On the evening of November 7, 2025, a crowd gathered in central Tehran to witness the unveiling of a new statue: Shapur I, depicted in the act of defeating the Roman Emperor Valerian. The scene was visually striking, but its significance ran deeper. Iran has long maintained an uneasy relationship with its pre-Islamic past, oscillating between pride and ideological caution.

Every year on 26 November, UNESCO marks World Olive Tree Day, a relatively new observance (proclaimed in 2019) that reflects a very old reality: the olive tree has been woven into human history for millennia (UNESCO, 2019). As food, fuel, medicine, and timber, Olea europaea has shaped Mediterranean economies and landscapes; as symbol and metaphor, it has carried meanings of wisdom, peace, and endurance from antiquity to the present.

These are important months for Egyptian culture. On November 1, 2025, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Cairo will host its Grand Opening, attended by international leaders and distinguished guests, before opening to the public on November 4. Located near the iconic Pyramids of Giza, the GEM will showcase over 100,000 artifacts, including the complete Tutankhamun collection, offering a comprehensive view of ancient Egyptian civilization. Beyond its vast collection, the Grand

Walking along Istiklal Caddesi, the great pedestrian artery of Beyoğlu, you might be surprised to come upon a neo-Gothic church that...