The afikra Podcast

afikra

Education

Palestine

Cultural Identity

Beirut

Saudi Arabia

Islamic Art

Iraq

Iran-Iraq War

Dubai

Lebanon

New Media Art

Ottoman Empire

Islam

Art

Contemporary Art

Islamic Arts Biennale

Storytelling

Middle East

Colonialism

Arab World

The afikra Podcast is our flagship series featuring experts from academia, art, media, urban planning and beyond, who are helping document and shape the histories and cultures of the Arab world through their ‎work. Our hope is that by having the guest share their expertise and story, the community walks away with a new‎found curiosity, and recommendations about new nerdy rabbit holes to dive into ... more

350 ratings

Publishes	Weekly	Episodes	506	Founded	6 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	ArtsEducation

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Guests Host Reviews Charts Talking Points

Latest Episodes

Ottoman Environmental History, Sultan Selim's Ambition, & NYC's First "Muslim" | Prof. Alan Mikhail

We know about Islam in America, but what about America in Islam? Yale historian Alan Mikhail unpacks Sultan Selim I, the thuggish sultan who wrote bad poetry yet conquered the Arab world in 1516–17 and, Mikhail argues, changed the course of world his... more

Yesterday • 52 min

Architecture & Identity in the Gulf | Sumaya Dabbagh, Award Winning Architect

Shaping space goes far beyond physical structures, it deeply impacts people's lives and connects to the human spirit. Renowned, award-winning Saudi architect Sumaya Dabbagh shares her journey navigating the evolving architectural landscape of the Gul... more

19 Oct 2026 • 48 min • Most popular

YouTube

Marie al-Khazen: Pioneer Lebanese Photographer, 1899 to 1983 | Art Historian, Dr. Yasmine Nachabe Taan

A collection of black-and-white photographs from 1920s mandate Lebanon completely flips traditional regional history on its head. Dr. Yasmine Nachabe Taan takes us on a fascinating journey behind her PhD research into the life and legacy of Marie al-... more

12 Oct 2026 • 1 hr • Popular

YouTube

Human Rights & Accountability in the Arab World: 15 Years After the Uprisings | Mai El-Sadany, TIMEP Executive Director

Reimagining the future of policy and human rights across the Middle East and North Africa requires moving past broken international systems and broadening our collective imagination. Executive Director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (... more

5 Oct 2026 • 57 min

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Sumaya Dabbagh

Saudi architect and founder and principal architect of Dabbagh Architects

Dabbagh Architects

Episode: Architecture & Identity in the Gulf | Sumaya Dabbagh, Award Winning Architect

Yasmine Nachabe Taan

Professor and director of the Institute of Art in the Arab World at LAU Beirut

Lebanese American University (LAU)

Episode: Marie al-Khazen: Pioneer Lebanese Photographer, 1899 to 1983 | Art Historian, Dr. Yasmine Nachabe Taan

Mai El-Sadany

Executive Director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy

TIMEP

Episode: Human Rights & Accountability in the Arab World: 15 Years After the Uprisings | Mai El-Sadany, TIMEP Executive Director

Ziad Abu-Rish

Associate Professor of Human Rights and Middle Eastern Studies at Bard College; author of The State of Lebanon

Bard College

Episode: Lebanon's Electricity Crisis is Not New - It Started in 1952! | Prof. Ziad Abu-Rish

Muriam Haleh Davis

Associate Professor of History at the University of California, Santa Cruz

University of California, Santa Cruz

Episode: Islam Became a Racial Category in French Colonial Algeria | Prof. Muriam Haleh Davis

Omar Dewachi

Associate professor and chair of the anthropology department at Rutgers University; medical doctor and author

Rutgers University

Episode: US Destruction of Iraq's Healthcare System | Omar Dewachi

Samia Henni

Architect and historian, author of Architecture of Counterrevolution and Colonial Toxicity

McGill University (educator)

Episode: France's Nuclear Toxicity in the Algerian Sahara | Samia Henni

Reem Bailony

Associate Professor of History and author of Syria's Transnational Rebellion

University affiliation implied by title

Episode: Syrian Diaspora's Role in the Great Syrian Revolt of 1925 | Reem Bailony

Muhsin Jassim al-Musawi

Leading scholar; Professor of classical and modern Arabic literature at Columbia University

Columbia University

Episode: 1001 Nights, the Arab Novel & the Age of Decay That Never Was | Prof. Muhsin al-Musawi

Host

Mikey Muhanna

Host of The Afikra Podcast; leads interviews with scholars, artists, and practitioners; guides conversations through history, culture, and regional development.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 350 ratings

Very interesting
A very inteResting listen
Apple Podcasts
5
veganman1961
United Kingdom5 months ago
Insightful and so interesting
Super interesting topics with very knowledgeable (and credible) guests and great questions from the host. I love this podcast, I learn a ton each time I listen. Thank you for your work on this.
Apple Podcasts
5
SuraAR
Canada5 months ago
Hands down the podcast for any art and culture nerd
Always interesting. Always quality.
Apple Podcasts
5
Bonooooooooooo
United Statesa year ago
Very informative
Love the conversations with experts from the Arab world.
Apple Podcasts
5
Obnossious
United States6 years ago
The perfect listen!
Super informative and unique stories from around the Arab world!
Apple Podcasts
5
mahakamel
United States6 years ago

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Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Shows diverse, expert perspectives and makes niche topics accessible to a broad audience.

Insightful conversations with credible guests that broaden knowledge of the Arab world.

Great for art and culture nerds who love deep dives into history and regional perspectives.

Listeners appreciate the unique focus on heritage, memory, and regional narratives.

Consistently high-quality questions from the host and thoughtful storytelling.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts	#53	Switzerland/Arts
Apple Podcasts	#116	India/Arts
Apple Podcasts	#148	Norway/Arts
Apple Podcasts	#176	Saudi Arabia/Arts
Apple Podcasts	#191	United Arab Emirates/Arts
Apple Podcasts	#194	Netherlands/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Architecture & Identity in the Gulf | Sumaya Dabbagh, Award Winning Architect

Q: Can you tell me the materials that somebody should be using, and the structures, and the shapes, and the things that people should be using if they want to create a Gulf aesthetic or tap into a Gulf vernacular?

Dabbagh says there is no formula. Materials should respond to their specific setting and history, as at Mleiha, where stone echoed the red sand and copper connected to local geology and Bronze Age extraction.

Architecture & Identity in the Gulf | Sumaya Dabbagh, Award Winning Architect

Q: Can you explain the difference between real estate and architecture?

Real estate development is primarily focused on financial return, while architecture carries responsibility for how buildings affect people's lives, the environment and the long-term quality of a place.

Marie al-Khazen: Pioneer Lebanese Photographer, 1899 to 1983 | Art Historian, Dr. Yasmine Nachabe Taan

Q: What technologies and materials were involved in her photography and how do we know?

The photographs are associated with an Eastman Kodak camera used with a viewfinder from above; negatives were preserved by the Arab Image Foundation and printed later, suggesting a workflow where Marie captured the images and others handled printing, which in turn shapes how we access and read her archive today.

Marie al-Khazen: Pioneer Lebanese Photographer, 1899 to 1983 | Art Historian, Dr. Yasmine Nachabe Taan

Q: Can you summarize who Marie El Khazen was and why her photographs are significant?

Marie El Khazen was an amateur photographer from the Khazen noble family in Zgharta, who out of leisure and interest captured a wide range of scenes—from domestic daily life to outdoor travel and portraits—posing a challenge to the era's gender norms and offering a rare female-driven perspective from Mandate Lebanon. Her work is significant because it reveals agency, staging, and a distinctive cross-cultural stance that rethinks female representation in early Arab photography.

Lebanon's Electricity Crisis is Not New - It Started in 1952! | Prof. Ziad Abu-Rish

Q: Do you see these struggles as reinforcing or challenging Lebanon's national unity?

They reinforced the idea of a Lebanese citizenry deserving public utilities and services, contributing to nation-building and legitimating state intervention in the economy, even as some factions defended private or foreign ownership.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The afikra Podcast

What is The afikra Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful interview series that surfaces expert perspectives from academia, art, media, and urban culture to illuminate histories and cultures of the Arab world. Across episodes, listeners encounter deep-dive conversations on topics like Sino-Arab relations, water security and space data, modern Egyptian theater and advertising history, Arabic language technology, Ottoman and Gulf histories, and the role of culture in nation-building and regional identity. Noteworthy are the rigorous historical analyses, the emphasis on heritage reclamation, and the way guests connect scholarly insights to contemporary social and geopolitical questions. The show often centers on underexplored regional narratives, offering practical takeaways for research... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The afikra Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The afikra Podcast:

1. Makdisi Street
2. Millennials Are Killing Capitalism
3. Jacobin Radio
4. Guerrilla History
5. Novara Media

How many episodes of The afikra Podcast are there?

The afikra Podcast launched 6 years ago and published 506 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The afikra Podcast?

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What guests have appeared on The afikra Podcast?

Recent guests on The afikra Podcast include:

1. Sumaya Dabbagh
2. Yasmine Nachabe Taan
3. Mai El-Sadany
4. Ziad Abu-Rish
5. Muriam Haleh Davis
6. Omar Dewachi
7. Samia Henni
8. Reem Bailony

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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