Arab and Islamic Civilizations Department-American University in Cairo

02/11/2026

💃 DABKE, IDENTITY & PALESTINIAN WORLDS

How does dabke sustain Palestinian identity, collective memory, and connection to the land?

The Sheikh Hassan Abbas Sharbatly Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations invites you to a talk by Dr. Lucy El-Sherif '97, Assistant Professor of Social Justice Education at the University of Toronto.

🎓 Talk Title:
Shalat wi-hattat: Dabke, Relationality and Palestinian Worldmaking Under Deracination

📅 Monday, 9 November 2026
🕐 1:00–2:00 PM
📍 Waleed, HUSS Building, PO71, AUC New Cairo Campus

Drawing on ethnographic research and Palestinian folklore, Dr. El-Sherif explores dabke as a powerful practice of Palestinian worldmaking, examining how dance sustains connections to the land, strengthens communal relationships, and fosters resilience in the face of displacement and occupation.

Co-organized with the Department of Sociology, Egyptology, and Anthropology.

Join us for an engaging discussion!

29/10/2026

Happily Ever After? Rethinking Marriage, Law, and Women’s Rights in Egypt

What does it mean to understand your rights before you need them?

In a recent AUCToday feature, Happily Ever After?, Dr. Mohamed Serag, Professor at Sheikh Hassan Abbas Sharbatly Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations at AUC, highlights the importance of understanding women’s rights and Egypt’s Personal Status Law through his course, Women and Gender in Egyptian Courts.

The article explores how legal frameworks shape marriage, divorce, child custody, and women’s access to justice, while showing how education can empower students to critically examine these issues and consider possibilities for reform.

Read the full story on AUCToday:
🔗 https://auctoday.aucegypt.edu/news/happily-ever-after

29/10/2026

"Serag believes that education is an important first step toward meaningful change. “The way a law is interpreted and applied can have a significant impact in practice,” he said. “If everyone involved is well educated, we are likely to have more equitable outcomes.”

ARIC Professor of Islamic Studies Dr Mohamed Serag's course ARIC 2098 Sel. Topics: Women and Gender in Egyptian Courts introduces students to debates around the family law in Egypt. Read about it in the latest issue of AUC Today:

AUCians examine the longstanding inequalities facing wives, mothers and brides-to-be.

29/10/2026

New Faculty Position!
The Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations at the American University in Cairo invites applications for a tenure-track position in Islamic Art and Architecture, open rank. Applications received by 10 December 2026 will receive full consideration.
Details here:

27/10/2026

✨Meet the AUC alumnae helping preserve the city’s rich design legacy through Patterns of Cairo.

From intricate architectural details to centuries of cultural exchange, Cairo’s historic patterns tell stories of the city’s rich and diverse heritage.

Read how AUC alumnae Ehsan Abushadi and Yumna Moussa are helping preserve this living heritage through Patterns of Cairo, connecting the past with new possibilities for artists, designers, and researchers.

Read the full story on AUCToday:
https://auctoday.aucegypt.edu/news/patterns-past

Yumna Moussa '19 & '25, Patterns of Cairo Lead Researcher. Earned her MA in Arabic Studies with a specialization in Islamic Art and Architecture from the ARIC department. Her MA thesis “Ottoman Wikālas in Cairo: Islamic Architecture Beyond the Mosque” (supervised by Drs Ellen Kenney and Noha Abou-Khatwa) won the Nadia Niazi Mostafa Endowed Award in Islamic Art and Architecture this year.
Ehsan Abushadi '15, Patterns of Cairo Coordinator, minored in Arab and Islamic Civilizations as an undergraduate.

Two alumnae lead Patterns of Cairo, helping artists and researchers rediscover the stories embedded in the city's architecture.

24/10/2026

📢 HAPPENING TODAY | PUBLIC LECTURE

Join us today for a public lecture by Dr. Ana Marija Grbanovic (University of Bamberg) on:
Multimediality in Medieval Iranian Architecture: Stuccos, Wall Paintings and Tiles

📅 Date: Saturday, 24 October
🕕 Time: 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 Venue: Oriental Hall, AUC Tahrir Campus

Explore the artistic and architectural innovations of the Ilkhanid period and discover how stuccos, wall paintings, and tiles transformed the aesthetics of medieval Iranian architecture and influenced developments across other regions.
Co-hosted by the Sheikh Hassan Abbas Sharbatly Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations (ARIC) at AUC and the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE).

We look forward to seeing you there!

23/10/2026

📸 Turathuna al-Hayy: Celebrating Egyptian and Palestinian Living Heritage 🇪🇬🇵🇸

A day of meaningful encounters, shared stories, and creative exchange — celebrating the traditions, practices, and cultural expressions that shape our collective identities.

✨ Here are some moments from today’s workshop!

22/10/2026

📢 TOMORROW | Workshop Reminder

Join us tomorrow for Turathuna al-Hayy: Celebrating Egyptian and Palestinian Living Heritage 🇪🇬🇵🇸

Join us for Turathuna al-Hayy, a full-day workshop bringing together scholars, creatives, and communities engaged with Palestinian and Egyptian heritage in its many forms.
📅 Friday, 23 October 2026
🕤 9:30 AM–6:30 PM
📍 Hill House 102, AUC Tahrir Campus

You can join us in person or on zoom: https://aucegypt.zoom.us/j/98215859458 ​

📎 Click the link below for detalied program:
https://everydayorientalism.wordpress.com/2026/10/05/celebrating-egyptian-and-palestinian-living-heritage/​

For RSVP to the morning conversations and afternoon zine + calligraphy workshops, link in bio

18/10/2026

🌿 Turathuna al-Hayy | Living Heritage Workshop
Join us for Turathuna al-Hayy, a full-day workshop bringing together scholars, creatives, and communities engaged with Palestinian and Egyptian heritage in its many forms.
📅 Friday, 23 October 2026
🕤 9:30 AM–6:30 PM
📍 Hill House 102, AUC Tahrir Campus

You can join us in person or on zoom: https://aucegypt.zoom.us/j/98215859458 ​

📎 Click the link below for detalied program:
https://everydayorientalism.wordpress.com/2026/10/05/celebrating-egyptian-and-palestinian-living-heritage/​
For RSVP to the morning conversations and afternoon zine + calligraphy workshops, link in bio

🌿 Turathna al-Hayy | Living Heritage Workshop

Join us for Turathna al-Hayy, a full-day workshop bringing together scholars, creatives, and communities engaged with Palestinian and Egyptian heritage in its many forms.

📅 Friday, 23 October 2026
🕤 9:30 AM–6:30 PM
📍 Hill House 102, AUC Tahrir Campus

Sponsors: AUC-Arab and Islamic Civilizations Department, University of Toronto-Jackman Humanities Institute and the University of Southampton

The morning conversations, moderated by Dr. Hoda El Saadi, will explore:

🇵🇸 Palestinian living heritage, memory, and placemaking
🇪🇬 Egyptian heritage, community engagement, and design

The workshop will highlight forms of heritage that are actively being erased or are at risk of disappearing, while exploring how cultural heritage can sustain collective memory, strengthen communities, and help shape shared futures.

The afternoon will feature an exhibition, zine workshop, and art fair, offering opportunities for creative engagement and exchange.

Turathna al-Hayy builds on conversations from the 2025 Cities on the Edge workshop at AUC, continuing efforts to understand and safeguard tangible and intangible heritage across SWANA in times of crisis.

Join us for a day of conversation, creativity, and community around living heritage.
RSVP link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScfQ3edbI2r9l_P2qnxYWsQ_ZH4YfOy34YLeYC8gv27W-8dTA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=109909881017505993101

17/10/2026

🎙️ SONIC SOLIDARITY: Breaking Languages and Chanting for Freedom

Highlights from the second lecture with Dr. Michelle Hartman, Distinguished Visiting Professor and Professor of Arabic and Francophone Literature at McGill University, taking place now at Oriental Hall, AUC Tahrir Square.