FirstLook: Qubbat al-Sakhra, ca. early 20th century

FirstLook: Qubbat al-Sakhra, ca. early 20th century

September/October 2017 PDF FirstLook
- Photograph by Kelvin Bown
Categories
- Creatives

Considered one of the greatest achievements of early Islamic architects, craftsmen and artists, the magnificent interior of the Qubbat al-Sakhra (Dome of the Rock) was built between 688 and 691 ce on Jerusalem’s Haram al-Sharif by order of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik. Its intricate patterns reflect Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine and Sassanid influences, together with bands and medallions of Arabic calligraphy.

To create this unique symmetrical image of the hemispheric ceiling dome, photo restorer and artist Kelvin Bown painstakingly stitched together nine digital scans made from stereoscopic negatives originally taken between 1898 and 1920 by photographers commissioned by the American Colony of Jerusalem.

Produced as a limited edition print, this is one of many historical images of the Middle East that Bown has restored using modern techniques. The results bring renewed clarity, depth, detail and presence to early photographs, illuminating aspects of past ways of life that express the beauty, harmony, diversity and sustainability of the region.

See more of Bown's work at www.reawakeningthepast.com.

More

The Dialogues of Don Quixote

The Dialogues of Don Quixote

Written and photographed by Tom Verde

Amid the fearful turbulence of the 17th century, Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes invented a plot, characters and names that seemed innocently comical, but they cleverly cloaked his insistence that Spain recognize its historical diversity—and Don Quixote became the bestselling novel ever published.

Read

Creatives
History
People

Flavors: Nasi goreng

Flavors: Nasi goreng

Recipe by Troth Wells
Photograph courtesy Kam & Co. Denmark

A popular dish in Indonesia and Malaysia—and one that I often enjoyed when I lived for a year in Penang.

Read

FirstLook: Waleed’s Birthday

FirstLook: Waleed’s Birthday

Sanad, Bahrain
Photo by Khalid Alabbas

Everything is different this year. Including my father Waleed’s birthday. He works in Oman and comes home to Bahrain every weekend. As expected, his routine changed this year. When travel was banned he was stuck in Oman.

Read

Creatives

I Witness History: I, Innocent Asp

I Witness History: I, Innocent Asp

Written by Frank L. Holt
Illustrated by Norman MacDonald

You do not know the real me. The demise of Cleopatra is but one of your many slanders against my kind. Even Shakespeare in Antony and Cleopatra called me a “poor venomous fool.” But let’s examine the facts: I, the Egyptian asp, Naja haje, did not kill the queen.

Read

History

The Staying Power of 4stay

The Staying Power of 4stay

Written by Larry Luxner

As an 18-year-old from Tajikistan new to Washington, DC, Akobir Azamovich Akhmedov could barely afford the city’s high rents. A dozen years later, he is cofounder and CEO of 4stay, where his plug-and-play approach to long-term accommodations is reshaping the market.

Read

People

Of Spice, Home and Biryani

Of Spice, Home and Biryani

Written by Alia Yunis

Slow-cooked with meats, vegetables and spices that vary all across the subcontinent of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, biryani “speaks to love, time and patience” for those who grow up with it, and to dazzling, addictive blasts of flavor to everyone else. No wonder it’s a rising global food star.

Read

Tastes

Greetings from Cairo, USA

Greetings from Cairo, USA

Written by Jonathan Friedlander
Postcards courtesy of Jonathan Friedlander

Westward expansion of the United States in the 19th century coincided with the popularity of all things Egyptian. Beginning in 1808 some 25 villages, towns and cities throughout the country were named Cairo. Of them, Cairo, Illinois, became the largest, although today it is Cairo, Georgia, whose nearly 10,000 residents gives it that title. Five of the “American Cairos” produced picture postcards, mostly during the early 20th century: These included both Cairo, Illinois and Georgia, as well as the Cairos of West Virginia, New York and Nebraska. Today these postcards record what these communities—distinct in geography, economy and history but united by a name—regarded as points of pride.

Read

History
Places

Flavors: Cheese Parcels with Honey and Orange Reduction

Flavors: Cheese Parcels with Honey and Orange Reduction

Recipe by Fiona Dunlop
Photograph courtesy Hiltrud Schulz

While studying for a diploma in tourism, Diego crisscrossed the entire province of Almería, in Andalusia, Spain, and as a result, there is very little he doesn’t know about local specialties. This dish combines delicious textural contrast with subtle, sweet Moorish flavors. You need to complete the final stage just minutes before eating. Add whipped cream as an extra hit of sweet.

Read

Tastes

Displaying results 1-8 (of 223)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

To take advantage of all features on this website, it is recommended that you allow all cookies.

Read more