Slide Shows
Traces of Jewish Life in Iraq
The history of the Jews in Iraq has been documented since the Babylonian captivity, which began c. 586 C.E. During this period, Jews who had settled in and around Babylon were quickly assimilated into Babylonian society. Iraqi Jews not only flourished at this time, they also represented the oldest and most significant religious-historic Jewish community in the world. The Talmud dates from this period. In the 20th century, many Jews left the country as a result of persecution and pogroms following the Arab-Israeli war (1948).
Mausoleum of the Prophet David -- According to Jewish sources, the prophet Daniel was brought to Babylon as a young man, where he was groomed as a servant at the Royal Palace. It is thought that Daniel was buried in this mosque, in the old castle in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. The pilgrimage site was originally a Jewish synagogue. Later, a church was built on the site. Since the introduction of Islam to Iraq, it has been known as the "Mosque of the Prophet Daniel". Photo: Munaf al-Saidy.
Ancient Buildings in the Jewish Quarter of Baghdad -- In the 20th century, Iraqi Jews lived primarily in Baghdad, Basra and Mosul. Baghdad's wealthy Jews lived the district of Al-Bataween. Following the country's independence in 1932, well-educated Jews belonged to the social elite. But the first anti-Zionist demonstrations broke out in Baghdad in the 1930s. Despite declarations of loyalty to Iraq, Iraqi Jews were increasingly subjected to discriminatory measures and laws. A 1941 coup led by General Rashid Ali, who would later become Prime Minister, paved the way for a violent dispossession known as the "Farhud". After years of neglect, the old houses in several districts still known as "Jewish quarters" are crumbling away. Photo: Munaf al-Saidy.
The Old Jewish Quarter in Kirkuk -- The Babylonian exile, also known as the Babylonian captivity, began in 598 C.E. with the capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II. and lasted until the capture of Babylon in 539 C.E. by the Persian King Cyrus the Great, the sixth king of the Achaemenian dynasty. The picture shows an old Jewish quarter in the northern Iraqi province of Kirkuk. Photo: Munaf al-Saidy.
Sepulchre of the Prophet Esra in Kirkuk -- According to the Old Testament, the prophet Esra was a priest and descendant of the first high priest Aaron. He is regarded as the actual founder of modern Judaism. It is thought that Esra was buried in the old castle at Kirkuk. There is however another site purporting to be Esra's (Arabic: 'Uzair) final resting place, in the southern Iraqi province of Missan. Photo: Munaf al-Saidy.
Jewish Bazaar ''Suq Daniel'' in Baghdad -- Many Iraqi towns and cities still hold what are known as "Jewish markets". Souq Daniel, built in the 1920s in Shorja in eastern Baghdad is the city's largest Jewish market. Rental income from the shops and stalls that are still owned by exiled Iraqi Jews is collected by a special authority acting on their behalf. Photo: Munaf al-Saidy.
The Burial Site of the Jewish Prophet Hanani in Kirkuk -- The burial site of the Jewish prophet Hanani, in Arabic Hunein, is still preserved at the old castle in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. The Jewish word "Hanani" means "God has gratified me", or "God is gracious". Photo: Munaf al-Saidy.
Jewish House in the Province Missan -- During the rule of the Sassanid dynasty in the late antiquity (225-634 C.E.), a dynasty heavily influenced by the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism, the Jews in Mesopotamia were confronted with many religious and economic restrictions. During the era of the Abbasids (634-1258 C.E.), who built their capital in Baghdad, leading representatives of the Jewish community maintained good relations with the caliphate court. The picture shows an old Jewish house in the southern Iraqi province of Missan. Photo: Munaf al-Saidy.
Ceiling Panel of an Old Jewish House -- Houses that used to belong to Iraqi Jews still bear witness to the particular architectural style that also reflected the owners' social status. Religious symbols are a key decorative feature. The Star of David is still visible in most of the houses previously owned by Jewish families now inhabited by Muslims. Photo: Munaf al-Saidy.
Burial Site of the Prophet Nahum in Al-Qosh -- The prophet Nahum, whose book is the 7th book of the 12 minor prophets of the Jewish Tanakh or Christian Old Testament, was buried in El-Kosh in Assyria, today Al-Qosh in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh. The Hebrew inscription on the tomb states that Nahum's grave was renovated in the year 1796 by Sassoon Salih, the great-grandfather of a Jewish merchant family. Photo: Munaf al-Saidy.
Destroyed Synagogue in the Province of Ninve -- The Great Synagogue is situated alongside the tomb of the prophet Nahum. Like other Jewish holy sites, decades of looting and neglect by local authorities have reduced it to a pile of rubble burying evidence of a key era in the history of the nation. Photo: Munaf al-Saidy.
Old Jewish Cemetary in Sadr-City, Baghdad -- In the 1970s, the Ba'ath party government in power at the time decided to relocate remains from Baghdad's largest Jewish cemetery. A Jewish businessman donated a plot for a new Jewish cemetery. There are some 4,000 graves at this cemetery, which is today located in Sadr City. The most recent burial to take place here was that of a Jewish woman who died in the year 2009. Photo: Munaf al-Saidy.
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Women Leading Change in the Arab World
The "Arab Spring" has led to a revision of our picture of the Arab woman: they've been on the streets, playing an active role in the protests, demonstrating their strong commitment to democracy, human rights and rights for women – and that has surprised and impressed many onlookers. But now that the dictators have been overthrown and new political structures are in the process of being created, many fear that women will once more be pushed out of the public space. But their courageous stand in favour of justice has shown: women are by no means the weaker sex. Arab women won't give up, and they plan to carry their revolution into the future.
Lina Ben Mhenni - "A Tunisian Girl" -- The young blogger Lina Ben Mhenni is seen by many as a key figure in the Tunisian revolution. Her blog "A Tunisian Girl" was one of the most important sources of information during the protests against the dictatorship of Zine El Abadine Ben Ali. In English, French and Arabic, Lina Ben Mhenni reported on the demonstrations, excoriated the security forces and their abuse of democracy activists, and thus gave the young protesters a voice which could be heard around the world. During the Tunisian Revolution of 2011, Lina Ben Mhenni was awarded the Deutsche Welle blog award The BOBs for her courageous reporting of events. Also in 2011, Mhenni was reported to have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her contributions and activism during the Tunisian Revolution..
Sihem Bensedrine - Proponent of Freedom and Human Rights -- Sihem Bensedrine, spokeswoman for the National Council for Freedom in Tunisia (CNLT), is one of the best-known opposition figures in Tunisia. She began her campaign for freedom of opinion and democracy in her home country while she was studying philosophy in France. She founded the feminist magazine "Nissa" and a newspaper, "Kalima", which was banned by the Ben Ali regime. She was forced into exile to escape repression following her critical publications, and the Hamburg Foundation for the Politically Persecuted in Germany offered her protection in 2002..
Sondos Sulaiman - Activist for a Free Syria -- Sondos Sulaiman has lived in exile in Germany for the last ten years. A member of the Syrian Alawite religious community, she was forced to leave her country as a result of pressure from the regime of President Bashar al-Assad over her involvement in the opposition Haddatha (Modernisation) Party and her tireless campaigning for press freedom and democratic change. Now she fights from Berlin, together with members of her party, for freedom, democracy and the equality of all Syrians. Even in Germany, she remains at risk: she receives threats from regime henchmen by telephone and mail, and her family in Syria is being put under pressure..
Samar Yazbek - The Voice of the Uprising -- "I only believe what I have seen with my own eyes." That's how the Syrian film-maker and journalist Samar Yazbek begins her latest book, "Cry for Freedom." For several months, she recorded the protests in her country, went out on to the streets and squares where the revolution was happening and spoke to demonstrators, dissidents just released from prison, but also members of the security forces. Eventually, she found herself in the sights of the Assad regime, and she fled to Paris. Now she tries to support the protest movement from exile however she can, and to report on the suffering of the Syrian people: "What I can do as a writer is to give them a voice.".
Tawakkol Karman - The First Female Arab Nobel Peace Laureate -- Tawakkol Karman is regarded as the "Mother of the Revolution" in Yemen. A courageous defender of freedom of expression and human rights, she stood at the front of the mass demonstrations against the veteran dictator, Ali Abdullah Saleh. The regime arrested her several times, but she wouldn't give in. With her "Tent of Dignity," which she set up in the centre of the capital Sanaa, she became an icon of peaceful protest. In October 2011 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her "non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work." She dedicated the prize to all the activists of the Arab Spring..
Iman Bugaighis - Dentist and Revolutionary -- The Libyan activist and doctor, Iman Bugaighis, was one of the first to go out on to the street in Benghazi to protest against the tyranny of the Libyan ruler, Moammar Gadhafi. She was spokeswoman for the Libyan Transformation Council until Gadhafi's overthrow. Now she campaigns for equal rights for women in her country. Iman Bugaighis supported the NATO intervention in the war: "The way the Arab world sees the West has changed since the intervention in Libya," she says, and she hopes for further support from the West for the slow process of Libyan reconstruction..
Zineb El Rhazoui - Laïcité maintenant -- "Laïcité maintenant!" A religiously neutral state – that's the demand of the French-Moroccan journalist, Zineb El Rhazoui, especially when it comes to the rights of women in Morocco. She has been one of the leaders of the protests in her country since the start of the Arab revolution. She set up the "20th February Movement" with sympathisers. As a result of repeated death threats, she has had to flee to Belgium..
Zainab Al-Khawaja - AngryArabiya -- "Angry Arabiya": Zainab Al-Khawaja comes from a family of human rights activists and achieved world-wide fame with her tweets on the protests in Bahrain. Her ten-day hunger strike was a sign of silent resistance, intended to draw attention to the arrests of her father and her husband and to demand their immediate release. She was detained twice without charge after she had taken part in opposition demonstrations. She was only released in February 2012..
Nawara Nagem - The Female Face of the Revolution -- Some people already see Nawara Nagem, regarded by many as the face of the Egyptian revolution, as a future president. The journalist, blogger and activist was involved even before the revolution in campaigning for freedom of the press and freedom of expression. From the start of the protests in January 2011, she was out on Tahrir Square in Cairo. Her interviews with the Arabic news channel Al Jazeera gave her international recognition and changed not only the way in which the Arab revolution was being reported, but also gave the protesters new courage and hope. She was honoured as "Arab Woman of the Year 2011.".
Bouthaina Kamel - Pioneer for a Democratic Egypt -- Bouthaina Kamel is known to many from Egyptian radio and television as a disputatious presenter and a sharp critic of the ruling Supreme Military Council. Now she wants to give a voice to the women of her country. The "journalist, mother and Egyptian presidential candidate," as she describes herself, is the first and only woman in Egypt ever to stand for the office. Bouthaina Kamel does not think the struggle is over yet, either for her or for her country. In an interview with Qantara.de, she said, "The transition from dictatorship to democracy is not something that can occur from one day to the next; it's a long process." .
Israa Abdel Fattah - The Digital Revolutionary -- Israa Abdel Fattah is an Egyptian internet activist and co-founder of the "Youth Movement of the 6th April," a Facebook group which was set up in 2008 in support of a strike among the workers of the textile industry in Mahalla Al-Kubra. The group was revived during the nationwide protests which led to the fall of President Hosni Mubarak. Israa Abdel Fattah supported the revolution actively on the street and on the internet. She initiated resistance actions online and gave the latest news to Al Jazeera. Her fearless activities in support of the revolution led to her being among the representatives of the Arab Spring to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011..
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Pre-Islamic Art from Saudi Arabia
What is ancient Italian glass doing in the southern Arabian desert, how did Roman hair fashion look under date palms, and why were ancient Egyptian art styles found beside West Iranian ceramics at Arabian caravan stations? The exhibition "Roads of Arabia", currently on show in Berlin, Germany, presents spectacular artefacts from prehistory and early history, as well as from ancient Saudi Arabia: This pre-Islamic archaeological heritage, long blanketed by sandstorms and eradicated from the collective memory of the "motherland of Islam", has been the subject of research by Saudi universities, in cooperation with international colleagues. Qantara.de presents some of the most unique exhibits in this slide show.
Stone people -- The exhibition "Road of Arabia" in Berlin's Pergamon Museum displays many of Saudi Arabia's rich artistic treasures. The earliest examples date back to the fourth century BCE. These human-like stone figures, from that era, seem surprisingly modern. .
A king -- The exhibition is arranged chronologically. In addition to prehistoric arrows, visitors can discover artefacts from ancient caravan cities. Pictured is a lion's head from the second century CE from Najran in south-western Saudi Arabia. .
Some would rather forget -- In very conservative parts of the Muslim country, the period before the revelation to Mohammed is considered a time of ignorance, barbarism and polytheism. The exhibition focuses mainly on this period. .
Greece's Heracles -- This statue of the Greek hero Heracles most likely dates back to the first century CE. The exhibits in "Roads of Arabia" reveal that artistic exchange occurred between regions. Although most of the items are on loan from Saudi Arabian museums, about 80 pieces were already in Berlin. .
2,000-year-old bronze casting -- Several pieces in the Berlin exhibition come from Qaryat al-Faw, once a significant city for trade in ancient Saudi Arabia. It was located at the intersection of major trading routes that passed from South Arabia to the North-east for thousands of years. The pieces testify to the region's close proximity to the Mediterranean region. .
The holy door -- The "Door of the Kaaba" leads into Islam's most sacred place, the Kaaba. This solid silver door with floral ornamentation and calligraphy, stems from the Ottoman period and was replaced during renovation work on the Kaaba. .
Golden death mask -- This detailed death mask made of pure gold, dates from the first century BCE. By showing these treasures, Berlin's Museum for Islamic Art aims to support the national Saudi Department for Antiquities, which looks after archaeological sites and, more recently, began systematically supervising digs. .
Incence bowl for the "scent of the gods" -- The exhibition "Roads of Arabia" is considered significant as it is the first time Saudi Arabia has presented such a vast array of artworks from its pre-Islamic history. However the exhibition will not be shown in Islamic countries..
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The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions
The Arab Spring has many faces: Anger, hope, exhaustion and outright fear have marked the lives of thousands of people between Libya and Syria in recent months. While there is already widespread concern at the prospect of counter-revolutions and frustration at the political stagnation following the ousting of the old guard in some nations, in others people still fear for their survival
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- Wael Ghonim founded the Facebook group "We are all Khaled Said" and ascended to revolutionary hero status. Tens of thousands of people responded to the Facebook group's call to demonstrate on Tahrir Square on 25 January 2011.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- Egyptian demonstrators on Tahrir Square with a placard bearing the image of Khaled Said, the young man beaten to death by police.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- Outright rage: Man burns a portrait of former Egyptian President Mubarak.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- A demographic shift, high youth unemployment and displeasure at repressive political systems – seen as the explosive mix that led to the revolts.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- The cry for freedom: Tens of thousands of Egyptians faced 30,000 police and security personnel during the mass protests of 25 January 2011.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- Egyptian youngsters on the streets of Cairo: As well as anger and annoyance, the young anti-Mubarak demonstrators also share some happy moments.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- ...for some, this is a chance to get together and sing some revolutionary songs.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- Egyptian women protested against the system on an equal footing with men – a sight that some western observers found unusual.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- Joy and relief on Tahrir Square following the resignation of Mubarak. The pain and anguish appears to have been forgotten for now.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- Fears that Islamic forces will step in to fill the political vacuum: Tunisian women call for freedom and a secular system following the toppling of Ben Ali.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- Mass protests against President Ali Abdullah Salih began in the Yemeni capital on 27 January 2011. Here too, the state moved to crush the demonstrations by violent means.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- Intellectuals, women and young people feel they have been left disadvantaged by the 1990 reunification of North and South Yemen during Saleh's rule, which they say was a regressive measure.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- On 18 March 2011, "Bloody Friday", Yemeni security forces shot at demonstrators from rooftops killing 52 people.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- Yemeni opposition protesters celebrate the departure of head of state Ali Abdullah Saleh to attend a clinic in Saudi Arabia. Saleh was injured in a grenade attack on the presidential palace.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- In fear of Assad's henchmen: Fearing the wrath of the Syrian regime, many Syrians have fled to Turkey where they've been accommodated in four tent camps and largely shielded from the outside world.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- Syrian opposition leaders meet in Istanbul on 16 July 2011 to discuss strategies aimed at ousting President Assad. No agreement was reached on the formation of a transitional government.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- Internet savvy and multimedia-wise: Whereas they used to be excluded from political and social decision-making, the young generation of Arab protesters now networks on a global level.
The Many Faces of the Arab Revolutions -- Libyan opposition fighter with child: As the conflict continues, fighters are provided with everything they need by their families.
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Mosques in Germany
These days, mosques in Germany are as diverse as the Muslim communities they represent. There are those that reflect the architectural tradition of classical Ottoman mosque design, but Germany has in the meantime also become home to several modern and innovative mosques such as those in Penzberg or the Cologne district of Ehrenfeld. Every year on October 3, the mosques operate an open-door policy for interested visitors. But in actual fact, it's possible to visit a mosque at any time.
Mosques in Germany -- The construction of a large mosque in the Cologne district of Ehrenfeld triggered years of political and ideological debate on a national level. Public perception of the DITIB's central mosque has in the meantime undergone a transformation..
Mosques in Germany -- The first new mosque to be built in the former East Germany was opened in October 2008. The Ahmadiyya Mosque in the Berlin district of Pankow has prayer halls for men and women, each with a capacity for 150 worshippers..
Mosques in Germany -- The Omar Mosque, also known as the Khattab Mosque in the Berlin district of Kreuzberg was built in 2008 by the ''Islamic Association for Charitable Projects''. It has four minarets. The prayer hall with its two-storey gallery can hold around 1,000 worship.
Mosques in Germany -- The prayer hall of the mosque in the upper Bavarian town of Penzberg, which was built in 2006, is bathed in a blue light from the shimmering façade made from thousands of glass fragments..
Mosques in Germany -- The Sehitlik Mosque in the Berlin district of Neukölln is located on the site of the old Turkish cemetery, which gives the mosque its name – ''Sehitlik'' means ''martyrs' resting place''. Turkish soldiers who came to Germany in 1914 were buried here..
Mosques in Germany -- Two external flights of stairs lead into the magnificent main prayer hall at the Sehitlik Mosque on the Columbiadamm in Neukölln. It can accommodate around 1,000 worshippers..
Mosques in Germany -- In a spectacular project, artist Boran Burchhardt redesigned both the minarets of the Centrum Mosque in the Hamburg district of St. Georg in September 2009..
Mosques in Germany -- When it was built in 1973, the Fatih Mosque in Bremen was the city-state's first Muslim house of worship. The prayer hall interior was painted by two Chinese and four Turkish artists..
Mosques in Germany -- In 1995, arsonists attacked the provisional house of prayer serving Turkish Muslims in the Essen district of Katernberg. The campaign for the construction of a new mosque was supported by many committed members of the public..
Mosques in Germany -- In 1999, a mosque was built for the growing Turkish population alongside a former farmhouse in the Munich suburb of Pasing..
Mosques in Germany -- The Fatih Mosque in Wülfrath near Dusseldorf was inaugurated in 2003 by the President of the Bundestag at the time, Wolfgang Thierse..
Mosques in Germany -- The Merkez Mosque in Duisburg, which was inaugurated in 2008, is one of the largest mosques in Germany. It has the capacity to accommodate 1,200 worshippers beneath its resplendent cupola..
Mosques in Germany -- Washing is of central importance to the Muslim prayer ritual. The Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque in Mannheim has an especially beautiful room for this purpose. The prayer house is an architectural synthesis of old and new..
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Gadhafi: The End of a Tyrant
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.
The most flashy despot -- The most flashy despot: 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..
Victory is sweet -- Victory is sweet: People on the streets in Libya rejoice on the historic day, distributing sweets. For them, the victory over the tyrant is finally truly sweet. Gadhafi had circled over Libya like a ghost for weeks. October 20 has become one of the outstanding days of the Arab Spring for the people in Libya..
A pan-Arab dream -- A pan-Arab dream: Born in 1942 into a simple Bedouin family, Gadhafi became an officer, seizing power in a military coup at the age of 27. He proclaimed Islam to be the path to social revolution, dreaming of a federation with other Arab states. At the same time, Gadhafi allegedly held contact to groups such as the IRA, the ETA and the PLO. For many years, he was considered a key figure in worldwide terrorism..
The Green Revolution -- The Green Revolution: After gaining power, Gadhafi nationalized the banking and oil sectors. His "Green Book," a political manifesto, stipulated that Libyans should rule themselves politically and economically in so-called people's committees. But at the same time, Gadhafi had tight control over the army, police and security forces..
African Union -- African Union: After his dreams of a pan-Arab federation failed, Gadhafi turned to Africa. In 2009, he took over as head of the African Union, telling delegates that they had to express their will for a united Africa. The foundation of a United States of Africa was his goal..
Change of course -- Change of course: In an attempt to bring his country into the international fold, Gadhafi gave up his plans to develop nuclear and chemical weapons. Libya's vast oil and gas reserves made Gadhafi a crucial trading partner for the West..
UN speech -- UN speech: On September 23, 2009 Gadhafi was allowed to address the UN General Assembly for the first time. In a rambling tirade he slammed the UN Security Council and the United States..
Adulation -- Adulation: Gadhafi was internationally ostracized as a supporter of terrorism - and fawned over as a trade partner. The West considered the self-proclaimed revolutionary leader with his apparently bizarre habits unpredictable. But many top politicians nonetheless had no reservations in contact..
The man with the umbrella -- The man with the umbrella: One of Gadhafi's last public appearances was on February 22, 2011 and just as bizarre as the man himself. He appeared on Libyan television in order to repudiate rumors that he had fled Tripoli after 41 years in power..
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The Al Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad
Al Mutanabbi Street is one of the oldest and best known streets in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, viewed as a seismograph of the state of Iraqi culture over the course of the centuries. The history of the street goes back to the time of the Abbasids. It was the site of the first book traders' market in the metropolis that was Baghdad. With its almost inexhaustible supply of books, Al Mutanabbi Street served as a contemporary witness to the political and cultural changes taking place in Mesopotamia. While in the 1950s, most of the books available were Marxist writings, these were later replaced by nationalistic Pan-Arabic works. For more than 30 years, traders were only allowed to sell books that glorified the Ba'ath ideology and later Saddam Hussein. All photos by Munaf al-Saidy
The Al Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad -- Naim Al-Shattri is an Iraqi intellectual and owner of one of the oldest bookshops on Al Mutanabbi Street. He worked in his father's shop as a boy, and can be found at the weekly book market every Friday.
The Al Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad -- Every Friday, traders invite people to take look at the kind of books that were forbidden for 30 years by the Ba'athist regime.
The Al Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad -- Al Mutanabbi Street flourished again after the toppling of the Ba'athist regime in 2003. New books can be found in every corner – not just critical appraisals of the Ba'ath era, but also works by Iraqi writers.
The Al Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad -- Many Baghdad residents have childhood memories of Al Mutanabbi Street. This is because it's also home to the largest market for school-related goods in Iraq.
The Al Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad -- The books on offer reflect the diversity of the Iraqi population itself: books about literature in Iraq and the Middle East, history, political theory, religious treatises, technical books, children's books and comics.
The Al Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad -- the times are a changing - and so are the books: In the 1960s and early 1970s, Al Mutanabbi Street was the stage for political conflict between various forces, primarily between Communists and Pan-Arabists.
The Al Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad -- The rise of religious parties in the political life of the new Iraq has led to a new dominance of religious works. Forbidden for decades, they now replace writings that espoused the Ba'ath ideology.
The Al Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad -- A car bomb exploded here on 5 March 2007, at a time when security was fragile in the new Iraq. Forty people died in the attack, the street was later rebuilt.
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Ramadan in Asia
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.
Ramadan in Asia -- During Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, the breaking of the fast, or ''Iftar'', begins at sunset. A Pakistani family celebrate ''Iftar'' on the square of the 17th century Mughal Badshahi Mosque in Lahore.
Ramadan in Asia -- A father and son in Indian Kashmir conduct the cleansing ritual to prepare themselves for the obligatory prayers. Ramadan is also a time devoted to intensive prayer and spiritual reflection.
Ramadan in Asia -- Every country has its own culinary customs for the ''Iftar'' celebration. In Pakistan, for example, the fast is broken with dates, pakora, choley and chutney. A short prayer is uttered before the breaking of the fast.
Ramadan in Asia -- Muslims are required to share their food with the poor during Ramadan. Here in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, food is prepared for residents of the entire city.
Ramadan in Asia -- Iftar dinner for jobless men in Afghanistan. Alongside the declaration of faith, daily prayer, the pilgrimage to Mecca and the giving of alms, fasting is, as one of the five pillars of Islam, an integral element of the faith.
Ramadan in Asia -- Children, such as this boy, who is a member of the Chinese Hui minority, are exempt from fasting. Pregnant women and the sick are also not required to fast.
Ramadan in Asia -- Women conducting ''Tarawih'' prayers at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta. Tarawih prayers are extra prayers performed at night during Ramadan.
Ramadan in Asia -- Ramadan sees increased numbers of the faithful visiting holy shrines, to express their wishes and prayers. Iranian Shiites touch the grave of Saleh at his mausoleum north of the capital Tehran.
Ramadan in Asia -- Close to the historic Eyüp Sultan Mosque in Istanbul, people enjoy the short night before the next day of fasting begins.
Ramadan in Asia -- Household outgoings soar during Ramadan. Many people are not only spending more money on food, they also buy prayer mats and other religious articles. Market in Bangladesh.
Ramadan in Asia -- China is home to around 22 millions Muslims, members of the Hui and Uyghur minorities. Many of them are fasting this month. Two Hui Muslims read the Koran in this Chinese mosque in Beijing.
Ramadan in Asia -- The beginning and the end of Ramadan are determined with the sighting of the crescent of the moon. This year, the holy month began on 1 August and will probably continue until the 30 or 31 of August.
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Children in Afghanistan
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.
1 -- Children and young people practice Taekwondo in the Kabul Children's Circus. In addition to artistic exercises, the Children's Circus emphasizes the value of athletic training. Martial arts have a long tradition in Afghanistan.
2 -- Yellow and white taxis are a common sight in the center of Kabul. Over the decades, older models have proven to be particularly reliable. Here the cab driver is taking along a friend to help with a repair job.
3 -- Boys and girls from the Children's Circus play presidential elections. In early October 2004, the world saw the first free elections in Afghanistan in over 30 years. A few days later, children and their teachers reenact these historic scenes, giving election speeches and voting. That way the boys and girls can understand what has just happened in their country.
4 -- A boy in Jalalabad repairs a motorized rickshaw. These small motorbikes with bench seats are the main form of transportation in the capital of Nangarhar Province.
5 -- Drawing class in a school in Karte Seh, Kabul. Here is a mixed class of boys and girls. Often classroom instruction is segregated according to gender.
6 -- To celebrate the national holiday, groups of schoolchildren parade through the stadium in Kandahar. Girls dressed in traditional clothing carry pictures of President Hamid Karsai and King Zahir Shah. Every year on August 19th the country marks the day it gained its independence from Britain in 1919.
7 -- In the Kabul Children's Circus, children learn to walk on stilts, juggle, ride a unicycle and perform acrobatic feats.
8 -- A young shoeshine boy in front of the great mosque of Herat. Children learn to assume responsibility at an early age. This boy earns money to help support his family.
9 -- Children in Kabuli swing tin cans with pieces of incense inside. This ritual known as the burning of spand is supposed to drive away evil spirits and bring good fortune. The boys also recite verses.
10 -- An easy exercise in unicycle riding. At the Children's Circus, the youngsters have fun learning acrobatic tricks. Unicycle riding is part of the official show that the children perform at schools in Kabul for classmates who are their own age.
11 -- Activities at the Kabul Children's Circus include making handicrafts and performing puppet shows. Bright colors have been painted on the interior and exterior of the villa where the children spend half the day, either before or after attending school.
12 -- On a mountain in the center of Kabul, children like to swing from an old cable that hangs from a pole. In the background is the Kabul basin and part of the city. The population in the capital has grown to an estimated 4 million inhabitants. Electrical power and the city's infrastructure have failed to keep pace with the influx of new inhabitants.
13 -- A child in the great mosque of Mazar-i-Sharif, where children are schooled in Koran suras .
14 -- Orphans put together and fold an English- and Persian-language newspaper called the Kabul Weekly and then peddle it on the streets. Passersby usually pay around 10 afghani (approx. 20 cents) per issue. The boys are allowed to keep half the amount that they collect. The money helps to support their relatives.
15 -- A class of schoolchildren has gathered on the edge of the annual Gul-e-Naranj (orange tree blossom) literature and poetry festival in Jalalabad. The painted picture shows Ahmad Shah Masood, the murdered leader of the Northern Alliance.
16 -- Children play billiards in a public park in Jalalabad. This old billiard table once stood in a nearby hotel before it was retired from service.
17 -- A girl with her mother and siblings in front of the entrance to the house where she lives in Karte Char, Kabul. The house has neither electricity nor running water. After returning to Kabul in 2002, the family could not move back into their own apartment, which they had left during the civil war in the 1990s.
18 -- When it comes to public transportation, Afghans are mobility experts. A scene from the city of Balkh, not far from Mazar-i-Sharif in the North.
19 -- A girl in Kabul.
20 -- The children from the Kabul Children's Circus decorate the walls of the villa where they learn to perform. Here a number of boys are painting a map of Afghanistan where each province is given a different color.
21 -- Children from the Kabul Children's Circus playing tug-of-war .
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Women in Iran
The image of women in Iran has undergone dramatic change in recent years; Today, many Iranian women play a much more active role in their nation's economic and social life than during the Shah era. More than half of all students at Iranian universities are female. And in professional life, many Iranian women are keeping pace with their male counterparts, working as doctors, engineers, teachers and university lecturers. As actors and directors, they are making a significant contribution to the cultural life of their nation. And despite all the restrictions imposed on them by Islamic moral guardians in public life, they are making their presence felt in the sporting world too – something that would have been unthinkable just decades ago.
Women in Iran -- Camerawoman working on a film set.
Women in Iran -- Bus driver in Tehran.
Women in Iran -- Headscarf football fun in a Teheran park.
Women in Iran -- Female scientist at a research centre.
Women in Iran -- University graduation ceremony.
Women in Iran -- Ladies playing sports in a public park.
Women in Iran -- Young Iranians practising karate.
Women in Iran -- Mountain bikers.
Women in Iran -- Iranian women participating in a martial arts competition.
Women in Iran -- Iranian women buying sports clothing.
Women in Iran -- Mountain climber.
Women in Iran -- Alpine skiing in Iran.
Women in Iran -- Two female musicians playing in an orchestra.
Women in Iran -- Musicians in a group playing traditional Iranian music.
Women in Iran -- A young woman playing the tympani in an orchestra.
Women in Iran -- A peasant woman in Southern Iran.
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The Restauration of the Iraqi Marshland
In the years 2003, 2004 and 2006, Ikhlas Abbis traveled 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.
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- Ravaged land: Before war broke out between Iran and Iraq and the marshes were drained in the 1980s, groves of date palms flourished in southern Iraq. Where 30 million trees once stood there are now only about eight million..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- We are the authors of our own fate! After the fall of Saddam, the inhabitants of the marsh regions began to open the floodgates of the artificial dams on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. But it will still take a long time to restore the ecological balance of the dried landscape..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- When the marshes were drained, the residents were forced to create their own lake for fishing in order to secure at least a portion of their livelihood and their own food supply..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- New life – the reflooding of the drained swamp landscape began in December 2003. The first people to return found shelter in provisional reed dwellings, which they will rebuild completely following the ancient traditions..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- Where there's water, there's life: Only two years ago, this was a dry steppe zone. Today, the Marsh Arabs live almost as they used to in their original environment. Here, swamp residents gather reeds to feed their water buffalo..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- Lush vegetation: Because of the abundant growth of reeds, fishers have a harder time today making their way through the marshes..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- Fishermen take a midday break on rafts made of reeds. At night, they fish, and on the next day they bring their catch to the fish market in the nearest town..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- In the flooded marsh regions, the reeds grow to an average of three meters high in just three months. The small islands in the water offer the fishermen a dry place to unload their catch for transport..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- The fish business has been booming ever since the summer of 2003 – for example here in the southern Iraqi town of Amara. During the embargo, freshwater fish were a rarity..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- The residents put the water from the flooded areas to multiple uses – including as drinking water. The government and the aid organizations have been able to provide some villages with water purification facilities..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- Papyrus reeds were already being used to build dwellings in ancient Sumeria. Today, the residents of the Iraqi Marshlands still live in these elaborately constructed, spacious reed homes..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- In the Iraqi Marshlands, people still make floor mats, walls and roofs for their homes (called "sarifs") according to ancient traditions. Just one year after water returned to the region, business in reed products of all kinds is booming..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- Young Iraqis from the town of Alchebajeesch play on the banks of a flooded branch of the Tigris..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- The "Marsh Arabs" live almost exclusively from livestock farming, fishing and agriculture, all in harmony with nature..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- In a traditional guesthouse ("mudif") the distinguished tribal chieftains or religious worthies meet with the males of the village to share the latest news over coffee..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- Welcome to the "Mudif" of Saajeed Faleh. A countryside meeting over coffee, near the town of Qurna..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- A newly built elementary school on the road between Qurna and Chebayesh (about 80 km northwest from Basra)..
The Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands -- The Shiite religious tradition, over a thousand years old, is practiced primarily in the southern part of Iraq. In Muharram, the month of mourning, people commemorate Hossein, the grandson of the prophet Mohammed and youngest son of Imam Ali, who suffered a martyr's death at Kerbala..
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Islam in China
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.
Islam in China -- An old man at Niu Jie Mosque..
Islam in China -- A young Muslim man looks on as men wait for a service to start marking the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of Ramadan..
Islam in China -- Muslim men worshiping at Niu Jie Mosque during Eid al-Fitr..
Islam in China -- The outside of the National Headquarters for Hui Muslims in the Muslim district of Niu Jie..
Islam in China -- A Uighur Muslim (from the western province of Xinjiang) prays at sunset in a back alley off Tiananmen Square..
Islam in China -- A young Muslim woman prays in the bedroom of her home..
Islam in China -- A woman sells traditional Muslim clothing during the festival Eid al-Fitr..
Islam in China -- Muslim men worshiping at Niu Jie Mosque during Eid al-Fitr..
Islam in China -- A young Muslim boy stands outside his families shop in the Muslim district Niu Jie..
Islam in China -- A young Muslim man cooks in the kitchen of his family’s restaurant near Tiananmen Square..
Islam in China -- A young Muslim family in their restaurant near Tiananmen Square..
Islam in China -- Muslim woman in the street..
Islam in China -- Acrobatic performers prepare to go on stage during celebrations for Eid al-Fitr..
Islam in China -- Muslim women at Niu Jie Mosque during celebrations for Eid al-Fitr..
Islam in China -- A mural on the outside of a Muslim nursery school representing Uighur Muslims from the western province of Xinjiang..
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