How Orshina is Trying to Preserve Aleppo’s Culture
The past few years have seen a steady resurgence of cultural events in Aleppo. Despite the radical changes the city has undergone and the setbacks they presented, some individuals have taken it upon themselves to preserve its history. Co-founders Aram Habeshian and Yaman Najeh established Orshina to highlight Aleppo’s vibrant culture, and from Orshina came Project 1500-KILOWATT —a unique event that emphasizes the importance of localization and preservation. Zila Demirijian spoke to Habeshian and Najeh about their project and what it means for the city.
Daftar Digest
We select the best from the Arab world each month, and put it in your inbox.
Curated Recommendations
Every time a guest joins us on one of our podcast series, they leave us with breadcrumbs to further explore some of the topics that they covered in the episode. Browse through some of the best recommendations for films, books, and music from the Arab world.
Staff Pick: Podcast Episode
Sonja Mejcher-Atassi
We did a deep dive into this episode of our This Is Not a Watermelon podcast with the author of "An Impossible Friendship: Group Portrait, Jerusalem Before and After 1948," professor Sonja Mejcher-Atassi.
Tsawwar
Tsawwar is a visual series enclosed monthly in our Daftar Digest and explores the stories behind a photograph taken in the region or by an Arab photographer.
Tsawwar... Mohamed Osam
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 Mohamed Osam.
Hamed Gohar: The Father of Oceanography in the Arab World
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
Arabic Pop: Hamid El Shaeri
Hamid El Shaeri is an Egyptian-Libyan singer, songwriter and producer who’s considered to be one of the leading figures in Arabic pop – and the “al Jeel” genre. Image via Band Camp Daily.
Listen, Read, Watch: Egypt
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.
El-Massrieen: Egypt's First Pop Band
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.
Quartertones Mixtape: March '24
This month's mixtape, compiled 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 featured & the second half highlights some of his favorite hip-hop artists.
The Egyptian Women’s Rights Movement
An introduction to the Egyptian Women’s Movement and its pioneers. With a link to our lesson plan that delves into this topic for high-schoolers.
QUARTERTONES MIXAPEThis mixtape is a collaboration with music creator and producer DJ Bonita (Farah A Bishara) who writes: "The short timespan between 2005 and 2008 holds tons of memories for Khaleeji music…”
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Lesson Plans for Teachers
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