Tradition

"Live in the Khaleej!" by Boom.Diwan

A love letter to an ancient tradition

Boom.Diwan's album with Arturo O'Farrill fuses Kuwaiti pearl diving music with jazz, shedding light on the Gulf region's complex musical and social history.
Nowruz: New Year, Spring Festival and National Holiday

In Persian and Central Asian cultures, Nowruz has theIn Persian and Central Asian cultures, Nowruz has the same significance as Christmas in Europe, Thanksgiving in the USA or the New Year in China. The celebration is preceded by days of preparation.
Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Fitr

The end of Ramadan 2023 has seen Muslims worldwide gearing up for the festival of Eid ul-Fitr, which takes place this year on 21 and 22 April. By Sonia Phalnikar
The real story of Christmas: from sun-worship to Sinterklaas

History doesn’t record when the first Christmas was celebrated, but it was probably sometime in the fourth century CE, in the Roman Empire. What's sure is that the first historic record of the holiday is a calendar dating from 354 CE, belonging to a rich Roman Christian named Philocalus.
Wings of joy: Kabul's bird market

For some Afghans weighed down by decades of war and struggle, a little comfort and distraction can be found in the company of birds. As Mohammad Ismail visited Ka Faroshi bird market in the heart of Kabul's old city in January 2018, war seemed a long way off.
Wings of joy: Kabul's bird market

For some Afghans weighed down by decades of war and struggle, a little comfort and distraction can be found in the company of birds. At Ka Faroshi bird market in the heart of Kabul's old city, war seemed a long way off in January 2018. By Mohammad Ismail
Image of the day: Nowruz celebration minus the festivities

Persian New Year is usually the time when family and friends come together to welcome the spring. In other years the streets would be full of people celebrating. Many Iranians have modified their celebrations in response to the corona crisis.
Iraq′s Wadi al Salam: 14 centuries of life and death

Covering over 1,480 acres and accommodating over five million bodies, Wadi al Salam in Najaf, Iraq, has been a burial site for over 1,400 years. The shrine of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Shia Imam, attracts millions of pilgrims every year. By Changiz M. Varzi
Celebrating Orthodox Christmas in Istanbul

Orthodox Christmas is celebrated by Patriarch Bartholomew I with a festive mass. Afterwards, the waters on the banks of the Golden Horn are traditionally blessed and young men jump into the icy cold water to retrieve a golden cross. By Ulrich von Schwerin
The festival of Eid-ul-Adha – a time of prayer and celebration

Around the world some 1.5 billion Muslims are currently celebrating Islam's principal annual festival: Eid-ul-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice. The festival lasts for four days. Muslims traditionally greet each other with the words "Eid Mubarak" or "Blessed holidays!"