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
What takes Lebanese women to front line in protests? Since the start of Lebanon’s protests Oct. 17, women have been on the front lines acting as a buffer between protesters and security forces. Lebanon
Basra Museum struggles to keep Iraq's heritage at home The Basra Museum displays around 2,200 objects from the Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian and Hellenistic eras — 100 of which were reportedly looted and returned to Iraq from Jordan and the United States. Iraq
Can Egypt's newest search engine root out extremism? Egypt's Islamic authority Dar al-Ifta has launched a search engine to track extremist content in the fight against terrorism and Islamophobia, but critics believe much more is needed. Egypt
New Iraqi board games revisit cultural heritage, create common ground Iraqis have played board games for millennia, and a new generation of them are creating new ones steeped in Iraqi history with the hope of getting more of them to put down their screens and meet other players face to face. Iraq
Art, urban planning rejuvenates Central Anatolian city Eskisehir combines restored Ottoman-era homes with new and hip museums, bars and galleries, attracting people from all over Turkey. Turkey
Why Picasso continues to inspire the Levant Picasso-Mediterranee, a two-year project highlighting the rich ties of the 20th century’s prodigal painter to the Mediterranean, concludes with exhibitions in the Levantine port cities of Izmir and Beirut. Lebanon
Crackdown on Kurdish mayors raises pressure on Turkish opposition Seven HDP mayors were jailed and replaced by state-appointed trustees during Turkey’s Syrian incursion, further stifling the nation’s Kurdish-majority party. Turkey
Gaziantep University opens facilities in Syrian opposition areas The Turkish Gaziantep University has opened three faculties in the opposition-held Aleppo countryside, giving students there an opportunity to earn a degree from an accredited university. Syria
Palestinian National Library to collect Palestine's scattered archives Palestine's former minister of culture, Ihab Bseiso, is in charge of establishing a national library — a project that will require a lot of diplomacy and fundraising. Palestine
Why more Arab Israelis go to university In the past decade, Israel has seen a significant rise in the number of Israeli-Arab students, but high numbers of Israeli-Arab students have also quit university. Israel
Egypt's Ministry of Religious Endowments boosts its imams' media skills Media trainings aim to give Awqaf's imams better verbal skills — not only against extremist views but also against their rival Al-Azhar. Egypt
Lebanon protests also bring Syrians, Palestinians out onto the streets Many of the 1.5 million Syrians and 174,000 Palestinians in Lebanon are taking part in the recent protests. Lebanon
