History remembers women through the eyes of power. For generations, the legacies of Shehrazade, Cleopatra, and Zenobia have been misread, whitewashed, or flattened into symbols far smaller than the realities they represent.
At KHAMSA, we believe in re-reading these figures as living frameworks for identity, empowerment, and imagination in the Arab region today.
١. Shehrazade: The Storyteller as Survivor
Shehrazade’s name echoes through pop culture as the seductive narrator of One Thousand and One Nights, a beautiful woman who tames a murderous king with enchanting stories. But behind the fantasy is a sharp political allegory. Shehrazade is not passive. She tells stories not to entertain, but to survive. She is strategic, intellectual, and subversive. Each tale she tells is a delay; a calculated move in a larger plan to end violence.
Although fictional, Shehrazade is grounded in the oral traditions of the Arab world. Her power is not brute force, but narrative control. She offers an early model of creative resistance transforming her voice into a weapon.
We see her as a patron figure for Arab artists and writers reclaiming space through storytelling. She wasnt just trying to escape her reality, she was rewriting it.
٢. Cleopatra: The Queen the West Refused to Understand
Cleopatra VII is one of the most recognizable female figures in global history yet continuously misinterpreted. Often portrayed through Western fantasies, she’s reduced to a lover of Caesar or Mark Antony, framed by desire rather than rule. In truth, Cleopatra was a highly educated leader who spoke multiple languages, practiced diplomacy, and revived Egypt’s economy through calculated alliances.
While she was of Macedonian Greek descent, her role as a Hellenistic queen ruling an Egyptian empire positions her deeply within the regional story. She adopted Egyptian customs, aligned herself with the goddess Isis, and maneuvered through empire with agency.
Cleopatra challenges static definitions of identity. She reminds us that hybridity is not a flaw, but a form of influence. For a generation negotiating multiple cultural selves, Cleopatra is a mirror demanding we look closer than the Hollywood lens.
For those in Paris, check out the exhibition Le mystère Cléopâtre, running from June 11, 2025, to January 11, 2026, at the Institut du Monde Arabe. As we do so briefly in this piece, it seeks to unravel the layers of myth surrounding Cleopatra. Featuring approximately 250 artifacts, the exhibition juxtaposes historical evidence with centuries of artistic interpretations, from Roman propaganda to modern cinema. It highlights how Cleopatra’s image has been reshaped over time, often overshadowing her political acumen and leadership.
Buy your tickets here!
٣. Zenobia: The Forgotten Arab Queen Who Defied Rome
Zenobia ruled the Palmyrene Empire in the 3rd century CE and led one of the most daring rebellions against the Roman Empire. She expanded her territory across Syria, Egypt, and Asia Minor. Fluent in Aramaic, Greek, and Latin, Zenobia was both a military strategist and cultural leader. She claimed descent from Cleopatra and embraced both Arab and Greco-Roman traditions.
Despite her documented political and military leadership, Zenobia is often treated as a historical footnote. In global consciousness, she barely registers. In regional memory, she remains a ghost of resistance.
At KHAMSA5, we see Zenobia as a model of sovereign leadership. She didn’t rise in response to Western feminism—she predates it. Her existence proves Arab women have long wielded authority—not as exceptions, but as authors of history.
Why They Still Matter to Us
Whether fictional like Shehrazade, misrepresented like Cleopatra, or marginalized like Zenobia, these women offer more than mystical legends. They can represent different forms of agency: narrative, political, intellectual. Reclaiming their stories to refuse their erasure in the mainstream present.
These figures deserve more than nostalgic admiration. They deserve adaptation amongst young women today. Imagine Shehrazade as the face of a podcast platform. Cleopatra as a cultural and political diplomat in a series voiced in Arabic. Zenobia as the central figure of a graphic novel or strategy game. Their stories aren’t static but rich source material.
For a generation that’s redefining identity, power, and voice, these women are blueprints.
