UAE backs women in climate action, gender equality
“Today’s frameworks to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment ring hollow in the face of the war on Gaza, which...Arts & Culture Uncategorized
Europe’s largest art fair reports ‘record’ prices for Van Gogh, Picasso
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS – Europe's largest art fair closed its doors on Friday with organizers saying that sales, including a rare...Arts & Culture Culture & Society
Award-winning Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi arrested
Award-winning dissident Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi was arrested Monday, the third director to be detained in less than a week, the...Panahi, 62, has won a slew of awards at international festivals for films that have critiqued modern Iran, including the top prize in Berlin for "Taxi" in 2015
Cannes film festival organizers, in a statement Monday, said they "strongly condemn the (directors') arrests as well as the wave of repression evidently under way in Iran
Festivals, guesthouses breathe life into Old Tunis, boost tourism
The government has this month begun bailout negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, as its tourism and import-dependent economy has been...Under the Hafsids, Tunis was one of the biggest cities in the Islamic world, and their legacy has remained in the form of narrow, crowded souks.
The district also has some two dozen small souks devoted to specific artisans such as tanners, perfume sellers and shoemakers.
Troubled waters: Iraqi spa reborn after IS massacres
Located 30km south of Mosul, Hamam al-Alil , meaning the baths of the sick in Arabic, built a solid reputation...The spa and surrounding village, which shares the same name, is now also known for massacres committed by IS during its occupation of the area.
After the defeat of IS in 2017, the baths remained popular although the building had fallen into disrepair, with chipped tiles and broken windows.
Efforts to save Algiers’ historic Casbah speed up
A UNESCO-listed rabbit warren of 16th-century battlements and Ottoman palaces, the Casbah has been the site of key moments in...Some buildings weakened by earthquakes, floods or fires are still propped up with scaffolding, but a plan launched in 2012 is seeking to rehabilitate the area.
The Ketchaoua mosque, closed since 2008 after being seriously damaged by a powerful earthquake five years earlier, has also been restored.
Reforms crucial to revive pandemic-hit culture sector
The sector also saw a decline of 25 percent of its Gross Value Added in 2020. However, while most of...The culture was one of the most seriously impacted sectors globally due to COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 10 million jobs lost in 2020 alone
Revenues from the digital creative economy totalled US$2.7 billion globally in 2020, over a quarter of the sector’s overall revenue, says a report
After war, Syrians in Jordan find joy and jobs in dance
Jordan hosts almost 650,000 Syrians registered with the United Nations, but Amman estimates close to 1.3 million Syrians have arrived...Jordan hosts almost 650,000 Syrians registered with the United Nations, but Amman estimates close to 1.3 million Syrians have arrived since 2011
The UN has said that close to 80 percent of Syrians in Jordan live below the national poverty line, surviving on three dollars per day or less
ISESCO lists 22 Libyan sites as Islamic world heritage
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) has listed 22 Libyan archaeological sites on the list of heritage...The archaeological sites registered and published by the ministry included Murzuq Castle, Qasr al-Hajj and nine mosques in Tripoli.
At its 10th session, the Heritage Committee of the ISESCO announced the registration of 49 historical sites and cultural elements on the final list.
Women upbeat over guardian-free Hajj
This year's Hajj, the first large-scale edition since the guardian requirement was dropped in 2021, has taken on a different...Many of them have abandoned the black robes traditionally preferred by hajj organisers, adding a dash of colour with reds, greens, oranges and blues dotted around the crowds.
The decision to drop the "mehrem" is part of the social reforms rolled out by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is trying to shake off the kingdom's austere image.
Jeddah Season 2022 concludes, 6m visitors attend events
Jeddah Season 2022 lasted for 60 days and was full of exciting shows, programs, activities that took place in 13...Jeddah Season this year lasted for 60 days and it was full of exciting shows
The shows, programs and activities took place across 13 locations in Jeddah
High up in Turkish valleys, Afghan shepherds dream of home
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan estimates that 300,000 Afghans now live in Turkey, which also hosts 3.7 million people from war-ravaged...President Erdogan estimates that 300,000 Afghans now live in Turkey, which also hosts 3.7 million people from Syria
Tunceli native Mustafa Acun says the locals have grown used to Afghans taking care of their herds
