Casablanca’s ‘Gardens of Anfa’ are wrapped in bougainvilleas and jasmine
Maison Edouard François designed a colorful new mixed-used residential master plan for Casablanca, a cosmopolitan Moroccan city made famous by a movie with the same name.
These guys think coffee can do a green roof good
We know that coffee can be both good and bad for our bodies, depending on who you ask. I know that ants are repelled by my used Turkish coffee grounds, and that the stuff makes a great fertilizer for mushrooms. But could used coffee grounds be good for your plants? University of Haifa scientists are […]
No Muslims on Mars, if this fatwa comes to pass
Muslims have signed up to travel to Mars on the outrageous one-way journey being proposed by Mars Ones. People of all faith from nations around the world have signed up, including Israelis, Turks, Egyptians, Iranians, Iraqis and those from Saudi, the UAE and Qatar. But a Muslim-issued fatwa may bar any Muslims from entering the […]
Aganetha Dyck works with bees to create incredible honeycomb art
Canadian artist Aganetha Dyck knows honeybees not just as pollinators that ensure the rest of the world has food on the table, but as architects and designers who build these incredible honeycomb sculptures.
Alvaro Siza makes it easier to visit the spectacular Alhambra palace in Spain
The Alhambra palace and fortress in Granada, with its mesmerizing series of courtyards, gardens and vistas that turn light and shadow into toys, may be the Moors’ crowning achievement. But the world heritage site has become so popular, visitors must wait hours just to get inside. Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza hopes to change that.
5 unusual and environmental places to stay in Dubai
It’s no trouble to find a place to stay overnight in Dubai. Hotels and luxury is begging and calling. But what if you are the green and eco persuasion? You’ve promised to replace your polluting air miles with a softer landing. Green Prophet gives you 5 earth friendly hotel alternatives in Dubai. 1. Surf couches […]
Ski the Middle East with a natural born skier
The Middle East, in spite of unusual indoor places like Ski Dubai is not exactly on the main track of international ski sites and resorts like Cortina in Italy or Aspen. But the Middle East has some stunning and relatively unknown locations worth hitting. Ever think about skiing Iran? Or sliding down slopes in Lebanon?
How pesticides kill your brain
Patients with Alzheimer's disease have significantly higher levels of DDE, the long-lasting metabolite of the pesticide DDT, in their blood than healthy people, a team of researchers has found.
Iraq’s leaning Hadba Tower is dangerously close to collapse
Wait a minute, there, Pisa, you’re not the only contortionist building on the block! A beloved old minaret in a Mosul mosque that leans 8 feet off its perpendicular axis may soon topple; an unusual casualty of ongoing unrest in one of Iraq’s most dangerous cities.
Provocative Israeli art explores the fake and fraudulent – but why?
Israeli photographic duo Wyse + Gabriely concluded their first European exhibition at London’s Neu Gallery this month; an attention-grabbing presentation that purportedly explores “the fake and the fraudulent”.
Masdar sues Spain over solar energy subsidy cuts
Masdar has sued the Spanish government. The multi-pronged company funded in part by the government of Abu Dhabi helped build the world’s first 24/7 solar power plant in Spain, a feat made possible in part with subsidies. But Spain has now cut incentives for renewable energy, which eats into Masdar’s investment.
Arab Gulf recycles paper, plastic, and cars!
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) does everything big, including recycling, and this week they’ve officially opened their first plant dedicated to recycling cars! An estimated 11,000 UAE vehicles get scrapped every month. Some simply reach their shelf-life, others are abandoned at airport parking lots and city back streets by debt-ridden expatriates and native boys who […]
“Pop Arak” Arakino raises eyebrows and elbows in Israel
There are usually no great surprises at the major wine festivals, which are held in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. You tend to bump into the same winemakers over and over again. Some stands represent not wineries, but fruit-based liqueurs, or beer. At the Wine Jerusalem festival held last week, I was surprised to find a new twist […]
Dubai, Abu Dhabi ban high energy incandescent light bulbs
After July, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), one of the world’s largest oil producers, will no longer import high energy incandescent light bulbs. And by the end of the year, it will be impossible to buy them. Hit the jump to find out what this means for you.
5 reasons to go “no poo” and ditch shampoo
A new trend is sweeping across America: scores of people are ditching shampoo for more earth and hair-friendly alternatives – including nothing at all. But would this work in the Middle East? Would the lovely ladies of Lebanon ever give up their luscious shiny locks? Turns out, they wouldn’t have to. Check out five reasons […]