Al Majalla's Book Watch

A tour of the latest releases from Arabic publishing houses on topics covering fiction, philosophy, science, history, and politics.

Khodr Al Agha

Takiya Al-Mawlawiyah

Takiya Al-Mawlawiyah, in Cairo’s historic neighbourhood of El-Darb El-Ahmar, is the only remaining Takiya with dervish theater. It has a rich history that dates back to the 14th century. Takiya…

Salwa Samir

Walk like an Egyptian

All the old paintings on the tombs They do the sand dance don't you know? If they move too quick They're falling down like a domino..... All the bazaar men by the Nile They got…

Maryam Raafat

Brain Fog

I spend far too long on Instagram nowadays. So long, in fact, that I have favourites, one of whom I am not afraid to confess to (the rest are mostly women golfers): Scott Evan Davis. He describes…

Bryn Haworth

Tory Blah-blah

I have written far too much about Boris Johnson already, I know. Everyone has. The country has been through a tumultuous dalliance with him over the past few years and still can’t stop talking about…

Bryn Haworth

Bedouin Jerrycan Band

Audiences are sitting on wooden chairs and their eyes are fixed on the stage waiting for the band members to appear. A few minutes later, members of the band wearing traditional garments show up amid…

Salwa Samir

Iran and Fight against Consciousness

Creativity is the path of awareness and cinema is one of the most prominent forms of human creativity and the most expressive of intellectual achievement in the cultural field. The visual image…

Ahmed Taher

New Movies

THE UNSTABLE OBJECT II ★★ ◆ Directed by: Daniel Eisenberg ◆ Genre: Documentary [Germany/France] ◆ Performances: Marseille Festival. This film won the Grand Prize in the International…

Mohammed Rouda

Arab Cinema Striving to Survive

Depending on the situation of the Arab market in relation to cinematographic works, the majority of Arab productions do not find their way to Arab screens - or even, in many cases, local ones, that…

Mohammed Rouda

Refined Out of Existence

It is well known that in antique times the institution of slavery was pervasive. The ancient Athenians may have invented democracy, but the voters still depended on slaves to serve the wine at the…

Bryn Haworth