The Mantle of Roger II and the Fatimid Festival of Sacrifice

During the Festival of Sacrifice, Fatimid rulers publicly sacrificed a camel. Maribel Fierro discusses the political and religious significance of this ritual, and traces later versions under other dynasties. She argues a visual re-imagination even appears on the mantle of the Norman king of Sicily.

Maribel Fierro • December 09, 2021

Creating a Suitable Past: From the Turkish History Thesis to Ertuğrul

Erdoğan's frequent references to the past fit within an ongoing tradition in Turkish politics. Uğur Derin shows how history has been politicised in Turkey since the emergence of the Republic, focusing on Erdoğan's usage of a civilisational discourse that glorifies an Islamic and Ottoman past.

Uğur Derin • April 29, 2021

The Nile: Between Arab and African Geopolitics

The Ethiopian mega dam on the Nile raises not only hydro-technical disagreement between Egypt and Sudan (downstream countries) and Ethiopia (the source of the Blue Nile); it also underscores latent contested perceptions of Arabs versus Africans. However, the Nile flow transcends this division.

Abeer Abazeed • September 17, 2020

Afghanistan’s Youth: Force of Progress or Future Firebrands?

While Afghanistan has one of the youngest populations, the country’s political scene is still dominated by the powerholders of old: former warlords, tribal strongmen, and religious leaders. Will the youth be a force of modernization or of future conflict?

Jorrit Kamminga • September 03, 2020

Annexation, Delay, and More of the Same: Israel’s Colonisation of Palestine

As Israel delays its annexation of large swathes of the West Bank, Sai Englert discusses its causes and implications.

Sai Englert • August 07, 2020

Politics of Heritage and Heritage of Politics: The Case of the Hagia Sophia

The conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque is nothing unusual for those who have been closely monitoring Turkey. Still, the knotted web of political conflicts and identity issues surrounding discussions of its role as heritage bespeaks the need to re-visit the concept of heritage itself.

Didem Yerli • July 27, 2020

"Treason": A Historical Perspective on Emerging Opposition against Erdoğan

Erdoğan's former ministers have founded new opposition parties. What do their stories tell us about Turkey’s political culture?

Uğur Derin • July 03, 2020

COVID-19’s Narratives of (In)Vulnerability: Islam, Water, and Success in Small Indonesian Islands

While small Eastern Indonesian islands are often categorised for mediatic and administrative purposes as “vulnerable,” COVID-19 has hardly touched island spaces in North Sulawesi (Indonesia).

Elena Burgos Martinez • May 27, 2020

Coronavirus Update: The Middle East and North Africa

In this blogpost, LUCIS brings together short updates on the impact of COVID-19 in countries in the MENA region, written by experts on and researchers in the countries listed. New entries will be added as they arrive.

Khadija Kadrouch-Outmany, Marina de Regt, Onur Ada, Samira Jadir, Sai Englert, Asghar Seyed Gohrab, Ibrahim Saweros and Suliman Ibrahim • May 14, 2020

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