Episode 11:

Imagining Nationhood in the Middle East

Naghmeh Sohrabi of Brandeis University unpacks the rise of nationalism in the Middle East, highlighting contending visions of national ideology while offering a reminder that nationhood was not always a foregone conclusion across the region.

Guest Bios

Naghmeh Sohrabi

Naghmeh Sohrabi is the Charles (Corky) Goodman Professor of Middle East History and the Associate Director for Research at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University. She is the author of the book Taken for Wonder: Nineteenth Century Travel Accounts from Iran to Europe, and several articles on Iranian history and contemporary politics. She is currently writing a book on the experience of the 1979 revolution in Iran.

Katie Reusch

Katie Reusch teaches Social Studies at Andover High School in Andover, MA.

Free Resources and Featured Books

Learn more about Nationhood in the Middle East with these free online resources:

Episode Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Qatar Foundation International, which provided the seed funding and support to develop and launch this podcast and to produce this episode.

We are grateful to Naghmeh Sohrabi and Katie Reusch for generously sharing their expertise.

Image Credits

25 piastres,” by Ronald Chan, used under Public Domain Mark 1.0.

Featured Music

  • Kim Arar,” by Wind of Anatolia, from the album Live at the 2014 Golden Festival, used with permission from Wind of Anatolia. The track has been excerpted and mixed with narrative.