Pope Francis, voice for Middle East peace and first to visit Gulf, dies at 88 Pope Francis died on Monday after serving as pontiff for 11 years, advocating for human rights and inclusion in the Middle East and beyond. By Rosaleen Carroll In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East
Khartoum accuses RSF of looting and destroying Sudan's heritage: What to know The Sudanese government accused the Rapid Support Forces of looting and destroying cultural heritage sites, including the Sudan National Museum, during their occupation of Khartoum, calling the actions war crimes and pledging to work with UNESCO and Interpol to recover stolen artifacts. Sudan
In photos: Muslims celebrate Eid el-Fitr across the Middle East Muslims in the Middle East came together on Sunday and Monday to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Saudi Arabia
Israeli army escorts ultra-Orthodox Jews to religious site in south Lebanon: What to know The Israeli military allowed hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Israeli civilians into southern Lebanon to visit a religious site, meeting condemnation from Lebanon's army. Lebanon
Muslims across Middle East welcome Ramadan despite war, inflation By Rosaleen Carroll In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East
Feature Christians in Syria hopeful but wary of Sharaa’s intentions By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Clay chairs, edible statues make Jordan's design week one to remember Experimental projects abounded at Amman Design Week. Jordan
Why Iran's grand ayatollahs are fighting over Rumi Two grand Ayatollahs have declared their opposition to production of a movie about the celebrated poem Rumi and his friend and mentor Shams al-Tabrizi, but it is not clear whether they can stop it. Turkey
Jordan book fair held with theme 'Jerusalem: The Capital of Palestine' The Amman International Book Fair, one of the major literary events in the region, takes up the Palestinian issue as the theme this year. Palestine
Meet the boxer who blows into glass in Cairo Glassblowing dates back to pharaonic times in Egypt, but these days there's one man trying to keep the tradition alive. Egypt
The shows go on amid tensions this festival season in Lebanon Music, art, and religious festivals, large and small, have become summertime staples in Lebanon, providing entertainment and generating tourist dollars. Lebanon
Dead are last to leave ancient Turkish town before submerging In a grim postscript, former residents of the town Hasankeyf are relocating the remains of the dead before the unique settlement dating back 12,000 years is engulfed by water from the construction of a dam. Turkey
Rich Ottoman recipes grace Istanbul tables A restaurant in Istanbul's historical district of Fatih has revived 500-year-old Ottoman recipes, including a special goose dish that help develop lasting relationships with regional farmers. Turkey
Musicians bring art to streets to save picturesque hill in Amman A group of Jordanian artists is working to preserve the cultural heritage of Amman's beloved Jabal Luweibdeh area and protect it from overdevelopment. Jordan
UNESCO-listed Anatolian town gets contemporary museum The Odunpazari Modern Museum aims to develop the cultural offer in the Anatolian town of Eskisehir. Turkey
West Bank village courts tourists with eggplant, stone terraces A festival in the West Bank village of Battir celebrates the locally grown eggplant of the village known for its terraced cultivation of vines and olives. Palestine
Will Turkey's oldest library sweep Aga Khan prize? The restoration of Beyazit State Library, established by Sultan Abdulhamid II in 1884, has been short-listed for the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Turkey
A win-win solution on the Temple Mount Many have tried, but always failed, to resolve the issue of tensions occasionally flaring over praying on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif, but the solution is not so difficult. Palestine
