AL-BIREH, West Bank - A giant ship sits staunchly in the city of al-Bireh, next to Ramallah, the de-facto Palestinian capital of the West Bank, its architecture looking out of place against the surrounding block-built apartments and stone houses.

The nautical inspiration also catches the eye for another reasons - the West Bank is landlocked.

CAIRO – Dressed in casual clothing and sneakers, Mostafa Ashraf is a young man with a kind face who always wears a smile. He dreams - of an Egypt that one day will be free of bullying.

Ashraf lost his best friend to suicide caused by bullying at school. Later he would try to take his own life as a result of the same bullying that drove his friend, Jasmine, to kill herself.

“Jasmine was always upset and depressed a little before she was 12," he recalls with sadness. "She didn’t even share with me what was going on, only mentioning she was bullied.

RUSTAQ AND SALALAH, Oman - Surrounded by thousands of buzzing bees amid the spectacular mountain scenery of Oman's Jebel Shams, Moosa Salim Mohammed al-Hamrashdi is collecting honey from a dozen hollowed out trunks of palm trees. 

In this traditional method of Omani beekeeping, the beehive is placed in the hollowed-out trunk of a palm tree, which creates a unique flavour of honey but also protects the bees from both the summer heat and the cold in the winter season. 

The wood scent from the palm trunk permeates the honey, creating a unique flavour.

SIRINCE, Turkey – Morning sun rays filter through stained glass windows, shining on a group of teenagers and students in their 20s, sitting on wooden benches having breakfast. 

Situated near the small Agean village of Sirince, about 10km from the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, it could resemble any other summer camp if it weren't for the students mulling over intricate polygons and matrices.

AMMAN - When ex-Jordanian minister of education, Omar al-Razzaz, came to power as prime minister in June, a youth called Qutaiba asked him on Twitter if there was any hope that Jordan would become a better country, or if he should think of emigration.

“Stop thinking of migration, Qutaiba, but be enterprising,” Razzaz answered.  

The tweet went viral, as Jordanians were hoping that the demonstrations that toppled Hani al-Mulki’s government and brought Razzaz to office would give youth there a better future.

TEHRAN - As Mehdi Khakyan’s hands move skilfully across the piano keys, the soft chatter in the room subsides to hone in on the melody of Sultan-e-Ghalbha, a well-loved Iranian classic.

Salar Mohammady, the manager, trainer and head barista, is managing orders behind the coffee bar, while 19-year-old Ariya Azad, smiling, carefully serves aromatic cups of rose-infused tea to a table of customers.

From the outside, it could be mistaken for any cafe in Tehran’s affluent northern neighbourhoods - but Cafe Downtism is far from it.

JERASH, Jordan - When he was eight years old, Loz was evacuated from Aleppo. It was July 2017, seven months after Syria’s second-largest city finally fell to the forces of Bashar al-Assad's government.

While he soon found a new home on a hill cloaked with olive trees in the north of Jordan, Loz could not forget Syria. 

In those first days in Jordan, he would run and hide every time he heard trucks or helicopters, still scarred by the explosions and gunfire that riddled the city of his birth.

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Just before 6pm on a blustery autumn Saturday, Maksut Askar, head chef at Istanbul’s acclaimed Neolokal restaurant, is taking a break before dinner service begins. He has a busy few hours ahead of him.

Soon, locals and tourists alike will crowd into the chic rooftop dining room overlooking the illuminated Old City, to enjoy Askar’s contemporary take on traditional Anatolian dishes. 

AMMAN, Jordan - Along the bustling Wasfi al-Tal street stands Al-Mahar Fish Restaurant, a household name in the north-western area of Amman. Tucked behind green pillars, the restaurant’s large bay windows reveal about 30 dark wooden tables and coloured tapestry seats.

Inside the place is always swarming with visitors. It is 1pm and a group of customers are selecting fish for their meal. Usually the choice depends on the weight of the fish.

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Some may say that Nadir Gullu is a food tyrant, but there is no doubt that his perfectionism and authoritarian approach have made him into the master baklava maker that he is today. Known in Turkey as baklavaci, his baklava is among the best in Turkey.

Although he is not as tough on his employees as the Ottoman Sultans were believed to have been with their servants, he runs his baklava business like a despot.