Arabic Calligraphy

Arabic Calligraphy, the art of giving form to writing in a skillful and expressive manner, is one of the most venerated forms of Islamic Arts and a widespread artform in Arab culture.

Soccer

Beloved throughout the Arab world, soccer is enjoyed in many Middle Eastern countries both as a spectator sport and as a recreational activity throughout all segments of society.

Comix and Graphic Novels

Arabic adult comic strips have been around at least since the 1970’s, if not earlier, and have represented an array of interests, topics and styles.

Bread

A staple food in the Arab world, bread has not only been eaten for millennia, but has also served as a powerful cultural symbol, inspired songs and poetry, and started revolutions. Let’s learn more about what bread means in the Arab world today!

Tea Culture

No matter where you go in the Arab world, you shouldn’t be surprised when you’re invited to sit down for a hot cup of tea. But tea is more than just a drink! In this module we’ll explore the social significance of tea culture and its various manifestations in different Arabic-speaking countries.

Kufiyyeh

The kufiyyeh is a cotton headdress originally worn by Arabs in different countries to protect them from the sand and direct sun exposure.

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh’s popularity as ethnic food was brought by the spread of Middle Eastern cuisines and the discovery of the Mediterranean diet’s health benefits.

Women Empowerment

Women’s rights and female empowerment are global issues.  In the Arab world, activists engage in this international struggle by working at the local and national levels to improve the place of women in Arab societies.

Across Borders

In this module, we investigate transnational social issues in the Arab World through literature and graphic art.

Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the Arab World in many different ways, just as it happened in other parts of the world. Humor, art, and governmental awareness campaigns flourished during Spring 2020 in a joint effort to stop the spread of the virus and also to infuse society with thought-provoking reflections on the effects of this pandemic.

Poems from Iraq

Poetry is commonly known as Register of the Arabs (Diwan al-Arab), strongly due to the role it plays in Arab’s history and heritage. Continuing this legacy to modern time is الشّعِر الحُرّ which emerged after World War II, agreeably in Iraq. A company of poets wrote in free sequence, simple language, and a sharp tone to shed light on relevant political and social realities.

Mashrou’ Leila

Mashrou’ Leila is a Lebanese alternative rock band who rose to international fame from beginning as a student music workshop.The band deals with different aspects of society that are normally unaddressed in traditional Arabic songs

Palestinian Cuisine

Musakhan the national dish of Palestine, is a traditional dish composed of roasted chicken that is baked with onions, spices and fried pines nuts, then served on Taboon bread.

Bassem Youssef

An Egyptian cardiac surgeon turned political satirist, Bassem Youssef became famous after the January 25 Revolution when his Youtube channel “B+” became an internet hit. Bassem Youssef is one of the most influential media personalities in the Arab World.

Civil society

There has been a surge in the presence of civil society organizations in the Arab world in the last few decades especially in countries like Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Jordan and Tunisia. Dealing with a wide range of issues like poverty, urban development, women’s rights, children’s rights, labour rights, gender orientation, political oppression, and cultural projects.

Moroccan Handcrafts

For centuries traditional Moroccan crafts have been part and parcel of the cultural, and the socio-economic fabric of Moroccan society. Covering a vast array of materials (ceramics, wood, woven fabrics, pottery, silver, copper and leather), they account for 27.5% of the GDP, with an estimated 3.5 million Moroccans working in the industry.

Reading in the Arab World

Reading tendencies and patterns are complex and change from place to place. Fostering and sustaining a culture of reading depends on a varying number of factors like education, accessibility to public and private libraries, state policies, the publishing climate and the availability of new modes of reading related to technology.

Free Verse Poetry

The Free Verse Movement الشِعر الحُر is a poetry movement that began after World War II and changed Arabic poetry in structure and content. Free verse poems were favored over the traditional rhyming two-side verses and issues of social struggles such as identity, justice, and self-search replaced classic themes on love, pride, and lampoon. Iraq, the land of Gilgamesh (2100BC), Enheduanna (2285 BC), Zyriab (789AD), and Al-Mutanabbi (915AD) is credited for the birth of الشِعر الحُر