Tower and Town, May 2023 (view the full edition)Editorial: East-WestOur appreciation of the East-West links has never been more important than in this fast-changing era. The present issue of Tower & Town contains several examples of these venerable links. The first and second articles deal with the enrichments of western travellers to the east - the 20th century search for unity with nature in Arabia according to the seasoned English traveller Wilfred Thesiger, and the 21st century experiencing of wonder in Syria, so vividly penned by Sarah Bumphrey. However, as you dear reader appreciate, links with the east are much older as we are reminded around Christmas and Easter. And it is this Biblical link which is here explored by John Osborne in his excellent article about the association of Paul the Apostle with Ephesus in southern Turkey.Now, if you are seeking some surprises, go no further than the article by Ghanim Alsheikh. Imagine the monks accompanying the Crusaders on the way to Jerusalem, the British presence in southern Mesopotamia during early 20th century, and the confectionary manufacturing at Pontefract in Yorkshire. In fact, the article compounds the history and east to west transfer of an elusive commodity, Liquorice.Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the authors, our new compiler of this issue, the chairman and team of Tower & Town.Raik Jarjis |