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Ottoman Empire

Rewriting the Music Playbook: Harget Kart’s Art of Fusion

By: Yara Marei / Arab America Contributing Writer Imagine a band that takes the ordinary, lights it on fire, and from the ashes creates something extraordinary. This is Harget Kart—a name that, in the Arabic Jordanian dialect, means “to burn a photo card.” Just as their name suggests, Harget Kart has set the conventional boundaries … Continued

A Glimpse into 19th-Century Syrian Christian Weddings

By: Arwa Almasaari / Arab America Contributing Writer Weddings are more than just ceremonies—they are monumental events in one’s life. Have you ever wondered how Arabs celebrated their weddings in the nineteenth century? In his autobiography, A Far Journey, Abraham Rihbany provides a unique and detailed firsthand account of Syrian Christian weddings in Greater Syria. … Continued

“Kawkab America”: The First Arab American Newspaper

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By: Arwa Almasaari / Arab America Contributing Writer Kawkab America is widely recognized as the first Arabic newspaper, founded by members of the Greek Orthodox Church (Mehdi 5, 7). What is less commonly known is that this groundbreaking publication was bilingual, non-sectarian, and transnational. Its efforts to forge connections and promote … Continued

Chickpeas and Checkpoints: Hummus in the Shadow of Arab-Israeli War

By: Yara Marei / Arab America Contributing Writer Food has a unique way of bringing people together, and celebrating it will make you enjoy your meal and feel grateful to receive grandma’s recipes generation after generation. So can you imagine that this great moment of grace and pleasure can be easily stolen, just like the … Continued

Hammam: The Outstanding Traditional Bathing Method in North Africa

By: Mariem Hamdi/ Arab America contributing writer When you walk across each of the North African neighborhoods, particularly in the old cities you will find one spot or two designed for Hammam (or Islamic bath-houses), it is a tradition similar to a steam bath or sauna and is representative of the Byzantine and Roman baths. … Continued

Hadji Ali and the U.S. Army Camel Corps

By: Malorie Lewis / Arab America Contributing Writer Arab and Muslim participation in the United States military dates back as far as the inception of this young nation. Muslim slaves are noted as defending the colonies against Great Britain in the early stages of the Revolution, they participated in the Civil War, and the World … Continued

Tulip: The Ottoman Obsession

The Tulip design takes center stage in Islamic design and architecture, trip to Turkey will show you elaborate and archaic designs of tulips on every facet of their world, appearing on ceramic dishes, tea cups, plates, tiles, embroidery, carpets, and of course on old and historical buildings, monuments, and mosques. Which begs the question, why is this floral design so popular in Islamic architecture and design. Arab America contributing writer, Menal Elmaliki, explores the geometric shapes and patterns have always been a part of Islamic art and architecture since Islam forbade the drawings of human, from it blossomed a theatrical feat of creativity.

Booza: Syria’s Famous Stretchy Ice-Cream

By: Menal Elmaliki / Arab America Contributing Writer In the middle of the busy souq, Al Hamdiiyah, located in the old city of Damascus is the famous ice cream shop, Bakdash. The shop has a long history, it was first established in 1895 while Syria was under Ottoman rule. It hosted Ottoman officials who would … Continued

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