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
Nostalgia for 19th-century Pera meets modernity in Istanbul exhibit Cosmopolitan Pera, with luxury hotels and entertainment venues, was the recreational heart of 19th-century Istanbul, which an exhibition at the Istanbul Research Institute revisits along with a cultural addition that could have been. Turkey
Palestine aims to triple number of Russian tourists Palestinians aim to lure more Russian tourists by providing new tourism infrastructure, ecotourism and historic Orthodox churches. Palestine
Cairo to build new site for culture but will artists and fans come? Egypt has announced that it will build a state-of-the-art culture city by mid-2022, but it remains unclear whether it would attract artists and art lovers. Egypt
With 'Chernobyl,' Iranians talk other people's nuclear problems, for a change The miniseries “Chernobyl” is a big hit in Iran and has sparked a debate between conservative and Reformist media about the alleged politics and messaging behind the production. Russia
Fact-checking initiative takes on Egypt's rumor mills and fake news “Da Begad?” and other initiatives have emerged in the Arab world to counter the daily rumors, fake news and manipulated images on social media and elsewhere online. Egypt
Israel threatens to expulse hundreds of Filipino children Israeli authorities have notified dozens of Filipina migrant workers that they will be expulsed from the country once the school year is over, together with their children. Israel
Egypt seeks to recover 3,000-year-old King Tut bust from auction The Egyptian government is seeking ways to try and recover its stolen and smuggled antiquities, namely the statue of Tutankhamun’s head that the London-based Christie’s auction house is planning to put up for sale. Egypt
Iraqis welcome Pope Francis' plan to visit in 2020 Following several requests made by Iraqi leaders to Pope Francis to visit Iraq, he reveals his desire to come next year. Iraq
Will Syrian voters be kingmakers in Istanbul's mayoral election? Though small in number, the votes of naturalized Syrians in Turkey could be decisive in the rerun election to select the new mayor of Istanbul, the city with the largest Syrian population outside Syria. Syria
Greek Orthodox Church loses appeal on leases to settler group Israel's Supreme Court validated a controversial deal by the Greek Orthodox Church to lease real estate in Jerusalem's Old City to the pro-settlement group Ateret Cohanim. Palestine
Egypt debates customary marriage, polygamy The Egyptian Catholic Church recently announced that it needs to further study the unified personal status law proposals, at a time when customary marriage and polygamy remain under debate for Muslims. Egypt
Cappadocia victim of Turkish ruling party's love of concrete A new law claiming to protect the natural beauty of Cappadocia strips municipal governments of decision-making powers and oversight, handing authority over the future of the region to a panel whose leader is appointed by the president. Turkey
