Think-In
Bringing you a step closer to the various facets of the region
MEI Kaleidoscope | Wild for Hip-hop: Middle Eastern Youth Embrace Genre as Agent of Change
12 Dec 2018Anyone familiar with the culture of the Middle East or has lent a listening ear to Middle Eastern radio would know that Arab airwaves most often play crooning ballads and melodic love songs from the likes of legendary Egyptian...
Continue Reading
MEI Kaleidoscope | Photographers Shifting the Lens on the Middle East
30 Oct 2018By Zafirah Mohamed Zein 30 October 2018 The images that have emerged from the Middle East and onto our newsstands over the last fifty years often paint a monolithic picture of the region that revolves around the common...
Continue Reading
The Art of Resistance: A History of Graffiti in Iran
31 Jul 2018By Zafirah Mohamed Zein 31 July 2018 Graffiti has always been seen as art for the masses, treating the walls of a city as its canvas, vibrantly displaying political sentiment and social commentary in bold and unique styles. Graffiti’s...
Continue Reading
MEI Kaleidoscope | The Turkish Love for Cats
22 May 2018By Zafirah Mohamed Zein 22 May 2018 It doesn’t take long for a visitor to Turkey’s cultural metropolis to realize how special the city’s love for cats is. In Istanbul’s sprawling landscape, cats are part of the swelling...
Continue Reading
MEI Kaleidoscope | Souks: The Heart of Traditional Urban Life in the Middle East
10 Apr 2018By Zafirah Mohamed Zein 10 April 2018 Although familiar to visitors of Middle Eastern cities as tourist attractions that brim with local goods and souvenirs, the origins of the souk trace its way back to the evolution of...
Continue Reading
MEI Kaleidoscope | The Story of Coffee in the Middle East
28 Feb 2018By Zafirah Mohamed Zein 28 February 2018 Coffee, for many of us, is inextricably linked with the European penchant for outdoor cafes and strong brews. But the real roots of the coffee culture lie in the Middle...
Continue Reading
MEI Kaleidoscope | Arabic Calligraphy: The Art of Arts
20 Dec 2017By Zafirah Mohamed Zein 20 December 2017 Arabic calligraphy was born out of the period when the dawn of Islam was rising from the lands of Arabia. As the religion of Islam developed in the time of the Prophet...
Continue Reading