Cultural heritage

Smoke rises following Israeli bombardment on the village of Qlaile as pictured from nearby Tyre in southern Lebanon on April 7, 2026. The Israeli military said on April 7 that it had completed the deployment of ground troops along a "defence line" in southern Lebanon, where it is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah. The military has not given any geographical details on the furthest point to which its soldiers have advanced into Lebanese territory. (Photo by Kawnat Haju/AFP via Getty Images)

Culture

Tyre, Lebanon’s ‘Queen of the Seas,’ devastated by Israeli bombing: What to know

A series of Israeli strikes near ancient ruins in the Phoenician port city has raised concerns about potential damage to historical landmarks.

Zain JAAFAR / AFP via Getty Images

Between heat and war, Saudi Arabia seeks incident-free Hajj

Mecca's temperature reached a high of 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.5 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday and is expected to hit 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42 Celsius) on Wednesday.

A picture shows a section of the external wall and towers of the Saladin Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in Syria's Latakia province on March 7, 2023.

Culture

Syria advances cultural revival with nine new heritage listings

Nine heritage sites have been added to list of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which restored Syria’s membership last year after a 14-year suspension.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenyan President William Ruto during a reception at the State House ahead of the Africa Forward summit in Nairobi on May 10, 2026.

Analysis

Pushed out of Sahel, Macron turns to Egypt and Africa's anglophone countries

Following the French retreat from the Sahel amid growing Russian influence, President Emmanuel Macron is turning to anglophone Africa to rebuild France's diplomatic and economic footprint on the continent.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist , Rosaleen Carroll

Latest News

Culture

Despite war, Lebanon reopens film archive celebrating cinematic history

Vehicles move past a giant mural on the side of a building showing an image of the late Lebanese actress and singer Sabah (1927-2014) along Beirut's Hamra street on June 20, 2024.

Culture

How ‘dog mom’ vacuum cleaner ad sparked culture war in Turkey

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey, Armenia agree to restore medieval bridge in normalization push

A picture taken near Kars on Feb. 28, 2024 shows the ruins of a bridge over Arpacay river, the natural border between Turkey and Armenia.

Culture

Lebanon's churches, mosques and archaeological sites damaged in Israeli strikes

A man sits watching as Lebanese first responders search for human remains among the rubble the day after a house was targeted in an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh, on May 1, 2026.

Ghassan Salame, then-UN Envoy for Libya, holds a press briefing during UN-brokered military talks on Feb. 18, 2020 in Geneva.

Interview

Ghassan Salame says Lebanon-Israel talks ‘not negotiations,’ Hezbollah disarmament by force ‘illusion’

"The idea that you can disarm just by making two phone calls or two check points here and there is just an illusion," Lebanon's minister of culture, Ghassan Salame, told Al-Monitor.

Ghassan Salame

Ghassan Salame

Lebanese Culture Minister

pasteur

Iran says strikes hit historic Pasteur Institute in Tehran: What to know

Iranian officials say US-Israeli strikes have hit Tehran’s Pasteur Institute, a century-old pillar of Iran’s public health system.

An Oscar statue at the red carpet at the 96th Annual Academy Awards, Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, California, March 9, 2024.

Culture

'Gesture of resistance': Gaza war and Iran repression in Oscars spotlight

This year’s Oscars nominations include Middle Eastern films whose themes of war, government violence and protest have shone a spotlight on politics at home.

A woman sells koshary after the Eid prayer in Abu Sir village on April 21, 2023, in Giza, Egypt.

Culture

Egypt’s koshary, Gulf’s bisht gain UNESCO recognition

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has added more than 10 cultural practices from across the Middle East and North Africa region this year.

Visitors at the exhibition of Folk Poetry at the Waterfront of Kalba, Sharjah.

Culture

From oral tradition to modern stage, Nabati poetry bridges generations in changing UAE

As part of its centennial celebrations, an exhibition at Sharjah’s Kalba Waterfront honored the legacy of Nabati poetry and its role in shaping the UAE’s cultural and historical identity.

A man stands atop the kasbah of Ait-Ben-Haddou.

Culture

From Hollywood set to heritage hub: Morocco’s $75M bet on Ouarzazate

Once the Hollywood of the Sahara, Morocco’s desert city is betting on sustainable tourism to reclaim its place on the map.

Mahmoud Said, La fille aux yeux verts

Culture

Christie's London auction shines global light on Middle Eastern art

The online auction for the 39 lots began Oct. 28 and runs until Nov. 11, while the live auction in London takes place Nov. 6.

Mohammad bin Reda, assistant secretary-general for Kuwait’s Antiquities and Museums Sector at the National Council for Culture, Arts and Literature, meets with archaeologists at the site. (KUNA)

Culture

Archaeologists uncover 4,000-year-old temple on Kuwait’s Failaka Island

Four ancient temples have been discovered on Failaka Island, including two dating to the Dilmun civilization and two from the Hellenistic period.

Some Dubai-style Chocolate being made at Melt Chocolatier's masterclass in London.

Culture

From viral fame to fine craft: Dubai Chocolate finds new life in London

Melt Chocolates in London hosts 80-minute workshops twice a week to teach participants how to make the popular sweet treat.

United Arab Emirates

Installation view of Divine Egypt on view Oct.12, 2025 until Jan. 19, 2026 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by Anna-Marie Kellen, Courtesy of the Met

Culture

‘Divine Egypt’ brings ancient gods to life at New York’s Met

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's new exhibition on ancient Egypt features nearly 100 pieces from international institutions and focuses on the iconography identifying deities.

A sad and beautiful world

Culture

Director Cyril Aris on Lebanon’s Oscar submission, trauma and cinema

Lebanese director Cyril Aris talks about "A Sad and Beautiful World" — Lebanon’s official submission to the 2026 Academy Awards and winner of the People’s Choice Award at the Venice Film Festival — and reflects on art, trauma and finding humor amid national collapse.

Newly elected Miss Lebanon Perla Harb poses on stage after winning the Miss Lebanon 2025 pageant, in Zouk Mosbeh, north of Beirut, on Oct. 4, 2025.

Culture

Miss Lebanon 2025 crowned in ceremony highlighting culture, heritage

Lebanon crowned Perla Harb as the country’s new beauty queen in a grand ceremony highlighting Lebanese culture.