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
Decades after discovery, Jerusalem’s Byzantine masterpiece may open to public The underground vaults of Jerusalem’s Nea Church, a large complex erected by Emperor Justinian in the sixth century, have remained closed to visitors since their excavation in the 1970s. Israel
Sisi's moves to restore Jewish heritage get international applause Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's decision to restore Jewish heritage sites may promote tourism and the image of his country. Egypt
Music for martyrs: AUC highlights songs of 1919 revolution A hundred years after Egypt’s 1919 revolution led to the country's formal independence from Britain, the American University in Cairo paid homage to the artistic legacy of the revolution with the songs of Sayed Darwish. Egypt
How this mother-daughter duo became partners in art Amneh Baagour, who grew up in Lebanon's Beddawi refugee camp, became her artist daughter's best student. Palestine
Iraqi artists keep up pottery tradition Iraqi pottery craftsmen fear that their ancient craft will disappear, even though this art is now picked up in academia. Iraq
Young Iraqis re-encounter their Jewish compatriots After seven decades of alienation, Iraqi Jews use culture to build bridges with their non-Jewish countrymen and vice versa. Iraq
Cairo to set design standards for mosques Egypt's Ministry of Endowments plans to impose a single design style for new and even existing mosques being restored as part of the government's efforts to modernize Egyptian cities. Egypt
Many calls but little action to stop cultural destruction in Yemen Smuggled Yemeni antiquities continue to find customers in the West, despite international outcry to stop the looting and destruction in Yemen. Yemen
Palestinian farmers check out seeds from West Bank library Vivien Sansour discovered the need to protect Palestinian seeds while looking for red carrots six years ago and opened a seed library in Beit Sahour; the library will soon move its permanent headquarters to Battir. Palestine
Saudi Arabia seeks to entice visitors with pre-Islamic sites Following last year's $20 billion French-Saudi deal to accelerate al-Ula’s development, there are more international archaeologists on the ground than ever before. Saudi Arabia
Turkish menus celebrate cherished regional soups In Turkey, soup is more than a dish; it is the bearer of a vast culture. Turkey
Forgotten artisans of Beirut seek revival Beirut’s Armenian district, previously a vibrant center of craftsmanship and culture in the country, is going through a decline due to a lack of government planning, with only a few artisans escaping the downturn. Lebanon
