Stories of Our City

Having learned the Jordanian craft of bottled sand art from his father, Abdullah now hopes to pass it on to future generations to help preserve this artistic custom for years to come.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

Beauty is worship, according to Kamal Aldeen Abu Halaweh. And ruin is just an ingredient for making something beautiful.

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.  

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.

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.