Photo Essays

This rescued lion was meant to appear on a TV show. Generally, however, Lebanese zoos sell their animals to private individuals. Now, however, this could all be coming to an end. Lebanon′s Minister of Agriculture Akram Chehayeb recently announced that "all animals held by illegal traders and outlets are to be seized. These animals belong neither in a cage nor private house as symbols of power and prestige"

Stop Lebanon′s illegal animal trade

Poor government, economic recession, cultural norms: all factors that have turned Lebanese zoos into hotbeds of illegal animal trading. An ...More

Religious joy: an experience that must be captured and recorded. For many Muslims the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia is the crowning moment of their faith. It is the religious duty of every Muslim to carry out the hajj – a journey that lasts several days – at least once in their lives, providing the individual is in good health and can afford to do it. Saudi Arabia is responsible for organising the pilgrimage

The Hajj: pilgrims in their millions

Millions of devout Muslims are again conducting the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. This year, the biggest ...More

Against the burkini ban: it's not a real beach and not France; nonetheless, it was a symbolic gesture against the now-overturned burkini ban on some French beaches. "Women and men should decide for themselves what they want to wear," said a woman wearing a bikini at the event

Belgium: Burkini meets bikini

Muslim women in Belgium organised a different kind of protest. They gathered in Antwerp to celebrate at a beach party, dressed in burkinis ...More

The masked women of southern Iran

Along Iran′s coastline and on the island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz, women have been wearing masks for centuries. The styles vary ...More

Time to celebrate: millions of people across India marked the country's liberation from the British Raj. The celebrations included dances, parades and ceremonies on all levels of society. India became independent on August 15, 1947 – one day after Pakistan declared its independence

Indian sub-continent: 70 years of independent rule

This month while Pakistan marked its independence, its twin India also celebrated its freedom from British rule. Tensions between the two ...More

A transport hub: during two World Wars and through the golden age of Lebanon in the 1950s and 1960s, Rayak train station played a vital role in transporting soldiers, goods and passengers around Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. However, the beginning of the civil war in Lebanon was the last time a locomotive pulled into this station

Only rust remains at Rayak: Lebanon′s railway heritage

In August 1895, the first steam locomotive departed from the port city of Beirut, crossed the rugged terrain of Lebanon′s Bekaa valley and ...More

Silent resistance: more than 37 years of repression have not eroded the courage of these women. Many Iranian women interpret the dress code very freely. They may wear a veil and a coat, but with an individual twist

Playing cat and mouse with Iran′s morality police

Since the Islamic Revolution women in Iran have been obliged to follow a strict dress code. But an increasing number are refusing to obey ...More

Bahareh Hedayat: A women's rights activist and prominent figure in the student movement in Iran. In 2010, shortly before her wedding, she was arrested and ultimately sentenced to 10 years in prison. She was head of an organisation fighting for political reforms and against human rights violations

Iran's female political prisoners

Iran is holding numerous women in jail on political charges. They include human rights activists, journalists, artists and simply engaged ...More

Summoning the spirits during a zar ritual is a long and complex process, reaching theatrical climaxes with animal sacrifices. The cult originates from the sub-Saharan region, coming to Egypt from Ethiopia via Sudan in the mid-19th century. This type of exorcism presumably derives from voodoo rituals by the Bushmen, spread through slave trading to the south of Iraq, Iran and all the way to Morocco

The Egyptian "zar" ritual

The "zar" cult is a religious medicinal ritual with roots in the sub-Saharan region. The ceremonies are mainly held to cure mental ...More

. Rawabi opened its doors to the first residents a year ago. Today, there are around 1,200 residents, but more are expected to move in the next months as the first school opens in September

Rawabi - the West Bank's first planned city

Rawabi (″the hills″ in Arabic) – vision of Nablus-born entrepreneur and billionaire Bashar al-Masri – is the first planned Palestinian ...More

Bloodshed at the Bosphorus: a blood covered resident of Istanbul stands near the Bosphorus Bridge. There were clashes between civilians and the army after the military had blocked the bridge on Friday night. Government sources say that more than 260 people were killed in fighting during the coup attempt

Turkey: a country in a state of emergency

Night of terror: the failed coup attempt turned Turkey into a war zone. More than 260 people died. Does the country face the threat of a ...More

One scene from Abbas Kiarostami′s minimalist film "Five", made in 2003, shows a piece of wood on the beach, worn away by salt water, gradually breaking into two pieces

Silent and moving images from Abbas Kiarostami

Abbas Kiarostami was a globally renowned film maker and photographer from Iran. His work was recognised at numerous international ...More

Clothing controversy – the headscarf debate in Germany

For years now, the wearing of headscarves and veils for religious reasons has been the periodic focus of debates and conflicts in public ...More

Ramadan ends, when the monsoon starts: Old Delhi continues to be the heart of the Indian capital. The predominantly Muslim neighbourhood used to be the imperial city of the Mughal rulers of India. During the month of fasting, life here starts at sunset

Celebrating the end of Ramadan in India

India is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural society. But in the old, predominantly Muslim-inhabited part of the country's ...More

Month of prayer: sitting next to her family′s tent, Farida from Afghanistan reads a tiny Koran in the hours before the iftar meal, when Muslims break the daytime fast. During the month of Ramadan, most Muslims forego food and water during daylight hours and feast at nightfall

Ramadan for refugees

The month-long Muslim holiday of Ramadan began last week. In a camp of about 800, refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan celebrate with ...More

Paul Pogba: undoubtedly the golden boy of the host team France. At 23, Paul Pogba may still be very young, but he not only sets the pace within the Equipe tricolore, he's also one of the superstars of Juventus Turin. The Muslim players in the France national squad, which include among others Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante and Bacary Sagna, have decided not to observe Ramadan during the UEFA Cup finals

The unifying power of soccer – the UEFA Cup in France

The many multi-ethnic teams that will be meeting each other during the European Soccer Championships in France are not only a model for ...More

Zochrot, an Israel-based organisation that works to promote awareness of the Nakba, organised a series of cultural events in Jaffa called ″Houses Beyond the Hyphen″, to document and raise awareness of Jaffa′s erased memory and history and ″shed light on the present absence of the Palestinians deported from Jaffa in 1948″, including walking tours and open house exhibitions – such as the fully restored interior of a Palestinian home in the ″ghetto″ neighbourhood of Ajami

Remembering Jaffa

Each year on 15 May, Palestinians across the world commemorate the Nakba, or ″catastrophe″: the 1948 displacement of hundreds of thousands ...More

1. A scarf over blonde hair, a coat over Western clothing: an Iranian woman preparing to leave the house. The beauty ideals in Iran are a tightrope walk between traditional and modern, explains photographer Samaneh Khosravi. Many Iranian women emulate the appearance of Hollywood actresses, following them via the Internet or satellite TV

"Among women": Beauty under wraps in Iran

The highest number of nose jobs in the world, dyed-blond hair and perfect manicures – many Iranian women emulate Hollywood actresses, ...More

Preserving God’s creation: Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden - Christians and Jews both believe that God tasked man with protecting His creations: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Genesis 2: 15

What do holy books say about the environment?

Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Jews: believers of all faiths share a common planet and they are all equally affected by ...More

Zakaria received his camera on December 8 in Izmir, Turkey - one of the key hubs for refugees. The Syrian fled from the "Islamic State" terror militia and the government, according to McElvaney's #RefugeeCamera project. Out of safety concerns, Zakaria doesn't name his hometown. In his flight diary, Zakaria writes that only God knows if he will ever be able to return to Syria.

The long trip to Europe from the refugees' perspective

A boy who is soaking wet, volunteers entertaining children, moments of danger and of joy: #RefugeeCameras shows images taken during the ...More

Persia's "power houses" packed a punch

Varzesh-e Zurkhaneh-i, (literally, the sport of heroes in the house of power). The ancient Iranian Zurkhaneh gymnasia ...More

) For centuries, Istanbul was not only the capital of the Ottoman Empire, but also its spiritual centre. Hundreds of tekkes (Sufi monasteries) on the Bosporus served as spiritual schools and places of assembly

Sufi shrines – the spiritual heart of Istanbul

Amidst the skyscrapers, tourist attractions and the hustle and bustle of the metropolis, Istanbul's Sufi shrines offer a world of calm and ...More

Live-in farm camps: far from the reach of basic services, thousands of Syria's poorest refugees take seasonal jobs at live-in farm camps, earning 30 Turkish lira (9.30 euros/$10.25 a day) - half the minimum wage in Turkey. While most workers come from rural areas in Syria, where nomadic farm labour is common, language barriers and their undocumented status leave them vulnerable to abuse

Turkey's farm camps - hard pickings for the refugees

Beyond Izmir's city limits, thousands of Syrian refugees work in agriculture camps, where they live far from health services and are ...More

Tsahal Square is where Jaffa Street, previously West Jerusalem′s main thoroughfare and today a traffic-calmed shopping promenade, meets the walls of the Old City and East Jerusalem. This is also the route of the controversial tram, inaugurated in 2001, which provides attractive urban flair

Annexing the Old City of Jerusalem

The Mamilla district on the outskirts of the Old City of Jerusalem offers an excellent example of how the Zionist dream of a united ...More

Welcoming victims of war: patients from the Gaza Strip, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and other conflict zones in the Arab world are treated at the Hospital for Reconstructive Surgery in Amman, Jordan, opened in 2006 by international medical group Doctors without Borders. Treatment is free of charge for patients

House of healing

Doctors Without Borders' (MSF) hospital for reconstructive surgery in Amman is the final hope for many of those injured in conflicts in ...More

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Most Recent Photo Essay

Tunisia: The troglodyte dwellings of Matmata

The Berber village Matmata in southern Tunisia is famous for its quaint underground houses and cave dwellings, which are pleasantly cool in summer and comfortably warm in winter.

Qantara dossier: European travellers in the Orient

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Goethe-Institut's Perspektiven: Generational conflict

Goethe-Institut Perspektiven logo (source: Goethe-Institut)

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An eye-catching tableau for resistance: graffiti art in Bethlehem

The trailblazer: in 2005, the legendary British street artist Banksy visited the West Bank and left behind nine stencilled graffiti images on the wall and on private buildings in and around Bethlehem. His satirical and critical commentary on Israel's occupation policy marked the start of an onslaught of international and Palestinian graffiti artists – amateurs and professionals alike – who have adorned the wall with their political and personal messages.

An eye-catching tableau for resistance: graffiti art in Bethlehem

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Female Kurdish singer rallies the troops

Kurdish singer Helly Luv (photo: Getty Images/Safin Hamed)

Iraqi Kurdish singer Helly Luv was in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, filming the video to her latest hit. Luv is aiming for international fame as she releases her new English song 'Revolution', calling for action against terrorism and violence.More

Syria's Cultural Heritage in Danger

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Syria's Cultural Heritage in Danger

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.

"The Crusades: Holy War"

Dr Thomas Asbridge (source: BBC.co.uk)

In this three-part documentary by BBC 2, Dr Thomas Asbridge presents a revelatory account of the Crusades, the 200-year war between Christians and Muslims for control of the Holy Land. More