Arabian rugs seem to have had a special, sentimental place in homes all over the world for hundreds of years. In fact, it was the whole plot summary behind the 1998 Coen Brothers cult film, “The Big Lebowski”, where the story’s protagonist, Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, seeks restitution for his ruined (and later stolen) Arabian rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it...
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We talk a lot about Arabic coffee in articles here on kaleela.com, but we certainly mustn’t overlook the important role that tea plays in Arab culture. Served to guests in the home, to business partners at meetings, and at social events, شاي عربي / shay arabiyy (Arabic tea) has been the Arab's beverage of choice for centuries. Tea in Arab Society Whether served with breakfast, after lunch,...
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If you’re invited to a wedding or graduation celebration in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, or Iraq, chances are that you going to also be invited to do the dabke (also dabka or debka). The dabke is an Arabic folk dance that started in the mountainous regions of the Levant where, legend has it, people in living in the towns and villages of these regions used...
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With the recent concert by world-renowned rock band Coldplay in Amman, Jordan, and two Arab countries and two Arab cities (Morocco, Tunisia, Cairo, and Dubai, respectively) making Lonely Planet’s lists of the best countries and cities to travel to in 2020, it’s no wonder the Middle East is once again fast becoming the destination of choice for many travelers from around the globe. If you...
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If you travel to the Middle East and you’re not a coffee drinker, you will be by the time you leave because coffee in Arabic speaking countries is as much part of everyday culture as it is a culinary tradition. Get over your ideas of coffee being made by your automatic drip coffee maker that makes your cup of joe at home because in the...
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If you’re one of the over ten million people who, like me, suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons, it’s that time of the year when you may be feeling a little more down than you do in those happy-go-lucky days of summer. However, I have some good news for you because today were going to try to...
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