How did the discovery of oil transform Saudi Arabia's cities and its architecture? How can art and architecture come together to capture the spirit of modernism in a nation known more for tradition? Join this conversation with Abdulrahman and Turki Gazzaz, two architect brothers, to discover how their curiosity [...]
Join Wael Sabry on his quest to save the ancient craft of Kundekari - complex wooden geometry. Sabry is tracking down the few remaining master carpenters in Turkey and Egypt, trying to learn their carefully-guarded secrets, hidden even from father to son. Discover how he is using technology to [...]
Join Arthur Bijl for a revealing conversation about the forgotten meanings of arms and armour, once a global symbol of male status, fashion and identity. Arthur draws upon the magnificent Wallace Collection to challenge our understanding of what we think of today simply as 'weapons'. He tell us the [...]
Join Kareem Ibrahim, an architect and CEO of Takween Integrated Community Development, as he reveals an Egyptian hidden gem, the ancient city of Esna, and an innovative project to introduce sustainable tourism through community "site-doing"rather than site-seeing! Kareem Ibrahim is an Egyptian architect and urban researcher who graduated [...]
Join Glaire Anderson for a fascinating conversation about one of great inventors of Andalusia: Abbas Ibn Firnas, who successfully invented a glider plane in the 9th century, and undertook the first known flight when in his 60s! Find out about this fascinating man, his many inventions, and the relationship [...]
Join Matt Saba for a fascinating conversation about the magnificent palaces built by the Abbasid Caliphs of Iraq. This dynasty realised that kingdoms invariably rose and fell, and that the longest lasting legacy of their reign would be literature. Matt Saba is Visual Resources Librarian for Islamic Architecture at [...]
This month's expert, Nikolaos Vryzidis, is postdoctoral research fellow at the Department of History and Archaeology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He received his PhD from SOAS, University of London with a thesis on the Greek Orthodox Church's use of Ottoman textiles. His scholarly work primarily explores issues of [...]
Join May al-Ibrashy for a conversation about her heritage conservation work in historic Cairo, revealing how the projects she works on put the community first. Find out more about the challenges and opportunities presented by complex urban environments like Cairo, the ways in which significant buildings, like the Shrine of [...]
This month's expert is Dr Sami De Giosa. Sami is currently a visiting assistant professor at the College of Fine Arts and Design, University of Sharjah. He was previously a Research Fellow at SOAS University of London in the department of Cultures and Languages and also at the University of [...]
Join Bilal Badat, master calligrapher and scholar, for a conversation about the meaning of Islamic calligraphy. Badat explains calligraphy not just as a craft but as a means of transmitting and glorifying sacred knowledge. He shares fascinating insights on the making of calligraphers – the way in which the long [...]
