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
Culture Alert: October dominated by film festivals in Middle East A number of film festivals, from short films to documentaries, take place in Beirut, Tehran, Haifa and Istanbul throughout October — where many of the regional countries’ nominees for Oscars will be screened. Israel
Egyptian doctors moonlight as chefs A new restaurant created by Egyptian doctors is decorated like an emergency room and serves liver dishes cooked with surgical precision. Egypt
Online portal offers Palestinian diaspora piece of home A Palestinian businesswoman has adopted the tradition of gift baskets to bring a taste of homeland to Palestinian diaspora. Palestine
Egypt’s experimental theater raises ire of traditionalists The Cairo International Festival for Contemporary and Experimental Theatre remains one of the most prestigious events for theater groups that opt for novelty on stage — but is there an audience in Egypt? Egypt
King of pop remembered in Egyptian film Egypt has nominated "Sheikh Jackson," a film that portrays the torments of a cleric upon learning that his childhood hero is dead, for the 2018 Academy Award for best foreign language film. Egypt
Palestinian, Italian chefs share their love for food A joint cultural exchange program between Palestinians and Italians focused on food preparation and sports in two refugee camps in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Arab identity at heart of Beirut Art Fair At the eighth annual Beirut Art Fair, contemporary artists were given free rein to create works that explore sensitive topics such as Arab identity, politics and conflict. Lebanon
Egypt’s millennials act out their discontent on stage With its earnest tone and simple production, the play “1980 W Enta Taleh” offers a glimpse into the turbulent lives of Egypt's young adults. Egypt
Turkey to toughen laws on surrogacy Turkey’s Ministry of Health prepares a new draft law that would prevent Turks from having children through surrogate mothers, even if abroad. Turkey
Poor Beirut neighborhood's facelift only skin deep An art project in Beirut’s Ouzai neighborhood is bringing color to the area, but urban planners are not impressed with what they see as a simplistic approach to its complex legal and economic problems. Lebanon
Egyptian pop star croons for potential visitors on Europe tour Egypt’s Culture Ministry is promoting pop star Hakim’s European tour in the hope that he can interest Western tourists in Egyptian culture. Egypt
How sweet Jewish New Year tradition causes bitter fight in Israel Israeli beekeepers are concerned about shrinking living spaces for bees, the challenges of wild bees and nature preservation activists. Israel