Photo Essays

The country's mood was already weighed down by economic and social problems and military crises before the pandemic reached Iran. The regime's crisis management has done little to improve things. By Shabnam von Hein

The Iran-Iraq War was one of the deadliest military conflicts ever seen in the Middle East. The eight-year-long conflict, which saw the use of chemical weapons, killed thousands of people and divided the region along sectarian lines. By Shamil Shams

The Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos has burned to the ground. The situation is dire, but it was already grave before fire swept through Europe's largest and most overcrowded refugee camp.

Sudan claims the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam could threaten the safety of some 20 million Sudanese living downstream and damage the country's flood-plain agricultural system. Yet it also sees potential benefits in controlling floods during the rainy season. By Aidan Lewis

Considered the fourth holiest Muslim city in the world, Harar is the centre of Islam in Ethiopia. Maria Gerth-Niculescu leads us through the small streets and jam-packed markets of this sacred town.

The Jewish Museum's permanent exhibition illustrates how 1700 years of interaction between Jews and non-Jews can be portrayed in pictures and objects. By Sabine Peschel

For about a century, a Mizrahi synagogue, an Armenian church, a Zoroastrian temple and a Shia mosque have been serving their followers in a small neighbourhood in downtown Tehran. By Changiz M. Varzi

A powerful explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut, killing at least 100 people and injuring thousands more. Hospitals quickly filled beyond capacity and there have been appeals for people to give blood. By Darko Janjevic

In a normal year, millions of Muslims flock to Mecca for the hajj pilgrimage. But with COVID-19 still a global threat, only a few thousand have been allowed to make the journey this year, and those that were allowed to travel, have to abide by a set of strict rules.

The Hagia Sophia, with its massive dome and four minarets, is nearly 1,500 years old. Turkey's top court has now paved the way for the museum to be converted back into a mosque. By Klaus Dahmann