👂 The world through Arab eyes: The Bar Bahr podcast specializes in travel and journeys, with Yemeni artist, traveler, and storyteller Sumayya Jamal Balqis guiding listeners on an excursion to discover both themselves and the vast world around them. Throughout the episodes, she opens her travel journals to narrate through voice what she couldn’t capture in images between land and sea.

Balqis doesn’t rely heavily on guests, but she doesn’t completely abandon them either. Most episodes are built around the Yemeni storyteller’s own experiences, while occasionally hosting individuals connected to the stories she covers to add more details and clarify mysterious or confusing elements.

Exploring the world is an integral part of exploring ourselves: Sumaya travels across continents in search of inspiration. Sometimes she learns important lessons in observation and silence, other times she climbs mountains to reconnect with her body. In one instance, she develops a new perspective of the universe based on Ancient Egyptian symbols, and in another, she ventures outside her comfort zone to challenge her preconceptions.

Balqis observes what remains of authentic Bedouin life in Jordan after modernization, finds space for adventure in her war-torn homeland, breaks stereotypes about Africa and its diverse countries, and visits the Turkish islands infamous for their harshness.

Sumaya dedicates three full episodes to discussing the Datça Peninsula in Turkey, an experience that revealed to her the fragility and weakness of humans when confronted with nature. This peninsula is not a tourist destination and is characterized by its pristine environment largely untouched by modernization. The storyteller endured difficult times there and came close to death, from being poisoned by “devil’s tomatoes” to attempting to escape a forest fire, alongside small details that could turn any traveler’s life into a complete nightmare.

WHERE TO LISTEN- You can find Bar Bahr on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anghami, Audible, and Amazon Music.

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