Originally published in Journal Safar in September 2021 as part of Issue VI: Power. On the nights leading up to Ashura, the streets of Tehran turn a thousand shades of
Alex Shams participated in +921HeritageTalks, on the theme of “Learning from Archives, Walking and Documenting,” in January 2023, sponsored by Pakistan Chowk Community Centre. “The idea of history as neatly
Originally published on Middle East Eye on April 7, 2022. Although Iranian weddings vary from family to family, there are some key traditions which feature in almost all weddings (Illustration/MEE)
In Spring 2021, Alex Shams published “Where is Iran?” in the Harvard Kennedy School student publication, the Journal of Middle Eastern Politics and Policy.
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
Originally published on Ajam Media Collective on Feb. 16, 2021. In markets across Iran, Tanakura Bazaars can be found dedicated to second-hand clothes, knock-off brand name shoes, and Iranian-made shirts
Originally published on Ajam Media Collective on November 9, 2020. US elections change the fate of the world. Every four years, the world holds its collective breath and waits to
Originally published by Ajam Media Collective on March 24, 2020. This is the second article in a series about how Iranians are adjusting their lives as they enter the second
Originally published by Ajam Media Collective on March 15, 2020. Tehran has been under a state of semi-quarantine for 20 days. For weeks, millions have avoided leaving the house for