Travels in the Orient
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Portrait of the Orientalist Friedrich Schrader
One of Turkey's Germans
The orientalist and journalist Friedrich Schrader was one of the first and most active cultural mediators between Germany and Turkey. Today, the founder of the "Osmanischer Lloyd" has been largely forgotten. By Ceyda Nurtsch
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"Syrien – ein Land ohne Krieg"
Syria, as it once was
Many people now only associate Syria with war. In an attempt to counteract these associations, photographer Lutz Jakel and journalist Lamya Kaddor have put together a book of photography from pre-war Syria. By Marian Brehmer
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Goethe and Zoroastrianism
The eternal battle between good and evil
All his life Johann Wolfgang von Goethe felt a strong connection with Persia. Not only did he feel a spiritual affinity with the poet Hafez, he was also inspired and fascinated by the teachings and practices of Zarathustra, who lived in the first millennium before Christ. Melanie Christina Mohr reports
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Christoph Peters′ short story collection ″Selfie mit Sheikh″
Closer to the unknown
With great attention to detail and understated humour, Christoph Peters′ new short story collection revolves around Western Europe′s well-known longing for wisdom and spiritual experiences from the East. By Volker Kaminski
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Johann Gottfried Herder and the Orient
Faith as silent spirituality
All his life, the German philosopher and poet Johann Gottfried Herder grappled with issues of the Orient and Islam, preaching his vision of a society shaped by humanity, tolerance and the individual, spiritual practice of faith. By Melanie Christina Mohr
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French philosopher Henry Corbin
Wherever the spirit guides
Henry Corbin, theologian and professor in Islamic Studies at the Sorbonne, is widely regarded as the West′s authority on Persian philosophy. Despite having died in 1978, he is not only revered in modern-day Iran, he has also been appropriated. By Marian Brehmer
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″Naqsh″ – the Arabic cultural cafe
Amman's bridge builders
Cultural cafes like Naqsh in the centre of Amman are prime examples of innovative grassroots projects that help promote cultural dialogue between east and west. Hakim Khatib visited the Jordanian cultural cafe and spoke to its initiators
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Iran′s image in the West
Sheer incredulity
Journalists, business people, tourists, artists and culture professionals – in 2016 many more foreigners travelled to Iran than in previous years. The visitors often remark on how inspiring the "desire for freedom" and "cosmopolitanism" of young Iranians in particular is, leading to a host of superficial observations. By Stefan Buchen
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Book review: Mathias Enard′s ″Boussole″
In love with the Orient
Mathias Enard has written a magnificent novel about Europe’s fascination with the Orient. Awarded France’s prestigious Prix Goncourt, the multi-layered and astounding book is the story of a great unfulfilled love, but above all a plea for cultural dialogue. Ulrich von Schwerin read the book
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Karl Wilhelm Friedrich and August Wilhelm Schlegel
The Orient – so near and yet so far
All their lives, the early Romantics and classical philologists Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel (1772-1829) and August Wilhelm Schlegel (1767-1845) saw the Orient as a source of literary and cultural enrichment for Europe. By Melanie Christina Mohr
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Eco-tourism in Jordan
Guests of the Bedouin
The Feynan EcoLodge in southern Jordan is one of the few socially and ecologically sustainable tourist destinations in the Middle East. The project, managed and run by a group of local Bedouin, gives visitors an intriguing insight into a culture in transition. Claudia Mende reports from Feynan
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150th anniversary of Friedrich Ruckert′s death
Forget Goethe, read Ruckert
One of Germany′s greatest poets died 150 years ago – and today, hardly anyone is familiar with him. But all those years ago, Friedrich Ruckert knew how to integrate refugees successfully. By Christoph Meyer