The Spiritual Treasures of Bosnia: Old Mosques in Old Town Sarajevo and Beyond
The old mosques of Bosnia are jewels of Islamic heritage that had to be gathered in one post to be seen and admired together! I am enjoying learning more and more about them, and it’s a pleasure to share what I know with you here! If you have further insights, …
Continue ReadingWaqfs in Old Town Sarajevo: A beautiful legacy that still runs strong in the Muslim community
It was quite something to walk into Old Town Sarajevo on that first day with the Cambridge Muslim College (CMC) Tour in 2018. They gave me my initial introduction to Bosnia and to the astounding collection of waqfs in Sarajevo, coming across them one after another. A waqf means to: …
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The Decorated Word/ Writing and Picturing in Islamic Calligraphy – An Exhibit at The Met, NYC
I have had a love for calligraphy since I was in school. And, I am so grateful that we had a subject in school to teach us this gorgeous art form, as simple as our classes were. The lessons also inspired me to teach myself to write English cursive beautifully. …
Continue ReadingAmerica to Zanzibar – Muslim Cultures Near and Far
On Eid, I love to celebrate what matters most to me. I was lucky enough, that last Eid, I was able to share the video of how my beloved Khalto (my mother’s sister), used to make Maloubeh – honoring her memory and her passion for feeding loved ones. Cooking and …
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Wahj exhibit- The art of adorning the page
This post is an ode to the age old Islamic craft of illuminating books. When one stops to think about the implications of the care and investment given to books, whether they were literary or scientific texts, in the golden age of Islamic civilization, one understands why it was at …
Continue ReadingA visual treasure- Peter Sanders on Everyday Lives of Muslims in China
I saw Peter at the exhibit of “Heaven, Earth & The 10,000 Things, Moments in the lives of Muslims of China”. Now those photographs were something else for me, because as the name of this blog suggests, I am very much a traveler and explorer at heart. My understanding of …
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Rimal- A promise of a better world one book at a time
This post is about a gem of a publishing house called Rimal. I found it in one of my favorite events in the United Arab Emirates, the Sharjah International Book Fair. My sister and I have been going to it mostly together since the beginning of our idea to do …
Continue ReadingNewseum
This post is the most sobering for me so far because it touches on death and truth. I went to the Newseum in Washington D.C when I stayed with my niece during her internship because it was highly recommended by a friend who works in the news industry. She not …
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Islamic Musical Traditions’ Guardian Angel – Sami Yusuf
This is a gem that has been waiting patiently to be shared, and I think, now is the time to tell you of the extraordinary experience of nashid, spiritual lyrics, that unfolded at Sami Yusuf’s concert at Dubai Opera, in December 2017. It was an event that, honestly, I only …
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