236: Livin' On a Prayer
Stories of Our City
Prayer beads are used by adherents of various religions worldwide, including Muslims. Khalid and his family have been working in the field of making, repairing, and selling prayer beads (misbaha in Arabic) for generations.
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235: Against the Grain
Stories of Our City
Like many fellow natives of the historic town of Bethlehem, Khader Shebat practices the trade of olive woodcraft as he seeks to share this artistic and traditional craft from the Holy Land with the world.
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234: The Tea Party
Stories of Our City
For Ibrahim Al-Ahlas, owner of Rahaf Tea in Amman, Jordan, tea is more than a beverage—it’s a culture. A culture that he celebrates and shares with both locals and expats alike.
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233: Resculpting History
Stories of Our City
Rewriting history is far from a thing of the past. And presently, Bassem Nabeel, a content creator in the Middle East, is putting a new take on the concept by combining his love for both sculpting and history in presenting neutral analysis of historical figures as he sculpts them in stop-motion videos.
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232: A Bright Idea
Stories of Our City
It is said that necessity is the mother of invention. Zidane Mitoubssi (Zee-dan Mit-wub-see) was a newly graduated college student entering a workplace for which he found himself somewhat unprepared. And then he and a friend had a bright idea.
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231: Out of the Ruin
Stories of Our City
Beauty is worship, according to Kamal Aldeen Abu Halaweh. And ruin is just an ingredient for making something beautiful.
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230: A New Life Cycle
Stories of Our City
For Radwan Hashem, cycling is more than a sport—it’s a lifestyle. After undergoing a series of knee surgeries, the bike became a lifeline for him—as well as a teacher.
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229: Holy Dagger
Stories of Our City
As an essential part of their culture, the dagger is sacred among the Bedouin (nomadic) people, according to craftsman Nayif Abu Muhaysin, whose family has been making daggers for four generations. As such, he aims to help continue preserving traditional Bedouin heritage for future generations through his traditional, handmade daggers.
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228: Small World
Stories of Our City
Ahmad Adnan Al-Eriqsousi’s love for the historic version of his hometown inspired him to begin to immortalize it through three-dimensional miniature models during his retirement.
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227: Renaissance Girl
Stories of Our City
Even at the young age of fourteen, Ghazal Al-Madadha already has quite an extensive acting résumé and began reciting poetry as young as six years old. As a Jordanian national arts ambassador, she aims to empower other girls to make headway in Arab society and culture through the arts and beyond.
info_outlineAs a self-proclaimed small town kid who grew up on her grandfather’s farm, Aubrey learned the value and joy of hands-on labor from observing and working alongside her family. During a successful run in the corporate world, various factors—including impending burnout—led Aubrey to begin seeking a creative outlet to combat and manage stress. A chance encounter with a scrapped piece of furniture at the apartment dumpster during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic led her into the world of furniture resale and restoration—and ultimately to her own restoration as a person and creative.