Naskh va Taaliq: Connections Between Iran and Pakistan, Old and New
In February 2020, I was invited on behalf of Ajam Media Collective to organize a workshop at the Lahore Biennale. Entitled, “Naskh va Taaliq,” the workshop explored cultural connections between
Iran Hits the Beach
Tourism is booming, and millions of Iranians are re-discovering the seductions of their northern Caspian Sea coast.
Amba: The Iraqi Mango Pickle from India That Tops Palestinian Shawarma
Originally published by Ajam Media Collective on October 22, 2018. Step into any Palestinian shawarma shop and the choice of toppings traverse a mouth-watering array of options: thick tahini-and-parsley bakdoonsiyyeh, crushed shatta peppers
From City to Slope in Iran
Originally published in Kinfolk Travel in September 2021, pgs. 146-153.
Iran After Khamenei
Originally published in the Boston Review on March 3, 2026. An interview with sociologist Asef Bayat on the U.S.-Israeli war, democratic opposition to the Islamic Republic, and the country’s uncertain
Looking A Tyrant In the Eye: Iran’s Long Struggle for Freedom and Justice
Originally published in TIME magazine on March 14, 2026. I knew he was watching. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s portrait is everywhere in Iran. His head is usually turned slightly away, while
Muscat: Where the Arab World Meets the Indian Ocean
Originally published by Ajam Media Collective on August 27, 2019. All photos by author Alex Shams. In Muscat’s souq, Arabic, Baluchi, Urdu, Hindi, and Malayalam mix freely, alongside a variety
Inside Mexico’s deep and unexpected legacy of Iranians
The Iranian presence in Mexico dates back centuries, but became even more pronounced when the Shah of Iran sought refuge there after he was overthrown in 1979. Originally published on
Learning the Language of Jesus Christ
Originally published by Roads and Kingdoms on November 2, 2015. Just a few hundred feet west of the church built atop the site where the Christian faithful believe Jesus was
Welcome to the Beef Capital of India
In Hyderabad, a cosmopolitan culinary culture fights back against the Hindu nationalist current sweeping the nation. A dish of tallava gosht slow frying in peanut oil on a cast-iron tava
Alex Shams
Alex Shams is a writer and anthropologist with a PhD from the University of Chicago.
He is editor-in-chief of Ajam Media Collective, a platform focused on culture, society, and politics in West and Central Asia. He previously worked as a journalist and researcher in the Middle East, based in Iran, Lebanon, and Palestine.
He has curated several artistic projects, including a workshop at the Lahore Biennale (2020) and the Mexican photographic series Sementerxs (2024). He is currently working on a non-fiction book, a historical novel, and a TV series.
He received his master's from Harvard University and his bachelor's from the University of Southern California. His articles are archived on this site.