The Nightingale’s Prayer: One of the Best Egyptian Films Ever Made
The Nightingale’s Prayer – or Do’aa el Karawan – is an icon of Egyptian Cinema’s Golden age. Mayra Nassef writes about its strong female characters and its pioneering feminist themes that address gender inequality and cultures of shame.
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.
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
Haja El Hamdaouia Pioneered Moroccan Aita Music
In Oct 2022, Google Doodle featured Haja El Hamdaouia — an icon of Moroccan Chaabi and El Aita music. We wanted to find out more about her life, music and legacy. Image via SRNT News.
Finding Palestine in Michigan: On Painter Samia Halaby
Rachel Winter writes about her experience unearthing the story of iconic artist Samia Halaby in Michigan. Image credit: Shanti Knight.
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
Ibrahim Abu-Lughod: Palestine's Foremost Academic and Intellectual
Ibrahim Abu-Lughod pioneered the understandings and portrayals of the Middle East in political science and more broadly in America. Close friend Edward Said described him as “Palestine’s foremost academic and intellectual.”
Remembering Waddah Faris
Waddah Faris was one of the Arab world’s most foremost cultural figures. In this profile, Mysa Kafil-Hussein looks back on his vibrant life and his wonderful photography.
QUARTERTONES MIXAPE“I want to represent some of the music of today that will be the past archive of tomorrow." DJ, producer and composer Jihed Khmiri (aka Pan-J) compiled an all-Tunisian mixtape for us this month.
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