Syria is a moderately large country that includes many different religious and ethnic groups including the Arabs, Assyrians, Kurds, Armenians, Circassians, and Turkmen who differ in cultural traditions. As a result, writing about the subject of traditional Syrian clothing can prove to be challenging because there is no one Syrian way to dress. It ranges from city to city and from region to region and different tribes and villages have their...
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If you ever have a chance to visit the Kingdom of Jordan, more than likely someone will invite you… wait. Let me rephrase that. If you don’t do anything else in this life, go to Jordan and eat mansaf. Put it on your bucket list, on your wish list, on your calendar – whatever you have to do! Just go to Jordan and eat mansaf! Look, you don’t have to eat...
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Have you been invited to an Arab wedding, but you’re not too sure about Arab wedding traditions? In any case, you want to arrive there early because you don’t want to miss the zaffa meaning, in Arab culture, the Arab wedding entrance - a musical pageant of bendir drums, bagpipes, horns, flaming swords and belly dancers. (Wait! Belling dancers AND flaming swords? Where’s my invite?)...
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When most people hear the words “traditional Egyptian clothing”, they hearken back to the days of the Pharaohs and the linen wrap-around garments worn way back then. In actuality, however, the folk dress of modern Egypt could not be any more different than that of Ancient Egyptian clothing. For instance, since the 16th century, Egyptians have had a propensity to thoroughly cover nearly every part of...
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Since the time of the Pharaohs, Egyptian girls have grown up dreaming of their wedding day and the traditions and rituals of the Egyptian wedding have changed little since. Today we’re going to take a look at the wedding traditions of Arab culture, particularly in Egypt where heritage and culture is an important part of that country and the identity of its people. What’s a Nice...
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Though every Middle Eastern country has its own national and public holidays, one thing that binds them together is that celebration of two main feast throughout the year: Eid Al Fitr, a three day feast marking the end of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan and Eid al Adha, which marks the time that Muslims make the pilgrimage to Mecca. What's more, you can...
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Walk through any Arab neighborhood on any normal day and you’re no doubt going to hear the music of Oum Kalthoum playing through the windows of quite a few houses. Active from the 1920s until her death in the 1970s Oum Kalthoum was an Egyptian singer, songwriter, and film actress known for her vocal ability and unique style. So loved was she in the Arabic speaking countries of...
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Being Arab, like being an American, is a cultural trait rather than a racial one, and just as Americans are of mixed race, ethnic and religious backgrounds, so too are Arabs. Though they may be different from our own, it’s these cultural traits that define the Arab world’s values which is also the subject of today’s post. The Arab Population The Arab world is made up...
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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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