Category: Iraqi Collection

“Poetry is the soul of the Arabs,” says Ghazi al-Gosaibi. “That is no poetic exaggeration: whatever troubles that soul is reflected, magically, in the poetry. Reading Arabic poetry, therefore, is not an idle exercise....

“The New Arabic Poetic Verse movement started in Baghdad in 1948,” says Frangieh. “Poets began talking about social and national themes. Poetry contributed a great deal to the independence of Arab states between the...

A constant in the history of Arabic poetry is its role as a political tool. In Yemen, for instance, poetry is still integral to the process of settling tribal disputes. Stephen Caton, professor of...

Yesmeen sold this to me on Register 3. I paid $1.85. . – . – . – . I found out about Gilgamesh. The themes of the story: friendship, arrogance, journey, death. The women:...

Siduri Wines – Ultra Premium Single Vineyard Pinot Noir Siduri sits in the garden at the edge of the sea A barmaid who advises Gilgamesh to abandon his quest for immortality and enjoy the...

Ancient archive lost in Baghdad library blaze Oliver Burkeman in Washington Tuesday April 15, 2003 The Guardian As flames engulfed Baghdad’s National Library yesterday, destroying manuscripts many centuries old, the Pentagon admitted that it...

The role of the professionally trained poet was to defend the tribe’s honor, articulate its identity, and hold verbal duels with other tribes. The poet, or sha’ir, able to craft and perform verbal legerdemains...