Maghreb
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Aga Khan Master Musicians' "Nowruz"
Sunshine, peace and the smell of home
While intent is always important, it is no guarantee of artistic merit. "Nowruz", the Aga Khan Master Musicians' debut album, is an example of both in perfect synthesis. Richard Marcus had a listen
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Jewish music
Breathing new life into Ladino
Noam "Nani" Vazana's most recent album "Ke Haber" (What's New) is a beautiful dive into the rich cultural history of Sephardic Jews and the Ladino language. But there's a twist to what she does with the language: instead of just singing old songs, she creates and writes new material. By Richard Marcus
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Middle Eastern and North African art in Europe
MENA Art Gallery – haven for Arab art
The MENA Art Gallery in downtown Berlin is the brainchild of Italian researcher Enrico De Angelis and Syrian visual artist Zena El Abdalla. One transliteration of the colloquial Arabic for 'port' is 'mena', reflecting the intention to provide a haven for works by Arab artists, as Rama Jarmakani reports
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Morocco quake
Why the distance, Mohammed VI?
When a devastating earthquake shook Morocco's High Atlas mountains, residents of poor areas where it struck turned for help to the state and the man who leads it, King Mohammed VI. Yet the monarch, with his sweeping powers, has kept a low profile, making just three appearances since
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Algeria – wasteland for Arabic literature
Big Brother is watching you
In May 2023, Algerian author Said Khatibi won the prestigious Sheikh Zayed Award in the young author category for his historical crime novel "Nihayat al-Sahra'" – in English, 'the End of the Sahara'. Claudia Mende caught up with Khatibi in Abu Dhabi for Qantara.de
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Deadly earthquake hits Morocco near Marrakesh – in pictures
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Morocco with an epicentre 75 kilometres west of Marrakesh, leaving more than 2,000 dead. Rescue efforts are still underway as the threat of aftershocks looms
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Morocco earthquake
'Finished here' – a village vanishes
It was delicate work for the searchers to remove the woman's body from the rubble of a village that effectively ceased to exist in Morocco's deadliest earthquake in over six decades
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Alcohol in Iran, Turkey and the USA
Are all taboos justified?
Iran's ban on alcohol has led to a rise in methanol poisonings, revealing the deadly side of prohibition. The situation mirrors past failures in the U.S. and contrasts with more lenient policies in countries like Turkey. By Niloofar Gholami
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Arab-Andalucian music
Musical "Romances" between Muslims and Christians
On 19 August, the Accademia del Piacere ensemble from Seville will celebrate the marriage of Muslim and Christian musical culture in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries at the Cologne Philharmonic. Tunisian singer Ghalia Benali will join the musicians on stage as their special guest. By Stefan Franzen
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Youth Activism in the Middle East and North Africa
How to re-engage Arab youth?
Recent public opinion surveys offer an opportunity to re-evaluate youth political engagement across the region, a decade after the 2011 Arab Uprisings and waves of subsequent protest movements. By Valerie Boutros
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English in Algerian schools and universities
What's the best language option for Algeria?
Recent government decisions to expand English language instruction in Algerian schools, though seemingly educational in nature, are only the latest developments in a longstanding national dispute. By Abu Bakr Khaled Saad Allah
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Climate change in Morocco
Dry winters and scorching springs
As one of the most-affected countries in North Africa, Morocco has moved to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change, but many difficulties lie ahead. By Soukina Nait El-Rayes