Arabic poetry carved into stone columns and framed by geometric mosaics in Marrakech. In many parts of the Arab world, verse has long served not only as art but as a medium of memory, politics, and social record. (Source: Shutterstock)
Reading this piece stirred memories of poetry lessons in Saudi schools—where the form was taught, but rarely the function. We memorised verses, studied rhyme schemes, and learned that poetry had long served as a tool for praise, satire, or negotiation. But the deeper meaning—what the poets were actually…
