Collectives - spaces of shared interest - hold great importance in the Middle East. Too often we perceive a monolithic Middle Eastern narrative reflective of ruling politics and foreign affairs, yet small, indigenous collectives offer alternative voices and uplift silent narratives throughout the region. Producing knowledge in many realms, from film to art to politics, [...]

Artists play a huge role in carrying and forming new narratives. Especially within the Middle East and its diaspora-- a region usually studied only in an art historical context-- contemporary artists bring significant symbolism to their work within larger political discourses. The artists featured below cover both young and well established practitioners, representing a wide [...]

The Arab SpringTeaching the Revolutions The Arab Spring — the popular uprisings across the Arab World that began in early 2011 — was the defining moment for a generation of Arabs, and was the seed of some of the most devastating, ongoing conflicts in the world today. However, it also produced some surprising and inspiring [...]

Photography Photography and photographic imagery, while a great tool to portray and communicate events and emotion, can also be a tool of misinformation. Particularly in the Middle East, where most image-making centers around conflict and humanitarian disaster, debunking preconceived assumptions and myths is extremely important. The Middle East has always been more than conflict and [...]

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Artists and Art OrganizationsArtists play a huge role in carrying and forming new narratives. Especially within the Middle East and its diaspora-- a region usually studied only in an art historical context-- contemporary artists bring significant symbolism to their work within larger political discourses. The artists featured below cover both young and well established practitioners, [...]

The Middle East is often portrayed as an outlier when it comes to human rights, yet, the outbreak of the Arab Spring and the intense digital campaigning that followed proved that rights have become the popular language of protest. The locus of human rights is no longer exclusive to state or inter-state organizations but rather [...]

Fashion in the Middle East and its diaspora is diverse and multifaceted, traversing modest, Islamic fashion to Western-influenced designs. Some brands choose to focus on gender fluidity while others preserve indigenous textiles threatened by political conflict and globalization. Listed below are some fashion labels and designers that continuously push the bar forward. Apart from brands [...]

A printable version of this timeline is available for download at the bottom of this page. 822 BCE The Phoenicians establish the historic city of Carthage (in present-day Tunisia) and set up trading posts along the North African coast 586 BCE Babylon, under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar II, conquers Judah and destroys the Jewish Temple. 553 [...]

A printable version of this timeline is available for download at the bottom of this page. 661 Ali is murdered, presumably by a Kharijite extremist. His son Hassan loses a battle for succession to Mu'awiyah and retires to Medina. Mu'awiyah establishes the Umayyad dynasty and transfers the imperial capital to Damascus. 680 Caliph Muawiyah dies. His [...]

A printable version of this timeline is available for download at the bottom of this page. 1469 Death of Aztec leader Montezuma I in modern-day Mexico. 1492 Muslims and Jews are expelled from Spain at the behest of the Catholic Inquisition. The Muslims return to North Africa. The Spanish Jews, known as the Sephardim, scatter throughout [...]

A printable version of this timeline is available for download at the bottom of this page. 1901 Oil is discovered in Iran. 1905 Death of the great Muslim reformer, Muhammad Abdu. 1906 The Algeciras Conference, organized with the help of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, prevents war between France and Germany over colonial rights in Morocco. Control of [...]

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The Middle East is often portrayed as an outlier when it comes to human rights, yet, the outbreak of the Arab Spring and the intense digital campaigning that followed proved that rights have become the popular language of protest. The locus of human rights is no longer exclusive to state or inter-state organizations but rather [...]

  Taliban Bans Opium July 30, 2000 Taliban leaders forbid farmers from growing opium poppy plants, citing religious edicts. Afghan farmers are growing 75% of the world’s opium exports. Hamid Karzai Elected June 30, 2002 With U.S. toppling of the Taliban, the Grand Council elects Hamid Karzai as interim head of state. NATO Deploys in [...]

Artists play a huge role in carrying and forming new narratives. Especially within the Middle East and its diaspora-- a region usually studied only in an art historical context-- contemporary artists bring significant symbolism to their work within larger political discourses. The artists featured below cover both young and well established practitioners, representing a wide [...]

Collectives - spaces of shared interest - hold great importance in the Middle East. Too often we perceive a monolithic Middle Eastern narrative reflective of ruling politics and foreign affairs, yet small, indigenous collectives offer alternative voices and uplift silent narratives throughout the region. Producing knowledge in many realms, from film to art to politics, [...]

Fashion in the Middle East and its diaspora is diverse and multifaceted, traversing modest, Islamic fashion to Western-influenced designs. Some brands choose to focus on gender fluidity while others preserve indigenous textiles threatened by political conflict and globalization. Listed below are some fashion labels and designers that continuously push the bar forward. Apart from brands [...]

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Photography Photography and photographic imagery, while a great tool to portray and communicate events and emotion, can also be a tool of misinformation. Particularly in the Middle East, where most image-making centers around conflict and humanitarian disaster, debunking preconceived assumptions and myths is extremely important. The Middle East has always been more than conflict and [...]

Coming soon!

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