M
By Sylvia Smith M is a fictional character the James Bond films and books. As head of the Secret Intelligence Service, Ian Fleming's character is an amalgamation of different people…
The Skirt A tribute to women in the line of defence against fear and terror
SHEROES: Arab artists make their voices heard at London exhibition
Three Arab artists participated in the Sheroes Exhibition held in East London last month, which aimed to give a voice to under represented female artists in the art world. By…
The World of the Fatimids
Sylvia Smith The Aga Khan Museum in Toronto is North America's only museum solely dedicated to showcasing Islamic art and culture. A new exhibition recently opening there and entitled The…
Celestial Chocolate
Sylvia Smith Photography by Richard Duebel Sublime, fantastic and celestial are adjectives often used to described the flavour of chocolate, but in the case of Mirzam celestial is a doubly…
Arabian Oryx numbers increase in the UAE
Some 200 kilometers away from the hustle and bustle of Abu Dhabi city, 14 Arabian Oryx have been given another chance at life in the wild. Once on the verge…
Louvre Abu Dhabi
By Sylvia Smith with photographs by Richard Duebel The architect is a Frenchman, Jean Nouvel, known for having designed the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, France and the…
Serpentine Pavilion 2017
Sylvia Smith: Inspired by a tree and and made of wood this year's Serpentine Pavilion has many elements that relate to African architect Francis Kéré's home, Burkina Faso. From an…
Moving the Earth
By Sylvia Smith The title of the international conference might not be one to get the pulse racing. In fact Islamic Archaeology in Global Perspective could have been the…
Sword making in Bahrain
Sylvia Smith Along with reciting poetry the love of the sword, the emotional pull of a handmade, highly decorated dress sword that has its own name is something that seems…
Africa Heats Up The French Capital
Sylvia Smith Perhaps it is the number of mainstream venues that have devoted their spring shows to the subject; or perhaps again it is the extraordinary quality of inventiveness whether…