The Atlas
The Atlas is a blog by Kharita, dedicated to exploring topics in geography, history, and geopolitics, without the typical Western spin. We aim to offer fresh, grounded perspectives and welcome contributions from writers around the world, representing a diverse range of experiences and backgrounds.
الأطلس
الأطلس هو مدونة تابعة لـ خريطة، مخصصة لطرح مواضيع في الجغرافيا، والتاريخ، والجغرافيا السياسية، من غير الفلترة أو التحيز الغربي المعتاد. هدفنا هو تقديم رؤى جديدة وواقعية، وبنرحب بمقالات من كُتّاب من مختلف أنحاء العالم، بخلفيات وتجارب متنوعة.
Echoes of Erasure: The Devastation of Palmyra and Mosul
In modern conflicts, the deliberate destruction of cities and their heritage represents a deep and lasting tragedy. These acts of devastation do not only erase buildings or roads, but what even defines human civilization: identity and history. And, in the story of destruction, ISIS (ad-dawla al-islāmiyya) occupies a prominent position. In 2014, the terrorist organization

Love, Death, and Egyptians
Civilizations of every kind have made manifest the nature of their belief in an afterlife in the way they have treated their dead. Eugène Viollet le Duc

الحرب والسودان
ازاي خريطة اترسمت في 1941 ممكن تكون سبب من أسباب الحرب في السودان سنة 2023 لغاية دلوقتي؟ .ممكن تبان كأنها حاجة قديمة ومالهاش علاقة باللي بيحصل دلوقتي, بس زي مانتوا عارفين كل حاجة مربوطة ببعضها الخريطة دي اترسمت وقت الحرب العالمية التانية لما الإنجليز كانوا مسيطرين علي مصر والسودان. احتاجوا ساعتها خرائط دقيقة عشان يقدروا

Bodies at the Border: How Liberal Feminism Erases Women
A report that dates back to July 2024 claims that over 10,000 women have been killed in Gaza since October 2023. UN Women gives it a slogan, calls it a “war on women”. The gendered nature of state-sponsored violence is not new. Wars, and in this case genocide, have been built upon the hierarchies of

Promised Lands: What Is The Cartography of Divine Claims?
A promised land is a place that people, belonging from a particular community, believe was created for them. This belief often comes from religious stories or traditions passed down through generations. These lands are seen as sacred and essentially as a gift from a higher deity. In the Bible, for example, Canaan is called the

Emotional Geography And The Experience Of The Displaced
There’s a reason why we get homesick; we tend to form emotional attachments to the places we’ve lived all our lives. That’s because our homes are more than just buildings; they are part of who we are. We grow fond of the streets we walk, the markets we shop in, and even the sounds and

Singing Against Silence: Palestinian Music And It’s Fight Against Occupation
Every Palestinian story is a political act. Edward Said In all kinds of peace and war, music is produced and consumed every day. While the colonizer sings the triumphs of their wins, the colonized sing their hopes for triumph. The difference, however, is that the colonizer always tries to silence the colonized. For Palestinians, this

World War II… In Egypt?
It might be surprising to hear that what is now home to beach resorts and mega projects was once a World War II battle ground. El Alamein, a city along the Egyptian Mediterranean coast, approximately 100 km west of Alexandria. Today it is flocked to by holidayers, concert goers, government officials and businessmen, Egyptians and

Baghdad’s Bayt al-Hikma: A Forgotten Beacon of Knowledge
“Bayt al-Hikmah”, “House of Wisdom”, is a central institution in Islamic intellectual history. Some think that it represents the mental transformation that took place in the Islamic world. Bayt al-Hikmah flourished within the Abbasid caliphate between the 8th and 10th centuries. This center played an important role in the intellectual development of a time often

Behind The Border: Rwanda’s Hidden Influence In Eastern Congo
In early 2025, a rapid escalation of fighting occurred in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The M23 (“Mouvement du 23 Mars”), having occupied large areas in North and South Kivu for years. In January 2025, they captured the city of Goma, a key regional hub on the Rwandan border[1]. This event resulted

How Colonialism Redrew Africa’s Map
Maps and power aren’t often paired, but in Africa’s story, they’ve always walked hand in hand. Lines were drawn not to guide, but to divide and rule. Before colonialism, Africa was a thriving continent of kingdoms, empires, and autonomous nations, each governing its affairs according to its customs, laws, and leadership. Territorial boundaries weren’t rigid

The Rise and Fall of Yugoslavia: How One Man Built—and Broke—a Nation
The story of the Rise and Fall of Yugoslavia can be summarised by the rise and death of one man. A man who ruled the country for over four decades, and after his death, the country’s downfall ensued. Before we delve into the story of Yugoslavia, it is essential to understand some basic details about

Bordering Egypt: Establishing the “Post-Colonial” Reality in Rafah
To map Egypt, the British began to map what was not Egypt. Here, villages were divided, and imaginaries were created. But how did Rafah come into play as the final point – and when did we begin to treat this division as reality? Two soldiers stand under an olive tree in a deserted area. This
الأندلس… المجد المفقود
تفتكر إن معلوماتك عن التاريخ الإسلامي كتير؟ لو إجابتك “أيوه”… فهي متوقعة جدًا.أكيد سمعت عن بدايات الإسلام، وعصر الخلفاء الراشدين، والفتوحات، والدول اللي قامت بعد كده زي الأموية، العباسية، والأيوبية… كل القصص اللي اتكررت على وداننا وإحنا صغيرين. لكن الحقيقة؟إن ده مجرد السطح بس.لأن جوا التاريخ ده في حكايات منسية مدهشة، غريبة، ومبهرة.ويمكن دي أكتر

From Pigeons to Protest: The Forgotten Spark of Egyptian Nationalism
If you went to school in Egypt, you probably know the name Denshawai. It might bring back memories of a history lesson. You may recall bullet points from a revision booklet or a multiple-choice question on the subject. The narrative presented was so clear that it might surprise you to hear that it wasn’t the