To celebrate the two-year anniversary of this blog, I’m excited to share my favorite posts from the past twelve months. The diversity of these eight pieces fits with the broad goal of this site: to share lesser-known aspects of Middle Eastern art, culture, food, literature, and music.

But first, a huge thank you to all my readers and subscribers. Your support and encouragement keep me going and make me excited for the future of this blog. Let me know what you think — which posts were your favorites this year? Drop a note in the comment section below or share your favorite post with your friends.

Now on to my favorites from the past year! Listed here in no particular order…

8) I Love These Award-Winning Authors from Tunisia

Photo of two Tunisian novels, photo by Tuve Floden
Award-winning Tunisian novels, photo by Tuve Floden

Did you know that Tunisian literature is full of award-winning authors? We explore works by Yamen Manai, Shukri Mabkhout, Habib Selmi, Emna Belhaj Yahia, and others. Manai’s The Ardent Swarm was one of my favorite books this year.

7) The Wonderfully Vibrant Art of Elias Zayyat

Portion of Elias Zayyat's oil painting "Zenobia/Palmyra"
Part of “Zenobia/Palmyra,” by Elias Zayyat, 1990.

Elias Zayyat (1935-2022) was a key founder of Syria’s modern art movement and a stunning artist. In this post, we divide his work into three periods: his time in Egypt, his studies in Budapest, and finally his return to Syria in the 1970s. I love his rich hues of color, the way he blends mystical creatures with daily life, and his portrayals of Syria in his later work.

6) A List of Must-Read Mahfouz, After The Cairo Trilogy

Egyptian stamp featuring Naguib Mahfouz, printed around 1988. Shutterstock image 106543121.
Egyptian stamp commemorating Mahfouz’s Nobel Prize. (source: Shutterstock)

Have you read Naguib Mahfouz’s Cairo Trilogy? If not, you’re in for a treat! Start with the first volume Palace Walk and find a place to settle into this epic, multi-generational tale of Egypt from 1919-1944. But this post moves beyond this trilogy. Want to read something else by Mahfouz? Here are four other excellent works for your reading list.

5) Five Examples of Innovative Architecture in Kuwait

Driving by the Kuwait Towers, a historic example of architecture in Kuwait
Driving by Kuwait Towers, photo by Tuve Floden

Discover five innovative buildings in Kuwait, places that stand out for their creative design and modern beauty. I love the iconic spheres of Kuwait Towers and the other angular water towers clustered around the capital. But those were all built in the 1970s! Come see the latest innovations, including museums, skyscrapers, and my favorite: the Wafra Wind Tower. This apartment building was shortlisted for the 2020-22 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

4) Middle Eastern History As Seen Through Two Beautiful Graphic Memoirs

The covers of two graphic memoirs: Persepolis and It Won't Always Be Like This

Learn Middle Eastern history through graphic memoirs! Yes, I discuss how works like these explore historical themes and events from the region, using the example of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis and Malaka Gharib’s excellent memoir It Won’t Always Be Like This, which came out in 2022.

3) The Magnificent Sound Of Moroccan Music, Four Great Examples

The gimbri player Brice Bottin, from the Moroccan band Bab L'Bluz
Brice Bottin of Bab L’Bluz, cropped from original by G. Garitan, CC license BY-SA 4.0

Learn about four fantastic examples of Moroccan music: Hamid El Kasri, Manal, Bab L’Bluz, and Fatima Hadad. I love their ability to combine languages and musical styles. Check out these catchy and soaring tunes — new pieces for your playlists!

2) Interviewing Religion – A Chat With Deanna Ferree Womack

Featured image for an interview with Dr. Deanna Ferree Womack from Emory University

This is the first part in my series Interviewing Religion, where I interview scholars of Middle Eastern religions about their research, discuss how their work connects to broader public issues, and ask for suggestions for further reading.

In this interview, Rev. Dr. Deanna Ferree Womack speaks about her background, her research on Arab Protestants, her books, and her upcoming projects.

1) The Ultimate List of Middle Eastern Cookbooks (Part Two)

Covers of six different Middle Eastern cookbooks

This post is a strong contender for my favorite post of the year. It’s the culmination of a two-parter, a comprehensive list of every English-language cookbook about Middle Eastern food published between 2010 to 2022! This part (Part Two) starts in 2019 and goes forward from there. Persian food, Lebanese, Moroccan, Palestinian, Israeli, Turkish, and everything in between.

I especially like Hisham Assaad’s Bayrut: The Cookbook, and The Arabesque Table by Reem Kassis, but there are so many wonderful cookbooks here and in Part One (2010-2018).

What Next?

Like what you see here? Stop by my Bookshop.org storefront to browse collections like “Incredible Egyptian Novels not by Mahfouz,” “Graphic Novels and Memoirs by Middle Eastern Authors,” “Authors from Libya,” “Turkish Novels,” “The Best Middle Eastern Cookbooks of 2022,” and many others. I receive a small commission on purchases (at no extra cost to you) and use these funds to maintain and improve this blog.

Then, look for more blog posts to come soon! I continue to publish regularly, discussing lesser-known aspects of Middle Eastern history and cultures, including everything from art and architecture to food, literature, music, people, and places.

If you haven’t already, you can subscribe for free to receive new posts directly by email. Subscribers get first access to new posts and also receive the guide My Favorite Resources, which details my go-to websites and podcasts for coverage of Middle Eastern culture and history.