Tatreez & Tea: Books to Read about Palestinian Embroidery
Palestinian dress history and embroidery (tatreez) traditions are a vital part of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Palestinian people. While the embroidery techniques, dressmaking traditions and adornment practices are centuries-old, they've been largely preserved within the indigenous context of oral history. Much of the written publications on the art form is incomplete, and oftentimes includes errors and mischaracterizations. Wafa Ghnaim, better known as @tatreezandtea, shares her top recommendations.
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.
Beit Hammad — Al-Nabulsi Castle — The History of a Family Home
Mohammed Hammad writes about his family home in Nablus — Beit Hammad — sharing its history and its present.
Sidi Hamet: The Noble Sahrawi Who Catalyzed Slavery Abolition in 19th Century America
Erragab Eljanhaoui writes about Captain James Riley and Sidi Hamet, and his role in catalysing the end of slavery in 19th century America. Image via SFGate
Quartertones Mixtape: February '24
Our mixtape this month was compiled by record store owner Mohamad Rifaï (aka Rifo) who's behind The Lick Records in Beirut, and features some of his favorite Arabic interpretations of international hits that even your grandad might know.
The Travels of Ibn Battuta
A look at the life and travels of legendary wanderer Ibn Batutta. With an introduction to our afikra lesson plans!
All About Arak: History & Cultural Legacy
According to Ramzi Gosn, a bottle of arak requires 5 kilograms of grapes, 180 grams of aniseed, 13 hours of labor, 11 months of aging, and an afternoon to drink. In this blog, we dive into the history & cultural legacy of this much-loved drink.
8 English Words You Didn’t Know Came From Arabic
Inspired by our recent conversation with Fadi Boukaram, we’ve put together a list of English words that you’d never guess come from Arabic.
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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