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.

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Sudanese Cinema: Talking About Trees

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.

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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.

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Oscar Niemeyer's Tripoli International Fair

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.

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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. 

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Quartertones Mixtape: January '24

A five and half hour long mixtape created by music writer and curator Danny Hajjar to celebrates the voices of some of the best up-and-coming (but also some old favorite) musicians from the Arab world. Make sure to play it at your next party.

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Curating an Artist's (and Parent's) Biography

This blog dives further into the lives and artwork of Amine El Bacha, Paul Guiragossian and Saloua Raouda Choucair. Three leading artists of Lebanon’s art world, they were the focus of a Moving Biographies podcast episode entitled “Curating an artist’s (and parent’s) biography” — which featured a conversation between Mahita El Bacha Urieta, Manuella Guiragossian and Hala Schoukair — daughters of each artist respectively.

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QUARTERTONES MIXAPE

This 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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