Palestinian Architects Revive Earth Architecture in the Jordan Valley
Earth Architecture, the mysterious art of creating buildings out of compressed mud in a sustainable fashion, is making a comeback in one of the places of its origin.
Earth Architecture, the mysterious art of creating buildings out of compressed mud in a sustainable fashion, is making a surprise comeback in one of the places of its origin. In the Jordan Valley, near the ancient city of Jericho where 10,000 year old structures built only of earth still stand, a group of Palestinian architects from Ramallah are busy building new homes using mud brick and other compressed earth materials. For the architects, their obsession with sustainable materials is as much political as it is ecological and they are beginning to turn some heads as Monocle's Joseph Dana found out in the West Bank. Original Air Date: 5 March 2013 on Monocle 24
Turkey’s Second Oldest Newspaper
Nowhere is this more apparent than in Turkey. Since the founding of the Turkish republic, the newspaper you read, whether Milliyet or Hurriyet, is a quick indicator of your political persuasions.
Newspapers reflect the histories of the places or countries. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Turkey. Since the founding of the Turkish republic, the newspaper you read, whether Milliyet or Hurriyet, is a quick indicator of your political persuasions. It might be a surprise then to hear that Turkey’s second oldest newspaper serves a community of 600 families… in Greek. Monocle’s Eastern Mediterranean Correspondent Joseph Dana sends us
this report about a little known newspaper that is single-handedly helping to keep Turkey’s Greek community alive.
The Slow Gentrification of Jaffa
How the once mighty Palestinian city is coping with waves of gentrification
The city of Tel Aviv has grown exponentially in recent years, fueled by a hi-tech boom and consistent tourism industry. The result has been a vibrant, international city and skyrocketing rents on par with Western capitals. For some of the city’s younger residents, high rents have forced them into the ancient city of Jaffa just to the south Tel Aviv. Monocle’s Joseph Dana visited Jaffa to find out how the once mighty Palestinian city is coping with waves of gentrification. Original air date: 7 February 2013
As the Egyptian Economy Suffers, the Informal Sector Grows
Egyptians are facing the prospect of a tsunami of rising food prices and the certainty of harsh austerity measures. But one area of the economy is thriving.
Egypt’s financial straits continue to worsen as the Egyptian pound devalues, foreign reserves dwindle and the international community postpones loans. With a deteriorating political situation and the transition to democracy stalled, many Egyptians are facing down the prospect of a tsunami of rising food prices and the certainty of harsh austerity measures. But one area of the economy is thriving. Monocle’s Joseph Dana sends us this report from Cairo about Egypt’s burgeoning informal economy. Original air date: 12 February 2013