Photo Essays

Boats carrying more than 1,600 Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants arrived off the coasts of Indonesia and Malaysia last week after human traffickers reportedly dumped the boats in shallow waters. Others have entered Thailand's territorial waters. Some refugees were able to land; others have been towed back out to sea in their boats. All three countries have stated that they view the refugees as illegal migrants and have said they would provide food and water for them but not safe harbour. In this photo gallery, we take a look at the refugees' ordeal.

On the Turkish side of the Armenian–Turkish border in the province of Kars lies the spectacular medieval city of Ani. Although no longer on their territory, the deserted city is regarded by Armenians as an essential part of their national heritage and identity. Filip Warwick visited the abandoned city and documented what is left of it

For so many people, the River Nile is a source of life and income. It passes through no less than 11 countries on its way to the Mediterranean. From 16 April to 27 May 2015, the Goethe-Institut in Dessau, Germany, is hosting an exhibition of the works of three young photographers depicting life on the banks of the Nile River in Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan. The works are divided into three sections: "A day in the life of a Rosetta family" by Mahmoud Yakut, "Lab of creation" by Elsadig Mohamed Ahmed and "Lessons of humility by the Blue Nile" by Brook Zerai Mengistu

The book "Walls of Freedom" presents readers with images of the street art of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011. The English-language photo book is published by the activist and street artist Don Karl (aka Stone). In Egypt, the work has fallen victim to censorship. Wafah Al-Badri offers his impressions of "Walls of Freedom"

The high-profile case of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi is not the only one of its kind. Throughout the Arab world, writers, journalists and activists are being locked up for expressing critical opinions

Nowruz is one of the oldest celebrations in the world. It has been a fixture on the cultural calendar in many regions for more than 2,500 years. It marks the beginning of spring and also the change of seasons in the Iranian solar calendar. Sharam Ahad offers his impressions of the celebrations.

Milad Alaei worked for Iranian news agencies from 2009 to 2014. His less than flattering pictures of everyday life in Iran led to him being fired. Threatened with a trial, he moved to Austria in 2015. Milad Alaei gave the photographs that he had been forced to withdraw or that hadn't been published in Iran to Deutsche Welle

The earthen fortified city of Ait-Ben-Haddou is regarded as an important part of Morocco's cultural heritage. Severe storms have damaged the site, however, and repairing it is difficult and expensive. Impressions from Anne Allmeling

With his photo project "This Place", Frederic Brenner sought to provide a different insight into Israel and the West Bank. As part of the project, 12 international photographers present landscape and portrait photos that aim to contribute to the observer's understanding of the conflict region. The exhibition runs at the Dox Center for Contemporary Art in Prague until 3 March 2015. By Felix Koltermann

Germany ranks as the second most popular destination for immigrants directly after the USA. The exhibition "Increasingly colourful: Germany, land of immigration" at the Haus der Geschichte (House of History of the Federal Republic of Germany) in Bonn provides an overview of the past 60 years of immigration to Germany. Impressions by Hans Joachim Hennig