Egypt
Balancing Books
Long considered the literary center of the Arab world, Egypt has witnessed the cost of book printing, distribution and publishing rise steadily since the onset of its currency crisis in 2022. Now, many of the institutions behind Egypt’s literary culture face an uncertain future.
An Unlikely Conception
In Gaza, male infertility is both endemic and taboo. An exclusive investigation follows the hope and heartbreak of one couple’s decade-long quest to conceive, despite blockade and war.
‘The Course of Empire’ Reimagined in Middle Eastern Graffiti
Through graffiti, political expression has slipped out of gilded frames and onto concrete and stone. Modern murals in Cairo, Bethlehem and Amman show how the measure of a civilization lies not in its monuments, but in people insisting on being seen, claiming space and painting themselves back into the landscape.
Africa May Be on the Cusp of a Soccer Golden Age
For decades, African soccer has been caught between immense natural talent and broken systems of governance and funding. But a convergence of changes — new leadership, diaspora players returning to their roots, Morocco’s World Cup success and grassroots investment — could tip the continent into a golden era.
Mo Salah and the Myth of the Good Immigrant
Mohamed Salah’s superstardom helped reshape Liverpool’s identity, but amid a resurgent far right and rising racial tensions, his symbolic status reveals the impossible standards placed on minorities.
Why a Candid Conversation From 55 Years Ago Has Scandalized the Arab World
Rare audio of a candid conversation between Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser and Libya's Moammar Gadhafi in 1970 has scandalized the Arab world in recent days, ultimately revealing more about contemporary Middle Eastern politics than history.
Spiritual Women of the Wilderness
The Desert Mothers of early Christianity were as determined as male mystics to live solitary lives in the most testing of conditions. While their characters and lives are less well documented, what we do have gives intriguing glimpses into what it was like for a woman to be a recluse in a milieu dominated by men.