With a history spanning more than 2,500 years, the art of carpet weaving in Iran was initially born out of necessity. Pragmatic coverings, these textiles were created to insulate the temporary homes of nomadic tribes people, placed on the ground to provide protection from cold temperatures and moisture. Over the centuries, the skill of carpet…
Chile is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Following a grisly history of Spanish colonisation, Chile emerged as an authoritarian republic in the 1800s. After a period of relative…
Helmed by London-based Lebanese graphic designer and visual artist Marwan Kaabour, @takweer_ compiles archival images, film and television stills, and texts shining a light on Arab queerness in history and popular culture. In Arabic, “takweer” means to turn something into a sphere, metaphorically intimating the creation of a round world. Phonetically, the word has a…
The tortilla, one of Spain’s most iconic dishes, is eaten across the country for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Evolving from its dryer ancestor to a version with a melt in the middle centre, this popular style of tortilla is the variety you will find on the menu at the newly launched London restaurant Broken Eggs….
The ephemeral quality of ice has long fascinated cultures and artists through history. Though the earliest civilisations of Canada and Greenland began to build snow shelters some 4000 years ago, the first known instance of ice being used in a decorative way is believed to have occurred in China. During the 17th century, fisherman working…
Harneet Baweja and his partner Devina relocated to London from Kolkata back in 2014. Enamoured with the city’s diverse and dynamic culinary offering, the couple decided to open a restaurant of their own in the capital. In 2015, Gunpowder was born. The home-style Indian restaurant, which wholeheartedly embraces the small plate, reimagines traditional favourites through…
Architectural acoustics, the science and engineering of achieving a good sound, or silence, within a building, has vastly progressed over the past decades owing to the birth of new technologies and an increased interest in the field as urban centres grow more crowded and quietness is an invaluable luxury. It is widely considered that the…
Berbers, or Amazigh, are an ethnic group indigenous to North Africa, specifically Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, and to a lesser extent Mauritania, northern Mali, and northern Niger. The Amazigh define themselves as the original inhabitants of North Africa, however, over the centuries they have shared their lands with other groups, such as the Carthaginians,…