Category: Published articles

Cous Cous Crossroads (Saudi Aramco World)

Post author By lauthiamkok
Post date 10 January 2011

My latest story, in the Jan/Feb edition of Saudi Aramco World, on the Arab influence on Sicilian food. Photographed by Tor Eigeland.

Cous cous closeup — Making cous cous © Tor Eigeland

“The word couscous derives from the Maghrebi Arabic kuskusu, and the Sicilian cuscus has long existed in both folk memory and the kitchens of Sicily’s western Arab heartland. It is via the Maghreb, however, that couscous is flourishing again in Sicily, reintroduced by migrants from North and West Africa who have settled on the island during the last few decades. Sicilians have enthusiastically revived the dish, cooking it more often with fish than with meat (usually mutton), which would be more usual in the Maghreb.”

Tags Arab, food, Sicily

Published articles

Aleppo on the Silk Road in (TIME Magazine)

Post author By lauthiamkok
Post date 13 December 2010

Here’s my latest on ‘Five Reasons to Visit Aleppo’ in TIME magazine, published 13 December 2010.

7 Whirling Dervish Damascusweb — Whirling Dervish, Aleppo © Gail Simmons

“Aleppo’s dervishes belong to the mystical Sufi sect of Islam, which originated in Turkey. Dressed in long, flowing skirts and conical hats, and accompanied by chanting and the strains of an oud, or Arabic lute, dervishes use a characteristic whirling dance to enter an altered state and so, they hope, a closer communion with the divine.”

Published articles

Arab Sicily (UAE National)

Post author By lauthiamkok
Post date 17 September 2010

My latest feature, on Arab Sicily, in the UAE National (and here’s the 2nd page). For around 200 years, from the mid 9th to the mid 11th centuries, Sicily was an Islamic state and an emirate. Its legacy still survives in the language, culture and food of this Mediterranean island.

Palermo street B&W — Palermo street © Gail Simmons

Tags Arab, Sicily

Published articles

Sinai tribal gathering (Wanderlust magazine)

Post author By lauthiamkok
Post date 22 July 2010

My latest feature, on a desert trek & tribal gathering in Sinai, is now out in the August/September edition of Wanderlust magazine.

Nawamis-sheikh-1 — Sinai sheikh © Gail Simmons

“The scene was one that has been played out in the deserts of Arabia for centuries. A group of Bedouin sheikhs gathered round a campfire, sipping glasses of tea poured from bubbling, smoke-blackened kettles, the flickering flames casting a deep glow on sculpted, Biblical faces. And sitting among this distinguished group of tribal elders was me: one of a handful of Westerners sharing the first assembly of the seven tribes of South Sinai for over 20 years.”

And here are the fantastic pictures from the piece by photographer, Gary Latham.

Published articles

The Caliphs’ Country Castles (UAE National)

Post author By lauthiamkok
Post date 20 May 2010

My latest feature, in the UAE National. My most recent articles appear on this page. Other published articles since 2003 can be found under ‘Archive’.

Kharaneh Mahmoud 2 — Qasr al-Khareneh © Gail Simmons

“Kharaneh rises sheer out of the steppe, stark against a cloudless sky, with rounded towers at each corner and walls punctuated by arrow-slits. Seen from afar, it’s most people’s idea of a fantasy fortress…”

Published articles

A short walk in Syria (Sunday Telegraph)

Post author By lauthiamkok
Post date 19 April 2010

My latest feature, published in the Sunday Telegraph, about walking in Syria.

Syria - Dier Mar Musa 1web — Dier Mar Musa, Syria © Gail Simmons

“Clinging to the mountainside high above the desert, and seemingly part of the rock, Deir Mar Musa is only visible when you stumble upon it. We ducked through the tiny entrance and found ourselves in a building created by a sixth-century Abyssinian hermit. The current monastic church dates mostly from the 11th and 12th centuries, and is embellished with the most glorious frescoes. Walking inside, my eyes adjusting to the gloom, was like entering an Italian church except for the Syriac inscriptions and plush Oriental carpets and cushions around the painted Apostles.”

Tags Syria

Published articles

A Passion for the Past (Oryx magazine)

Post author By lauthiamkok
Post date 2 April 2010

Feature on the life of a Jordanian guide living in Petra, in Oryx magazine (online version). And here is the PDF version as it appeared in the paper edition of the magazine, with three of my photos published.

The Siq, Petra. — The Siq, Petra © Gail Simmons

Tags Jordan, Petra

Published articles

Muscat (Oryx magazine)

Post author By lauthiamkok
Post date 1 February 2010

Feature on Muscat, capital of Oman, in Oryx magazine (online version). To see the feature as it appears in the paper edition of magazine, click here.

Fisherman al-Khaluf 1 — Omani fisherman © Gail Simmons

Tags Muscat, Oman

Published articles

The Real Thing (Australian magazine)

Post author By lauthiamkok
Post date 29 January 2010

My feature on Sicily’s first eco-tourism project appeared in The Australian magazine on 23 January 2010.

Choirboys,-Castelbuono1-web — Choirboys, Castelbuono © Gail Simmons

Published articles

Mud, glorious mud (Wanderlust magazine)

Post author By lauthiamkok
Post date 11 January 2010

My latest feature on Jordan’s Dead Sea appeared in a January’s Wanderlust special which was supplied with the Guardian and Independent (no links).

Dead-Sea-sunset3web — Dead Sea sunset © Gail Simmons

Tags Dead Sea, Jordan