To celebrate the one year anniversary of this blog (woohoo!), I’m excited to share the ten most popular posts to date. The diversity of these pieces perfectly sums up the goal of this site: to share lesser known aspects of Middle Eastern art, culture, food, literature, and music.
A huge thank you to all my readers and subscribers. Your support, comments, and encouragement have kept me going and make me excited for the future of this blog. I have some great ideas in the works!
Now on to the top posts of the past 12 months…
10) The Most Iconic Street Food in Egypt
Dive into the delicious world of Egyptian street food, with pictures and recipes of iconic dishes like foul medames, kushari, tamiyya, and more.
9) Coptic Monasteries that You Must Visit, An Easy Trip from Cairo
Explore four Coptic monasteries in Wadi al-Natrun, Egypt, worth visiting for their stunning art work and historical significance.
8) Jordan: 3 Incredible Roman Ruins not in Amman or Jerash
Roman ruins are visible across Jordan, with many outside of Amman and Jerash. This post highlights three must-see sites: Umm Qais, Pella, and Umm al-Jimal.
7) When You Visit Egypt, You Must Try These Drinks!
What to drink in Egypt? Learn about Turkish coffee and tea with mint, as well as yansoon, asab, kerkaday, and more.
6) Outstanding Turkish Authors, after Pamuk and Shafak
You know Orhan Pamuk and Elif Shafak, but there are many outstanding Turkish authors. We explore Yashar Kemal, Latife Tekin, Buket Uzuner, and Moris Farhi.
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5) Nizar Qabbani Will Surprise You with his Lyrical and Evocative Imagery
The imagery in Nizar Qabbani’s love poetry is exquisite. We explore how his metaphors on nature, writing, and more showcase his artistry.
4) ArabLit.org – The Best Resource about Arabic Literature in Translation
Looking for Arabic literature in translation? ArabLit has booklists, in-depth interviews, a quarterly magazine, translated poems and stories, and more.
3) Powerful Examples of Street Art in Amman
You must experience the street art of Amman. Learn about walking tours, online maps, and the annual Baladk festival. Then follow these local artists and see stunning examples of their popular works.
2) Six Stunning Middle Eastern Cookbooks, after Ottolenghi and Roden
Many stunning Middle Eastern cookbooks deserve recognition. This post highlights four books: Cardamom and Lime, The Food of Oman, Classic Vegetarian Cooking of the Middle East and North Africa, and Persiana.
1) Four Amazing Algerian Musicians that are not Cheb Khaled
Outside of raï, Algerian musicians have found success both inside Algeria and abroad. This post highlights four amazing artists: Babylone, Souad Massi, Soolking, and Reinette L’Oranaise.
What Next?
Look for more fantastic posts to come soon! And if you haven’t already, please subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Until next time…
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