Born in West Africa, fluent in Fula and Arabic, he endured 44 years as a slave. In 1800 he bought a house in Georgetown, on the edge of Washington, the United States’ new capital, on a site where archeologists recently dug in hopes of adding to his remarkable American story.

First woman to claim an Egyptian throne since Cleopatra, Shajarat Al-Durr won an Ayyubid sultan and then a crusader war; founded a Mamluk dynasty and ruled as sultana de facto far longer than de jure— until her storied, violent end.

Harisa has been widely popular in North Africa for 500 years, ever since dried peppers crossed the Atlantic and met olive oil. It’s easy to make on your own—but make enough to share with friends. One taste and you’ll know why.

An alchemy of creativity and adversity, the Lebanese capital’s indie/alt music scene feels ripe for global gold. Find some of our starter tracks on page 22 to listen to while reading and decide for yourself.

Renowned and often notorious, Lucian wrote in Greek under the Roman Empire. Inspiring and famously satirizing, he conjured the source tale for “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” penned the first space-travel science fiction novel and coined a term that became a beloved modern superhero. 

“Of Planting the Quince Tree” (chapter 8, article 36): It is said that the quince tree  is called the Almond of India. One of the species casts a large round fruit, the other small, while another is long and is called a monhad. Of these there are both sweet and sour fruit. According to the book of Ibn Hajaj, place the quince tree in low ground where moisture and humidity lie. Labathio said sandy ground is suitable too, provided it is manured and watered regularly.