Lebanon's cedars are symbols of the country itself, a living metaphor of majestic beauty and endurance. Few cedars remain, and their survival is challenged as conservationists work to preserve them.

Few survive, some just in fragments: In the 15th century, the Mamluk sultan in Cairo built up the city’s carpet workshops. The large masterpieces they produced soon graced palaces—notably in Italy and Spain.

This dish includes tasty portions of spiced beef with grilled vegetables. Aromatic Somali rice, bursting with sweet and savory flavors, is a natural match.

One heirloom connects Muslim families of Cape Town to heritage more than any other: a kitab. Historians and linguists value them, too, as some preserve the first written form of the Afrikaans language, which was in Arabic script.