The intricate, intimate interiors of Middle Eastern homes

Nestled in the most intimate recesses of home lies the photo album, a personally curated visual memoir of our histories and lives. For many, it is kept in the living room, lying within arm’s reach for a trip down memory lane. ​“Family photo albums were my first introduction to photography – not just as images, but as stories. Looking through them, I became aware of how photographs shape memory, identity, and narrative,” says Moroccan-Egyptian curator Romaisa Baddar. 

Driven by her passion for visual storytelling, Baddar launched Middle East Archive (MEA) in January 2020 on Instagram, weaving sublime scenes of everyday life into a kaleidoscopic tapestry of culture, history, and tradition across the region. As the community grew, Baddar recognised a need to give the images a physical form that could live in the hearts and homes of her followers. ​“This was both a personal desire and a response to growing interest from others, which became a source of inspiration in itself,” she says. 

Like the family photo album, the photography book fills a visceral need to look at pictures while using our hands. Freed from taboo against touch, we can page through the images without losing them to the endless digital scroll. ​“Print gives photographs a sense of permanence and presence that digital images can’t replicate,” says Baddar. 

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In 2023, Baddar created An Archive of Love, an exquisite ode to the highest emanation of the human soul. The book kicked off the MEA publishing programme, which includes explorations of faith, football, and now Living Rooms. Spotlighting the role of family and hospitality in its many splendoured forms, the book explores the interplay between identity, aesthetics, and kinship at the centre of our lives. 

Featuring works by over 40 photographers including Abbas, Sabiha Çimen, Olgaç Bozalp, and Olivia Arthur made between 1990 and 2024, Living Rooms is a celebration of personal sanctuaries across the Middle East and North Africa. ​“In our region, where private spaces are deeply personal and protected, photographing inside homes is an intimate act,” says Baddar. ​“Bringing these images into book form was a way to honour that intimacy and create something tangible that reflects the warmth, history, and lived-in essence of these spaces.” 

Working against a backdrop of disinformation pervading media throughout the west, Living Rooms stands as a statement of dignity, pride, and humanity. ​“The image selection intentionally bridges archival and contemporary work, challenging the misconception that the region’s ​‘prime days’ are in the past and countering its frequent portrayal as solely troubled or conflict-ridden,” says Baddar. ​“Every photograph and photographer from the region was curated with purpose, contributing to a broader and more nuanced representation of Middle Eastern life.”

Ultimately Living Rooms celebrates the art of hospitality as a spiritual act. ​“When I am back home, there is always someone over for a tea, coffee, dinner or to stay – neighbours, cousins, and uncles,” says Baddar. ​“It’s a place that reflects our religious beliefs and a deep sense of pride.” 

To purchase a copy of Living Rooms, visit Middle East Archive’s official website.

Miss Rosen is a freelance arts and photography writer, follow her on X.

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