Middle East and North Africa Season
Explore the rich and complex histories, cultures, languages and politics of the Middle East and Africa—regions that have shaped human civilisation and continue to influence our world today. From ancient empires and early innovations to contemporary conflicts and cultural expression, our courses offer a wide-ranging and inclusive look at the people, places and ideas that define these diverse regions. Whether you're interested in learning Arabic, decoding hieroglyphs, or understanding the impact of colonialism and modern geopolitics, there's something for every curious mind.
These regions are not only central to global history but are also vibrant and evolving spaces of creativity, resilience and change. Our courses are designed to help you engage thoughtfully with this richness—through language, literature, religion, politics and more—guided by expert tutors in an open and welcoming learning environment.
Browse our courses today and discover new perspectives on the Middle East and Africa.
50 courses available
Arabic reading groupDo you want to start reading more fluently in Arabic while improving your knowledge of vocabulary and pronunciation? Then, come and join this friendly online reading class which focuses on practical, everyday texts. You will need to be able to read the alphabet and individual words to join this course. Suitable if you are studying at 2 lower module 1 level or above (more than 1 year of Arabic).Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00- Umayyads (661-750) and Abbasids (750-1258): the first dynasties that ruled the Islamic world
This study day will delve into the main political and cultural events that characterise the history of the Umayyads and the Abbasids.
Keeley Street
Sat 10 Oct 2026Roberta MarinFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Road to Antalya: Global Climate Solutions at COP31
Will COP 31 address theunprecedentedthreats that climate change posesto society and the environment, or do we need more ambitious global solutions?
Online
Wed 21 Oct 2026Anita PunwaniFull fee £49.00 Senior fee £49.00 Concession £32.00 - Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan 1917-21: Revolution, Conflict and Experiments in Independence
Join our tutor David Rowson to discover the fascinating history of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, otherwise known as the South Caucasus.
Online
Thu 22 Oct 2026David RowsonFull fee £189.00 Senior fee £189.00 Concession £123.00 - Corruption and colonialism: how the past affects the presentIn large parts of the Global South, corruption is rampant but that was not always the case. By upending local values and customs and forcibly replacing indigenous institutions with Westerns structures, colonialism introduced systemic corruption on a grand scale that continues to this day.
Keeley Street
Sat 31 Oct 2026Tariq HassanFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - What the Islamic Golden Age did for Us
An introductory course on the achievements of the Islamic Golden Age, across all areas of civilisation, how these inspired Europe, and helped to bring about the modern world we live in.
Keeley Street
Sun 1 Nov 2026Tas RahmanFull fee £89.00 Senior fee £71.00 Concession £58.00 - Arabic beginners: short introductionGet a short introduction to the Arabic language and discover aspects of Arabic language culture in these live online communicative classes. Suitable for complete beginners.
.Online
Mon 2 Nov 2026Taïssir K MahmoudFull fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £99.00 - Peacebuilding and Post-Conflict Societies
This four-week course explores peacebuilding in post-conflict societies, examining key concepts, case studies, and practical tools to understand how diverse actors rebuild and sustain peace after violent conflict.
Online
Wed 4 Nov 2026Maisa EdwardsFull fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £58.00 - 20th to 21st Century War Poetry: Owen, Apollinaire and Trakl to Akhmatova and Darwish
Explore the astonishing range of poetic responses to a hundred years of warfare, acts of witnessing, endurance, defiance and condemnation by writers across the globe: Sassoon and Wilfred Owen in Britain, Apollinaire, Brecht, Milosz, Celan, Akhmatova and Stepanova in Europe and Russia, Darwish and Zhadan in the Middle East and Ukraine, and many others.
How do they describe the indescribable? This online course will look at the myriad ways poets - combatants and civilians - responded to the century of total war and are responding to its legacy now.
Online
Thu 5 Nov 2026Stephen WinfieldFull fee £139.00 Senior fee £111.00 Concession £90.00 - The arts of medieval Islam: Fatimids, Turks, Mongols and Mamluks
A course looking at the role of ideology and patronage under key Islamic dynasties that arose in Egypt and the Middle East during the 10th - 14th century, with important new influences brought by invasions of Turks and Mongols from Central Asia and the Far East.
Keeley Street
Fri 6 Nov 2026Anita ChowdryFull fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Samanids (819-999), Ghaznavids (977-1186) and Ghurids (786-1215): the great dynasties of Central Asia
In this short course the focus will be on three of the most remarkable dynasties that ruled over vast areas of the Islamic world, including present-day Iran, Afghanistan, Northwestern India and Pakistan.
Keeley Street
Fri 6 Nov 2026Roberta MarinFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - The Cities Series: Iconic Cairo, the city of a thousand minarets
The Fatimids founded the city that would become the capital of their Mediterranean empire and called it Al-Qahirah or the Victorious City. From the moment of its foundation to modern times, Cairo has always been an iconic city, at the centre of many important events that have characterized the history of the Islamic world.
Keeley Street
Sat 7 Nov 2026Roberta MarinFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Conversational Egyptian Arabic
Designed for learners with little or no prior knowledge of Arabic, this course develops your ability to communicate naturally in Egyptian Arabic, one of the most widely understood dialects in the Arab world. You’ll build fluency through practical dialogues, everyday expressions, and real-life situations. Course materials include both Arabic script and transliteration, supporting the development of your reading skills while strengthening your speaking and listening abilities.
Online
Sat 7 Nov 2026Micheline AntonianFull fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £99.00 - The meaning of light: symbolism and religious objects in Buddhism and the Abrahamic faiths
Join this short V&A museum tour to learn more about the significance of light in the Abrahamic faiths and Buddhism.
Off Site
Sun 15 Nov 2026Marilyn GreeneFull fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - Science in the Islamic Golden Age
An introductory course on the development of science in Islamic Empires, some of the key achievements, and how these helped to later fuel the Renaissance in Europe.
Keeley Street
Sun 22 Nov 2026Tas RahmanFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00
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