Most recent articles by Melanie Christina Mohr
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Homoerotic poetry in IslamReeling with desire
What role did homoeroticism play in Islamic poetry written between the 13th and 15th centuries? We need look no further than Rumi and Babur. By Melanie Christina Mohr
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Karl Wilhelm Friedrich and August Wilhelm SchlegelThe Orient – so near and yet so far
All their lives, the early Romantics and classical philologists Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel (1772-1829) and August Wilhelm Schlegel (1767-1845) saw the Orient as a source of literary and cultural enrichment for Europe. By Melanie Christina Mohr
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55 years of German-Turkish labour recruitmentIntegration is a crossroads
In October it will be fifty-five years since Germany and Turkey signed the labour recruitment agreement. And yet many people of Turkish origin still feel like outsiders in Germany. What does that tell us about the course of integration and what role does past experience play in the current situation? By Melanie Christina Mohr
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Al-Halqa in MarrakeshMorocco's last storytellers
The art of storytelling has always been part of Arab culture. Yet it is a tradition with an uncertain future. Filmmaker Thomas Ladenburger's exploration of the world of Moroccan storytellers provides a fascinating insight into the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. By Melanie Christina Mohr
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Arabic literature as a cultural assetUncharted waters
Many Arab civil war refugees have been forced to abandon prosperous lives in a homeland destroyed by war in order to reach the safety of Europe. But traumatic experiences are not all they bring with them; there is also a wealth of literature which is still unknown to many of us. By Melanie Christina Mohr
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Between Tigris and EuphratesMesopotamia: the cradle of civilisation
The Middle East is not only the scene of terrible violence, but also the birthplace of modern civilisation. It is high time we recalled the historical significance of ancient Mesopotamian culture, realising that current events in the Middle East are also a threat to our own identity. By Melanie Christina Mohr
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Mahmoud DarwishBuilding bridges with Arabic poetry
Anyone seeking to understand the Arab soul will find large parts of the Arab people’s collective memory in poetry, and another in the Palestinian tragedy of 1948. Mahmoud Darwish, one of the most prominent Arab poets of the modern age, united these two all his life. By Melanie Christina Mohr
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Interview with Leila AlaouiMorocco's art scene: a coin with two faces
While the Moroccan art scene still suffers from censorship, the main source of new artistic stimulus is the Moroccan diaspora. Melanie Christina Mohr spoke to the Moroccan-French artist Leila Alaoui about transnational perspectives, migration and photography
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Goethe′s fascination with the "Thousand and One Nights"Mephistopheles spoke; Scheherazade beguiled
To date, critical studies of Faust have given little consideration to its Oriental elements, in particular the fables from the "Thousand and One Nights". Goethe′s fascination with the famous storyteller Scheherazade, and his adoption of her narrative techniques and themes, has been underestimated. By Melanie Christina Mohr
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Goethe and the OrientWhy did the poet's mind wander to far-off climes?
When Goethe compiled over 200 poetic works to create his West-East Divan in 1814 and 1815, the 60-year-old had already been fascinated with the Orient his whole life. But what made the poet's mind wander to far-off climes? By Melanie Christina Mohr