The sea in Arab art and literature

The sea in the Arab sensibility is more than just blue water. It is heritage, the journey, fear, and longing.

The sea in ancient Arabic poetry

Ancient Arab poets wrote about the sea in a language that was both terrified and fascinated. In their imagination the sea was a world of the unknown.

The shift in the view of the sea

With the spread of marine tourism and diving, the sea in contemporary Arabic literature shifted from a source of fear to a space of freedom and discovery.

Diving as a literary metaphor

Many contemporary writers use diving as a metaphor for going deep into the self and searching for essence beneath the decorated surface of daily life.

You are part of a larger story

When you dive today you add a new chapter in the Arab person’s relationship with the sea. From the ancient pearl divers to you, there is a continuous line of curiosity and love for the sea.

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Diving is not an activity but a heritage. When you go into the water you continue a story that began thousands of years before you.