As you travel southeast out of Morocco’s Atlas mountains, you’ll find the climate getting very hot and dry. Looking at a Morocco map, you’ll understand why. It’s because this is where the deserts of Morocco begin. Quiet and scarcely populated, the desert seems to go on forever here. It is one of the most spectacular locations on our planet. And you should definitely visit it! It's...
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Finding people playing card games in the Arab world these days is as ubiquitous as finding falafel stands; in other words, they’re everywhere. Arabs adopted their love of playing cards from the Chinese. They are believed to have invented them around the Tang Dynasty in the 9th century A.D. It happened when the daughter of Emperor Yizong of Tang, Princess Tongchang, was seen playing the "leaf...
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In the first part of our article on Arabic music and Arab instruments, we briefly discussed Arabic musical history. In the second part of the article, we will continue our talk. However, we will discuss the Arabic music instruments that give Arab music such a unique sound. Nearly 100 years after the death Abu Yusuf Ya'qub ibn Ishaq Al-Kindi in 874 A.D., another Arab philosopher, Abu Nasr Al-Farabi...
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Every culture around the world has its own form of music that all ages of that culture enjoy it. The Arab culture is no different. As in other cultures, Arabic music unifies the people living the Arabic speaking countries of the Middle East. Arabic music is really like no other music from any other culture. It’s not like music from neighboring Turkish or Persian cultures,...
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In the United States in 2018, culinary experts from all over America were hyping Moroccan food as the next “up-and-coming cuisine”. Four out of 10 consumers had an interest in the kingdom’s savory dishes. However, what Western chefs were touting as the latest fad in food was really nothing new to Moroccans. They had already been “trending” the blend of irresistible flavors and beautifully textured...
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If you were to ask for zarb’s definition, we’d have to describe it as the ancient, traditional, and probably most dramatic, Bedouin style of cooking meat or chicken. Basically, it's an underground oven of hot coals beneath the desert sands. The cooking method makes the meat so tender, it literally falls right off the bones. If you’ve ever been on one of those Wadi Rum...
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From the fertile Bekaa Valley to its snow-capped peaks of its mountains, Lebanon offers an all at once diverse landscape for its somewhat small size. However, take a look closer into one of its regions known as the Nahr El-Kalb Valley. It is here that you’ll find one of the most splendid wonders of nature in the Middle-East. Of course, we’re talking about the Jeita...
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We’ve talked a lot about Arabic food lately. Arabic meals and Arabic sweets in the Middle East are a league of their own. But just as important are quick, healthy snacks that are cheap and convenient. In fact, Arabs have been eating many of the snacks mentioned below for centuries in many of the Arabic speaking countries. They are famous for both their delicious tastes...
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For such a relatively small country, Lebanon has a surprising number of different things to see and do. If you’re a history buff, then you’ll no doubt be tired by the end of your trip. No matter where you step in Lebanon, you seem to go into the ancient past. For nature lovers, who can resist a stroll through forests of the famous Lebanese cedars?...
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The Middle East consists of many shared Arab traditions within their own diverse cultures. These include religious and national holidays that have existed for centuries. Apart from the accent, however, there are also a few differences you’ll notice starting with Arabic culture communication and the greeting rituals of each country or region. To prevent you from making a social faux pas while traveling throughout the...
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