Resurgent Nahda: Arab Exhibitions in 1930s Jerusalem

The cultural and political legacies of the the 1933 and 1934 Arab Exhibitions in Jerusalem

Resurgent Nahda examines the 1933 and 1934 Arab Exhibitions in Mandate Jerusalem, highlighting the city's role in asserting a regional Arab Nahda and fostering economic, cultural and artistic exchange amid post-World War I geopolitical fragmentation. The book emerges from Nadi Abusaada's seven years of research, including an award-winning 2019 essay in the Jerusalem Quarterly and two exhibitions he curated at the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center in Ramallah (2022-23) and Darat al-Funun in Amman (2024). Featuring six essays, an interview and primary materials--including archival documents, crafts and artworks--the book explores Jerusalem's connections with Baghdad, Cairo, Damascus and Beirut, tracing the journeys of artists, craftspeople, architects and journalists who shaped this pivotal chapter in modern Arab history.