Photo Essays

Iran is one of the great cinema nations. And despite censorship and reprisals, Iranian directors were and are still creative and productive. A photo essay Jochen Kürten

After the Six-Day War, many viewed Israel as invincible. But a coordinated attack by Egypt and Syria on October 6, 1973, brushed away any illusions of security. A photo essay by Klaus Dahmann

Nearly 50,000 Palestinians officially work in Israel, while around 30,000 cross the border illegally every day from the West Bank to work. Israel does not make it easy for either group.

Few other bands can look back on such a diverse musical culture as the Moroccan group "Master Musicians of Joujouka" – not least due to their musical co-operations with western rock and jazz greats since the 1960s. A photo essay by Arian Fariborz

In Mauritania, northwestern Africa, slavery is a fact of modern life. It's estimated that 10-20 percent of the country's 3.5 million people are still enslaved in a system rooted in ethnic discrimination.

The civil war in Syria, which has taken the lives of thousands since 2011, is becoming increasingly brutal. Valuable cultural sites are also being destroyed in the fighting. UNESCO has now provided reports on the damage.

Raden Saleh spent many years - the "best of his life" - in Germany. In the mid-19th century, the Javan artist became one of the founders of German Orientalism.

In 2011 demonstrators gathered at Cairo's Tahrir Square to protest against the old regime signalling the start of the Arab Spring in Egypt. A few weeks later the Mubarak regime was ousted and there was hope that Egypt was on a path to change. Today, one year into Mohammed Morsi's presidency, the protests continue at Tahrir Square - against the president and the ruling Muslim Brotherhood party. By Andreas Stahl

A year after Libya's revolution and the death of leader Moammar Gadhafi the country is still struggling in its transition to a democratic and just society. Remembering cultural traditions may help the process. Impressions by Gaia Anderson and Sabine Hartert