Can we control our fate? What happens when we encounter something we cannot explain? Where is the boundary between belief and superstition? 

For writers and directors, magic and witchcraft have long offered a way of making sense of what cannot otherwise be explained; a way of quietening the mind when overthinking becomes unbearable, and of giving meaning to events and situations that seem to make no sense.

For Egyptian artists, magic is rarely just about spells, witches, or the supernatural. It can become a way of exploring fear, faith, anxiety, and the unknown, while seeing curses and the evil eye as ways of making sense of what cannot otherwise be explained.

It is easier to believe that our suffering has a reason than to face the harsher possibility that sometimes, things simply happen to us. That pain can exist without a curse or an evil eye, and that the universe can allow terrible things to happen to us without giving us a reason why.

Because why should we have to feel pain for no reason? What is the reason for this pain?

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The idea that bad things happen because a person has been possessed by the devil has long offered a way of explaining the unexplainable and the unbearable. When someone is experiencing immense physical or emotional pain, women across regions such as North Africa and the Gulf developed their own healing rituals to help people, both symbolically and psychologically, release that pain from their bodies. 

The pain itself becomes the demon, an entity that attaches itself to the body and, therefore, can be removed by releasing the spirit that is believed to be causing it. In this sense, pain is not simply an event that happens to a person and eventually passes. It becomes something that can take form, something that can attach itself to the body and exist within it.

This is one of the reasons the Zar ritual has traditionally been performed. Within popular belief, a person experiencing prolonged distress or unusual behaviour may be thought to have been possessed by a harmful spirit. The Zar then becomes a way of confronting and removing that spirit, with the hope of returning the person to a state of normality.

Read the article here.

In A Dead Djinn in Cairo, P. Djèlí Clark does something more interesting than simply placing a fantasy story in an Egyptian setting. He imagines a Cairo in which the supernatural has never been separated from modern life. Djinn, ghouls, angels and other beings are not hidden in some distant realm of myth; they occupy the same streets, institutions and bureaucratic structures as everyone else.

Even the existence of a Ministry devoted to alchemy and supernatural entities turns the supposedly irrational into an ordinary fact of civic life. Cairo becomes a place where ancient cosmologies and technological imagination can coexist, where the djinn is as much a part of the modern city as the tram or the government office. The effect is not to make Egyptian folklore seem quaint or archaic, but to restore it to the centre of the city's imaginative life.

Read more here.

Released as her debut solo single, Manakir (Nail Polish) by Palestinian singer-songwriter Haya Zaatry follows a young woman navigating a mundane routine, such as waking up early, putting on makeup and nail polish, while grappling with the suffocating weight of societal expectations, rigid rules waiting to be broken, and the feeling of moving alone through a congested world of "fake masks" and prescribed directions.

It brilliantly touches on the stifled voice of youth, the fear of speaking out in a restrictive environment ("Oh girl, your words are dangerous, keep your secret hidden"), and the silent longing for meaning and personal freedom. Zaatry's soothing vocals and gentle acoustic melodies turn these heavy, relatable frustrations into a poetic, comforting anthem for anyone trying to carve out their own path against the grain.

Listen here.

Pulling back the curtain on superstition and human greed, Red Sulfur blurs the lines between psychological breakdown and supernatural terror, keeping you constantly guessing as it explores forbidden rituals, sorcery, and hidden forces operating just beneath the surface of everyday society.

The story is centered around Mo'taz (played by Ahmed El Saadany), a police officer assigned to investigate a string of mysterious, unexplained fires breaking out in a local neighborhood. During his investigation, Mo'taz crosses paths with Shams, a local sorcerer who wields immense psychological and manipulative control over the superstitious residents. When Mo'taz openly challenges and quarrels with Shams, his life spirals into an absolute nightmare.

Watch it here.

Egypt is so much more than just pyramids and pharaohs; it’s a melting pot of vibrant landscapes, incredible people, and mind-blowing food. This gorgeous cookbook is your passport to exploring Egypt’s magic through its rich culinary traditions and the rituals that bring people together. Inside, you’ll find over 150 recipes curated from every corner of the country, all tailored for the modern home cook.

Part culinary album, part travelogue, this book unlocks the tastes, aromas, and pure love behind Egyptian cooking. It’s built to spark conversations about ancient ingredients, time-honored cooking techniques, and how cultures evolve.

Find out more here.

Whether you are a curious foodie or looking to master a new culinary skill, this hands-on session will guide you through the traditional art of fermenting crisp Napa cabbage, aromatic spices, and savory seasonings. You will not only learn the secrets behind achieving the ultimate balance of crunch and flavor, but you will also take home your very own custom jar of freshly crafted kimchi to enjoy and share.

Find out more here.