Arts and Culture

Ramadan

By Hugh Miles

Likely date, religious, social and business implications. there is always uncertainty and frequently disagreement. This year a Moroccan astronomer has forecast that Ramadan will probably begin on Tuesday 7 May, but the National Astronomy and Geophysics Institute of Egypt has forecast Monday 6 May, probably the starting date for Saudi Arabia and the UAE also.

 

My Father, Ezra Pound

By Alessandra Quattrocchi

An interview with Mary de Rachewiltz, daughter of Ezra Pound, from her retreat in the Italian Tyrol. “My father always managed to be on the wrong side”

In the Medina

By Geoffrey Heptonstall

Green is the colour of Islam, presumably because it is emblematic of paradise. Fertility in a climate of extreme heat and vast deserts cannot be taken for granted. It may seem to a believer God-given, a blessing. The surprise is how green much of Morocco seems. Even in the intense heat of Africa, there are […]

Restoring the Mosaics of San Vitale

By Livia Alberti

The VI century Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna is a unique example of Byzantine art and culture. In recent times an important conservation project has restored the basilica’s mosaic wall decorations to their full glory. Livia Alberti was one of the leaders of the restoration team.

Tree of the Wooden Clogs

By Robert Arnold

Robert Arnold looks back at Italian director Ermanno Olmi’s masterpiece “The Tree of Wooden Clogs” (L’Albero degli Zoccoli), winner of 14 awards including the Palme d’Or for Best film at Cannes in 1978 and the César Award in the same year for Best Foreign Film.