanasiadis on how the Arab world’s most famous product went from boisterous matchbox to counter-hegemon with an...

1 MAY 2023 • By Iason Athanasiadis
The Outsourcing of Pain—On Work and Alienation

The Outsourcing of Pain—On Work and Alienation

Ahmed Awadalla reflects on how his pursuit of freedom through a job in Cairo has led to growing...

1 MAY 2023 • By Ahmed Awadalla
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