culture | AW

Lebanon

Wassim el-Hage surrounded by some of his staff at Beirut’s Agonist coffee shop. (Beirut’s Agonist)

A Beirut cafe that offers coffee, tea and empathy

Lebanon

A panoramic view of the Bay of Jounieh and Our Lady of Lebanon statue. (Jounieh Municipality)

Lebanon’s Jounieh keeps charm despite urbanisation

tunisia

Cast members of “Dachra” pose during the movie’s premiere in Tunis. (Facebook)

‘Dachra,’ Tunisia’s first horror movie, hits theatres

UAE

Exhibitors from the Sharjah Institute for Heritage at the Cairo International Book Fair. (Hassan Abdel Zaher)

UAE publishers steal limelight at Cairo International Book Fair

Hassan Abdel Zaher

Lebanon

The Hasbani River in southern Lebanon. (Samar Kadi)

Hasbaya’s neglected but enduring charm in south Lebanon

Iraq

Damaged statues at the UNESCO-listed ancient city of Hatra, south of Mosul. (AFP)

Iraq’s archaeological sites face looting, urbanisation threats

Karen Dabrowska

tunisia

Tunisian playwright, dramaturge and novelist Youssef Bahri. (Al Arab)

Tunisian playwright Youssef Bahri and the social role of theatre

Mohamad al-Hamamsi

UAE

“Mi’raj” by Emirati artist Fatma Lootah. (Islamic Arts Festival)

Sharjah transforms streets into open exhibits for Islamic art

Jordan

An assortment of e-liquids sit next to two portable vaporisers. (Reuters)

Vaping addiction sweeping Jordanian youth