Photo Essays

The violence unleashed in Libya by the struggle against the Gaddafi regime has spiralled out of control. Young fighters and militia members are reluctant to give up the power they gained by force of arms. The younger generation is politically frustrated and scarred by the trauma of the war. By Valerie Stocker

The civil war in Syria means that there are many traumatised and vulnerable Syrian children living as refugees in Lebanon. For them, the few makeshift schools set up to educate them are often the only semblance of normality in their disrupted and difficult lives. Many, however, are not even lucky enough to attend school. Photos by Amy Leang.

The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul has become a bone of contention. Since it was secularised in 1935, it has been a museum. Now Turkish nationalists want to turn it back into a mosque - while the Patriarch of Constantinople wants to use it as a church again. A photo essay by Klaus Dahmann.

Muslims all over the world are currently observing Ramadan. The month of fasting is supposed to be all about reflection, meditation and abstention - but Ramadan is becoming increasingly commercialised.

There are more than 80 mosques in the German capital. Ranging in style from classical to modern, these Islamic places of worship have become an integral part of Berlin's history and cultural fabric. Till Strätz and Max Zander present just a few of them

Baron Max von Oppenheim, a diplomat and the son of a Cologne banking family, was fascinated by Eastern cultures. He collected artefacts and in 1899, accidentally discovered the residence of an Aramaean ruler at Tell Halaf, on the border of modern-day Syria and Turkey. From 30 April to 10 August 2014, the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn is showing a selection of items from Oppenheim's private collection as well as some of his spectacular archaeological discoveries. By Kristina Reyman

According to a Persian saying, "Esfahan nesf-e jahan", Isfahan is half the world. In 1598, the Safavid dynasty made Isfahan the capital of its empire. To this day, the city is resplendent with magnificent mosques, rich bazaars and picturesque gardens. Photos by Shohreh Karimian and Johannes Ziemer

Majid Saeedi speaks through his photographs. The impressive and memorable photos in his Afghanistan photo documentary show how decades of war, conflict and occupation have ravaged the country and its people. Traces of these conflicts can be found everywhere, most particularly in the faces of the Afghan people.

She fights, she drives cars at breakneck speed, she jumps out of planes and helicopters ... these are just a few of the talents of Mahsa Ahmadi, the best stunt woman in Iran. Having worked for years in Iran and experienced the restrictions there, she would now like to emigrate, if possible to the United States. She already has confirmation that she'll be working on the next James Bond film.