Photo Essays
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Christians celebrate Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, striving to maintain presence
Christians celebrated Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, facing an increasing struggle to maintain their status in the Holy City in the face of the expansion of Jewish settlements and repeated acts of violence. By Henriette Chacar
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Nowruz: New Year, Spring Festival and National Holiday
In Persian and Central Asian cultures, Nowruz has the same significance as Christmas in Europe, Thanksgiving in the USA or the New Year in China. The celebration is preceded by days of preparation.
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Pakistani women defy forced marriage abroad
Italian prosecutors are seeking justice for Pakistani immigrant women allegedly killed because they refused marriages imposed by their parents. The cases highlight differences, often misconstrued as religion-based, between centuries-old immigrants’ cultural traditions and Western values prizing individualism.
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Hope for earthquake survivors fades
Over a week since the earthquake that devastated towns and cities along both sides of the Syrian-Turkish border, the death toll now exceeds 41,000. As rescue efforts move into the recovery phase, questions are inevitably being asked
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Fighting Lebanon's illegal logging scourge
Braving the bitter cold, Lebanese villagers have been patrolling a mountainside in the country's north, trying to protect trees from loggers who roll in under the cover of darkness, while refugees in the Bekaa valley have joined a seed bomb reforestation project
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The Taliban's war on women
Since seizing power in mid-2021, the Taliban have continued to restrict the rights of Afghan women and girls. At the end of 2022, they banned women from attending higher education. By Nele Jensch
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Pakistan: Chilli pepper farmers struggle with extreme climate conditions
Extreme heat and drought followed by floods: climate change is making this sequence of weather in Pakistan increasingly likely. The consequences include crop failure, as seen in the chilli capital of Pakistan, Kunri. By Florian Görner
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"Woman, life, freedom!" – Iran marks three months of protests
The violent death of Jina Mahsa Amini in September has triggered the largest protest movement in decades against the repressive rule in the Islamic Republic. The Iranian state has reacted with full force.
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Ajvatovica, Europe's largest Muslim pilgrimage
Ajvatovica, the largest Muslim pilgrimage in Europe, dates back over 500 years. Legend has it that Ajvaz Dedo, an Anatolian dervish, prayed to God for water during a period of drought for 40 days and nights in front of a huge rock near the town of Prusac in what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the last day, he fell asleep, only to find when he awoke that the rock had split in two, releasing a stream of water. By Konstantin Novakovic
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UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage 2022
Once a year, UNESCO inscribes traditions and customs on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List. A selection from the year 2022.