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City of lost mosques: how Suzhou tells the story of China's Islamic past
City of lost mosques: how Suzhou tells the story of China's Islamic past Alessandra Cappelletti, Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University The labyrinth of alleys and lanes in the old city of Suzhou hides a secret: historical fragments of the long history of Islam in China. Regular stories in the international press highlighting the treatment of Muslims in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region tend to obscure the fact that Islam was once highly regarded by Chinese emperors. From written records and imperial edicts engraved on steles (standing stone slabs monuments) it is clear that these Islamic communities enjoyed the favour of the...
Women used to dominate the beer industry – until the witch accusations started pouring in
Women used to dominate the beer industry – until the witch accusations started pouring in Three women dressed in Middle-Age period garb as alewives. Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis via Getty Images Laken Brooks, University of Florida What do witches have to do with your favorite beer? When I pose this question to students in my American literature and culture classes, I receive stunned silence or nervous laughs. The Sanderson sisters didn’t chug down bottles of Sam Adams in “Hocus Pocus.” But the history of beer points to a not-so-magical legacy of transatlantic slander and gender roles. Up until the 1500s, brewing was...
Why do flowers smell?
Why do flowers smell? A floral scent can be enjoyable for a person, but it has an important job for the flower. Richard L. Harkess, CC BY-ND Richard L. Harkess, Mississippi State University Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. Why do flowers smell? – Henry E., Age 9, Somerville, Massachusetts Imagine walking through a tropical forest as a sweet scent wafts through the air. A little farther down the path, the putrid stench of rotting flesh makes you catch your breath....
Naples memorialized its 17th century plague with a festival for healing, and so should we after COVID-19
COVID-19 festival Naples plague
Naples memorialized its 17th century plague with a festival for healing, and so should we after COVID-19 Monuments are good; so are civic festivals. The ‘plague column’ at Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, in Naples. (Mongolo1984/Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA Keith Johnston, Algoma University A poignant reminder of death stands in Naples, where the old Roman road meets the main college street and the imposing palazzos step back to reveal a sun-drenched plaza. The San Domenico column, Naples, shown in May 2019. (damian entwistle/Flickr), CC BY-NC The spire of San Domenico — a stone obelisk topped with a statue of the saint...
OUR LEMON COLLECTION IS BACK!
Honolulu Cookie Company lemon collection
OUR LEMON COLLECTION IS BACK! Honolulu, HI – The zestiest moment of the year is here. Get ready for the return of Honolulu Cookie Company’s Lemon Collection! The pucker punch of lemon, Honolulu Cookie Company’s much-loved and most-popular seasonal premium shortbread cookie flavors, Lemon and White Chocolate Lemon, are back in all of its citrusy glory beginning tomorrow, March 3, right on time for Easter gift giving for friends and family, and spring season treats for you. The pineapple-shaped cookies return just the way many admirers of this limited-edition Honolulu Cookie Company collection remember...