Artistic heart of Iraq's Kurdistan thrives, but wants more public engagement Sulaimaniyah, often called the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s “culture capital,” has become something of a haven for artists, though obstacles remain for the vibrant and self-sustaining artistic center they envision. Iraq
Libyan artists turn to black comedy to show youth exploitation A play dubbed “Chocolate Egg” uses black comedy to show the exploitation of young Libyans by officials to lure them into military formations. North Africa
Saudi 2030 to expand art scene in Jeddah, Riyadh With Saudi Arabia’s new social reform plan the local art scene is blooming with a plethora of cultural initiatives. Legacy: Gulf
Gaza's first female beekeeper expands apiary The enclave's first female beekeeper speaks about the challenges facing Gaza's beekeeping profession. Palestine
Jerusalem's African community stands with Al-Aqsa Jerusalem's African community, with its deep roots in the city, was active in the recent protests at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Palestine
Bill allowing Turkish muftis to perform civil marriages stokes concern Turkey's ruling party has introduced legislation authorizing muftis to perform civil marriages, a law critics fear would make it much harder to protect children. Turkey
Turkey’s political parties hit each other with coup allegations The Justice and Development Party government and its supporters are using a Republican People’s Party lawmaker's comments to steal the main opposition party’s thunder. Turkey
Egyptian, Chinese pottery makers compare techniques Pottery workshop in Old Cairo by Chinese and Egyptian artists highlights the different techniques in creating clay artifacts and everyday objects. Egypt
Egypt's middle class gets creative to cope with economic crunch As Egypt's economy suffers and inflation soars, middle class citizens are turning to Airbnb, Uber and other nontraditional means of earning extra income. Egypt
With tourism in decline, Egypt hopes to repurpose former hotspot An Egyptian member of parliament has completed a study on the establishment of a free trade zone in the tourist city of Sharm el-Sheikh, which many criticized for its potentially harmful effects on tourism. Egypt
Religious, not political leaders guided Jerusalem through Aqsa crisis Respected religious authorities dominated the protest movement and did much of the organizing during the past few weeks of crisis at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Palestine
Islamic writer's comments on smoking leave Turkish women fuming Islamic scholar and columnist Hayrettin Karaman has angered Turkish women by questioning the chastity of those who smoke while wearing the veil. Turkey
Turks spooked by 90s-style disappearances The dark days of Turkey in the 1990s could be creeping back as at least four men have gone missing under similar suspicious circumstances in Ankara since March. Turkey
Cash-strapped young Egyptians forgo popular wedding traditions As their cost of living gets higher, Egyptian couples are being forced to go without the traditional, more expensive wedding festivities. Egypt
Why Erdogan fired Turkey’s top cleric The departure of Mehmet Gormez, who headed Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), had many wondering if he was not loyal enough to the Turkish president. Turkey
How long can Gaza survive with no water? A water shortage has led citizens to dig expensive water wells to meet their basic needs despite the dangerous impact of over-extraction on the Gaza Strip aquifer. Palestine
