Iran
This year has been anything but easy, but a host of stellar movie releases from the Middle East made 2022 a remarkable year for filmmaking across the region. We’re ending this year by looking back through these triumphs of cinema, so that you can start 2023 with a ready-made list of outstanding and poignant films to watch. Bear witness to the horrors of the Nakba with Farha, gain a sense of the struggles faced by artists and filmmakers working under Iranian censorship in Jafar Panahi’s No Bears, see life through the eyes of a Syrian family starting a new life in Belgium in My Paper Life, follow Yusra and Sara Mardini’s perilous journey to safety in The Swimmers, and feel true fear with Reem, a Palestinian woman whose life is plunged into disaster in Huda’s Salon.
The culinary traditions of the Middle East are much incredibly varied, particularly as we head south, across the rugged mountains and vast deserts of the Arabian Peninsula towards the Sultanate of Oman. Here’s a recipe for Omani Qabooli Rice with Lamb Shanks to wow your dinner party guests, courtesy of Dine with Dina.
2020 was a tumultuous year for the Middle East, and 2021 looks as if it will be no less eventful for the region, with possible diplomatic milestones on the cards and ambitious foreign policies raising eyebrows around the world. Here’s our list of five key issues we’ll be keeping our eyes on that will inevitably shape the political landscape of the Middle East in 2021
The Middle East has been heavily stereotyped and romanticised over the years. Stories of conflict, violence and religious extremism have bombarded the western media in recent decades, shaping a narrow view of the Middle East and its people. The following list contains 8 incredible places that shatter the traditional stereotypes and showcase the remarkable diversity of the Middle East.
Instagram is the perfect place to go for travel inspiration, but we often tend to follow fellow travellers from our own country or region as opposed to local people, who usually have much greater insight into the best places to go and show a more nuanced view of the local culture. Follow these 7 Instagrammers who share beautiful photographs and local perspectives on the countries where they live and document their adventures.
The Middle East is the home of some of the world’s most delicious and indulgent sweets and desserts, from Turkish Delight to Kunafa and Bastani – Iranian ice cream. To make Middle Eastern sweets and desserts at home, make sure you add these 10 cupboard essentials to your shopping list.
Iran is one of the countries hardest-hit by COVID-19 in the Middle East. Iran’s regional neighbours, including its supposed competitors and adversaries in the Gulf, have quickly stepped up to provide aid to Iran. Is an end to the regional rivalry between Iran and its neighbours in sight?
Here’s an update on the coronavirus situation in the Middle East, with everything you need to know about which Middle Eastern countries have been affected, how governments have responded, and what the crisis could mean for the future of the region.
Yemen: The poorest country in the Middle East; The corner of the Arabian Peninsula widely ignored as the oil monarchies of the Gulf rose to riches and global prominence; And now, embroiled in a deadly civil war protracted by the interference of external powers, further destabilising an already war-torn region. Yemeni politics can be highly confusing for outsiders. These 10 books will help you understand this complex country and the ongoing conflict.