Photo Essays

Every year, large numbers of Iranian Shias travel to Najaf and Karbala in Iraq to take part in Arbaeen, the ceremony which marks the end of the 40-day mourning period for Hussein Ibn Ali, the third Shia imam and the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. Changiz M. Varzi charted their journey

Saudi Arabia has announced that women will soon be allowed to obtain a driver's licence without the permission of a legal guardian. Here are some other milestones women in the Islamic kingdom have reached over the years. By Carla Bleiker

Remember Kobani? Kurdish fighters freed the besieged Syrian city from "Islamic State" militants in a battle closely followed by international media in 2014. The town is slowly being rebuilt, but the drama remains. By Karlos Zurutuza

Since the outbreak of war in Syria, the entire Lebanese border has become a red zone: travellers from the West are advised by their governments to give it a wide berth. Yet once in the field, only the odd military checkpoint serves to remind travellers that tensions in the area remain high. In the Bekaa Valley, Hezbollah – the Party of God – holds sway. Wielding considerable political, military and social clout, this powerful Shia Islamist organisation is government, parliament and welfare state rolled into one. By Eric Lafforgue

Last week Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah marked 50 years on Brunei's throne with a spectacular and lavish ceremony at his golden-domed palace. Among the sultan's contemporary monarchs, only Queen Elizabeth II has reigned for longer. By Rey Azizi

Up to 1,000 mosques opened their doors to visitors on 3 October under the slogan "Good community, better society". We take a closer look into this community event hosted by the Islamic houses of prayer. By Helena Weise

In spite of current tensions between the Christian and the Muslim world, both religions live in peace in Al-Salt, in west-central Jordan, as captured by Italy-based photographer Fatima Abbadi.

They are descendants of Africans brought to the Ottoman Empire as slaves and domestic workers and said to number up to 100,000. Bradley Secker spent time with those identifying as Afro-Turks in western Turkey.

In the week preceding Germany's general election, we take a look at how integrated Muslims are in Europe. By Aasim Saleem