History

Medieval Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta can lay claim to being the greatest explorer of all time. His exhaustive 'Rihlah' - "travels" in Arabic - chronicles his journeys, covering some 75,000 miles from North Africa to China.

From its illustrious, heavenly past, today the Coptic language has been largely denigrated to pockets of practice. But embers of the language's revival burn in the diaspora, where second and third-generation Coptics hope to rekindle their heritage.

Palette gives an intimate understanding of history and geography. The New Arab spoke with Libyan-Egyptian artist Marwa Benhalim about her project, "Meals of Celebration and Meals of Death", and why interrogating food culture helps unravel difference.

Three orphaned brothers, known as the Banu Musa, were among the first Arab scientists to master the Greek mathematical works. They would go on to lay the foundations for the Arabic school of mathematics and pioneer advances in geometry and mechanics.

Coffee in Gaza is more than a drink; it's a long-lasting tradition and a lifeline. With a history dating back centuries, Gazans have continued their coffee culture despite Israeli assaults and restrictions that have massively hindered production.

The Acacus mountains are being vandalised. The prehistoric civilisation located in Southern Libya, filled with rock art and engravings, has long been a hotspot for tourism. Now after enduring countless epochs, they are left unprotected.

Rufaida Al-Aslamia, who lived during the time of the Prophet, was a pioneering figure in the field of Islamic medicine and social work. She is widely acknowledged as the first female Muslim nurse and the first woman surgeon in Islamic history.

Fyodor Dostoevsky's relationship with the Muslim world is unknown. Yet, the Russian novelist has repeatedly referred to the Qur'an, Islam and its Prophet Muhammed.

Mariam Al Astrulabi helped develop navigation and timekeeping as we know it. A pioneer of the astrolabe, a scientific device used to calculate the position of the sun and stars, Mariam's achievements have been recognised for over a millennium.

To commemorate the International Day of Tatreez and Palestinian culture, we met with The Tatreez Sisters, an online platform started by two British-Palestinian women living in the diaspora, that stitch together Palestinian culture and identity.