New exhibition spotlights forgotten Egyptians who discovered King Tut Delving into the archives of British archaeologist Howard Carter, who led the mission down to the pharaoh’s burial chamber, the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries shines a spotlight on the immense contribution of the locals — a role largely overlooked by history. Culture
Photographer captures surrealist post-explosion Beirut at Dubai art show Surreal silos and ruins of ancient buildings are the subjects of the new series of works by Dia Mrad, recently presented at the biggest art fair in the Middle East. Culture
Threat of demolition looms over Cairo’s historic necropolis A group of architects, historians and other heritage enthusiasts have launched a campaign to safeguard the City of the Dead in the face of the government’s new infrastructure plans. Culture
First underwater fashion show in Egypt Egyptian fashion designer Amany Yehia held her first underwater photo shoot, the first of its kind in Egypt. Culture
Exhibition pays tribute to prolific Lebanese cartoonist The Sursock Museum in Beirut is displaying thousands of cartoons by Pierre Sadek, who inspired many Lebanese satirists and created space for the next generation. Lebanon
Israeli Bedouin women champion social progress The Israeli Interior Ministry together with the Association of Community Centers initiated a first-of-its-kind course designed to train Bedouin women to become members of executive boards. Israel
Jordanian artists combine music, satire to voice their woes A group of young Jordanian satirists poke fun at government decisions with songs that appeal to the youth. Jordan
Iranian film on Tehran's role in Syria war creates controversy The first Iranian film depicting Tehran’s fight against Islamic State terrorists divides observers into two camps: those who think it is a great film by a great director and those who think it is just a cliche. Iran
Najaf’s wax statues kindle meltdown for conservative Iraqi clerics The exhibition of wax sculptures in a museum in Najaf, a conservative Shiite city, marks a major reformist development and a cultural breakthrough. Iraq
Small press brings e-books to Gaza The e-publisher Khota Books started with local authors and now offers Gazan readers both electronic and physical copies of works by international writers. Palestine
Cairo removes Ottoman name amid Egypt-Turkey strife As tensions escalate between Egypt and Turkey, Cairo governorate has decided to rename Selim I street, named for the "grim" Ottoman sultan who conquered Egypt. Egypt
Barqa Museum in Nablus collects Palestinian heritage A family of collectors from Nablus has single-handedly created a museum of more than 5,000 pieces that reflect Palestine’s heritage since the Canaanite period. Palestine
Will Great Mosque of Samarra and its minaret survive? The 1,200-year-old minaret of the Great Mosque in Samarra is in dire need of restoration, which the Iraqi authorities and UNESCO have started working on. Iraq
Old meets Magic Kingdom: Disneyland-style park comes to Egypt After years of planning, Egypt is finally making progress toward establishing its own Disneyland-style theme park. Egypt
Egyptians divided over army's foray into culture The Egyptian Ministry of Defense organized a stand at the Cairo International Book Fair to showcase the army’s achievements in the cultural scene, but some critics warned of ulterior motives. Egypt
Diyarbakir's signature dessert is multicultural tradition Diyarbakir owes its famous dessert, kadaif, to the 18th-century Armenian population, but today, Muslim transports from nearby Bingol have taken over the trade. Turkey