In a country more famous for belly dancers than ballet dancers, a company of enthusiastic Egyptians feels the pride of accomplishment after two decades of effort.

When leading Parisian couturiers turn their world-famous talents to adapting classic Mid­dle Eastern shapes to suit their sophisticated clients, the results can be stunning.

In 801, a procession moved along the main street of a town in Germany as the Abbasid Caliph in far-off Baghdad sent an unusual gift to the King of the Franks.

For more than 20 years, photographer Khalil Abou el-Nasr recorded the changing face of Saudi Arabia and captured the timeless beauty of its deserts, mountains and coasts.

Hoping to find traces of Oman's traditional way of life, a young photographer hikes to a remote village not yet touched by the rapid change in the bustling coastal towns.

Less than three hours after an earthquake hit remote, snowbound villages in eastern Turkey, one of the Muslim world's oldest relief organizations moved into action.