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Sufism – the mystical path of Islam – enjoys a long tradition in Sudan. Sufis aspire to achieve perfection of worship through music, dance and meditative exercises. Two of the largest Sufi orders in Sudan are the Qadiriya and the Burhani brotherhoods. In Omduraman near Khartoum, members of the Qadiriya order meet every weekend by the hundreds in front of the tomb of their former leader, Sheikh Hamed al-Nil, at the cemetery bearing his name. The ceremony's popularity has long since extended beyond the Qadiriya order and is now the largest regularly-held Sufi event in Sudan. By Philipp Breu

In 633 AD, Muslim Arabs from the Arabian Peninsula attacked the Zoroastrian empire of Persia, and following a 21-year war, conquered the ancient realm. Iran’s official religion changed from Zoroastrian to Islam; however, 1367 years after that conquest, ordinary Iranians still celebrate various Zoroastrian traditions and rituals. By Changiz M. Varzi

Baswaliha, a 55-year-old woman living in Pakistan's Mohmand district near the Afghan border, lost her husband and a son in militant attacks. Today, fears of the Taliban's return are rife in the area. By S. Rehman

To mark the 60th anniversary of the German-Turkish recruitment agreement, the Ruhr Museum is exhibiting photographs by Istanbul photographer Ergun Cagatay. By Ceyda Nurtsch

Abraham was born in Iraq and this is where the whale swallowed Jonah, according to the Bible. Pope Francis' is travelling to an area steeped in biblical history.

Egypt's street artists expressed their dissent on Cairo's walls, as thousands of protesters demanded more democratic rights. By Manasi Gopalakrishnan

"Temple of Refuge" illustrates Iraqi-Kurdish migrant Sartep Namiq's journey to Berlin. It was commissioned with the help of a unique organisation. By Stefan Dege

Scores of people have been killed and injured in the unrest. Now, embattled President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has asked a Russian-led military alliance for help. By Philip Boell

Among the 24 squads at the Euros, dozens of players with African roots will turn out in the June 11-July 11 tournament. Several of them are top names at this pan-continental event. By Stefan Nestler

In the years 2003, 2004 and 2006, Ikhlas Abbis travelled through the marshlands of southern Iraq. He took photographs of the process of development taking place in the swamps, which were drained under Saddam Hussein in the 1980s and reflooded after his overthrow.