Long given short shrift by Western scholars for being more schematic than to scale, Islamic maps from the 10th to the 18th century were often sophisticated images, full of insights for anyone willing to set out and explore them.

2020 Calendar: Exploring Islamic Maps

There is no official count of how many varieties of cheese the Arab world produces. Although each is unique, all are white. Don’t even begin to think that makes them boring. 

Some 90 former warehouses have been transformed into a lively cultural scene at Alserkal Avenue—the latest of Dubai’s replies to the question, “What can art do for a city?”

A century ago, a Czech playwright coined the word “robot,” and 500 years ago, Leonardo da Vinci designed a pretty good one—and he was far from the first. (Hey Siri, who was Ismail al-Jazari?)

“I’ve tried to listen and understand,” said the late Anthony Shadid, the first Arab American correspondent to win a Pulitzer Prize in international reporting. How he did it was no secret formula: time; attention; sincerity—and lots of notes.

What started as a traveling exhibit of history, culture and art opened this year as one of the newest museums in Washington, dc, in a former residence in the Adams Morgan neighborhood.

Poulet Stuffed with Herb-Infused Freekeh

FirstLook: A Memory of My Mother’s Scarf