Photo Essays

He seized power with force and wanted to lead Libya into a golden age of popular government. But his megalomania became his doom. On October 20, 2011, Moammar Gadhafi, for decades one of the most piercing figures in the league of Arab despots, was killed following fighting in Sirte.

Photojournalist Sean Gallagher traveled through the Islamic region of China in autumn of 2005. His photos show a vibrant Islamic society which nevertheless always feels threatened by China's centralized power structure.

While Muslims in Western Europe still represent a very recent phenomenon, Muslims have been settling in Eastern Europe for several centuries – in Belarus, Poland, and Lithuania, for example. Here, they are an integral part of the population. At the beginning of the 14th century a group of Tatars settled on territory encompassing the former Arch Duchy of Lithuania who were, in a name derived from the old Crimean Tatar word "Lipka" for Lithuania, called "Lipka Tatars". Today, several thousand descendants of this people live in the region. Photos: Ahmed Krausen, texts: Annett Hellwig

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

The Arab Spring raised hopes that women in the region would get more rights. They're now standing up for themselves. With Islamist parties winning elections, some fear that women's rights will be reduced again. By Andreas Gorzewski

Ramadan is a holy month for the world's Muslims. It is a month of peace and the time in which the Koran was first sent down from heaven to the Prophet Mohammed. The fasting takes place from sunrise to sunset and means abstinence from eating, drinking and sex. It is a form of worship. Those who fast should gain a better appreciation of the predicament of the poor and the destitute. Ramadan is also a month devoted to intensive prayer and social welfare. Our slide show presents impressions of Ramadan from the varied Islamic cultures all across Asia.

Syria is suffering the effects of the civil war. Forty percent of the nation's infrastructure has been destroyed. Four million people have been bombed out of their homes. Everyday life is becoming increasingly difficult in the worst-hit regions. Impressions from Andreas Stahl

It's been a year since Moammar Gadhafi's death - how are Libyans going about their lives and what remains of his legacy? A photo essay by Gaia Anderson

Journalist Martin Gerner has made several trips to Afghanistan since 2004, reporting for various German radio stations and print publications. The photographs he has taken in the country represent an attempt to capture the everyday life of children in Afghanistan.

For one month a year, the daily routines of Muslims are determined not only by prayer rituals, but also by sunrise and sunset. During the hours of daylight, the faithful are required to desist from eating and drinking and instead exercise self-discipline and abstinence. But for many Muslims, Ramadan brings with it a whole host of other challenges.