Our Story

Arabic Words: Origins

Arabic Words was launched on Instagram in June 2018 as an online diary documenting a personal journey of reconnecting with Arabic language and literature, one word at a time. Each post was sparked by a single word. We then delved into dictionaries and works of literature - both classical and modern - in order to highlight the rich connotations of the word, illuminate its cultural and historical contexts, and give our audience a vivid image they can associate with.

The Art of Curation

Though the page is inspired by words, the essence of its vision is curating ideas in a digital museum-like space.. a gallery where the beauty of Arabic language and culture can be discovered and rediscovered. The content is showcased in a style reminiscent of classical Arabic anthologies. Like these classical works, our purpose is to enlighten and entertain by curating passages, verses, and quotes, bringing into the virtual world the selections that were once the center of literary salons (majālis) in the golden age of Islamic Civilization.

Audience Response

The audience engagement and feedback has been encouraging since the early days of Arabic Words. The page grew quickly and attracted diverse audiences from across the Arab world and beyond. It was heartwarming to read the messages of love and support about how our posts were a source of inspiration for many, and this fueled our determination to keep moving forward.

Our Mission

A lot of the comments we received from the younger generation and the Arab diaspora expressed how the page made them fall in love with the Arabic language after they had hated learning it at school. These sentiments highlighted the looming challenge: our magnificent tongue was being buried in soulless textbooks, banished beyond the reach of younger generations. Social media, where people spend much of their time, was lacking culture-conscious Arabic content that was relevant, relatable, and accessible. This gave the page a more concrete mission: to rekindle passion for Arabic through valuable, engaging, purpose-driven, visually compelling content that promotes the Arabic language and enriches people's lives.

The Mind Maps

To fulfill our mission and to make such content accessible to the widest possible audience, we adopted various approaches and presentation methods. Mind maps, in particular, have helped us visualize the incredibly rich and nuanced vocabulary that characterize the Arabic language.

Most of the words featured in our mind maps are often scattered in classical works with no structure based on the relationship between them. What we try to do through these mind maps is paint cohesive visual representations of big ideas such as love, friendship, time, virtues among others while highlighting the richness and beauty of the Arabic language.

The response was massive and the mind maps went viral on social media. Based on recommendations from friends and followers, we decided to revamp the designs and transform them into works of art worthy of adorning our homes and workspaces, or being gifted to family, friends, and loved ones.

After more than two years of research and experimentation, and countless revisions and improvements, we produced the set of mind maps you can find in our shop. We are proud to present art prints that are both beautiful and insightful – something that serves as a daily reminder of the beauty of Arabic.

This is only the beginning, with your support, we look forward to continue exploring creative ways to fulfill our vision for future of the Arabic language.