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Zooba – A Culinary Gem in the Heart of Cairo

06.06.2014 - In a metropolis made up mainly of yellow, ochre, and brown hues, the small restaurant in Cairo’s affluent Zamalek district on Gezira Island in the Nile stands out. From afar, a tree clad from top to bottom in a sort of multicolored knitted wrap catches the eye. A few brightly painted beer garden tables and chairs are arranged in front of the venue. Above the light-blue wooden entrance doors, the name of the restaurant is displayed in bold, rounded letters.

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Sex and Taboos in the Islamic World

Sex is a taboo in conservative Islamic countries. Young, unmarried couples are forced to seek out secret erotic oases. Books and play that are devoted to the all too human topic of sex incur the wrath of conservative religious officials and are promptly banned.

Theologians Battle Female Circumcision

In Cairo, a small revolution has been launched: A conference of high-ranking Muslim theologians has agreed that the practice of female genital mutilation is irreconcilable with Islam. The painful and often deadly practice of female circumcision affects millions of women in Africa.

Women Are on the Rise in Algeria

In Algeria, women drive trains, hold positions as judges and make up the majority of students. Nowhere else in the Arab world are equal rights for women taken so seriously.

The Pharaoh's Legacy

Hosni Mubarak has enjoyed unlimited power in Egypt for the past 28 years. Today, however, there is increasing resistance against his autocratic reign. Many Egyptians are wondering what the future of the Nile republic might look like after Mubarak's death. Amira El Ahl reports from Cairo

Music for the Young That Is Pleasing to God

4Shbab, the first commercial Islamic music channel in the Arab world, has set itself the task of providing young people with information and entertainment that are in line with Islamic values. Amira El Ahl visited the broadcaster in Cairo to find out more

"Every Deed Begins with a Word"

Dalia Mogahed is a member of US President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The devout Muslim counters criticism of Obama's Cairo speech by pointing out that it represents only the first stage in what will be a long dialogue process.

Nerve Centre for Egypt's Young Art Scene

The Townhouse in the centre of Cairo, opened by the Canadian William Wells in 1998, has grown into an established magnet for artists, but also for children, families and refugees. Amira El Ahl has the details

Satirical Digs against Despots

Surrounded by the desert and in the middle of the idyllic oasis of Fayoum is Mohamed Abla's Caricature Museum – the first such museum in the Middle East. The museum enjoys the reputation of being a special place for creativity, but also sees itself as a response to the unspeakable caricature controversy.

Figurehead of the Liberal Opposition

The former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammed el-Baradei, received an enthusiastic welcome from opposition supporters on his return to Cairo. However, it remains to be seen whether or not he will put himself forward as a candidate at the forthcoming presidential elections. Amira El Ahl assesses the situation

Anti-Normalisation as a Way of Life

The flags have been flying over the respective embassies in Cairo and Tel Aviv for 30 years, but as far as culture is concerned there is as little sign as ever of any normalisation of relations between Egypt and Israel. Amira El Ahl takes a look at the problem from an Egyptian perspective