Photo Essays

German photographer Jens Umbach travelled to the north of Afghanistan to pay tribute to the people affected by the German military mission. By Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi

Gustaf Dalman (1855-1941) is viewed as the founder of Palestine studies in Germany. As the first director of a German archaeological institute in Jerusalem, he amassed a substantial collection of photographs. The glass slides capture the Holy Land around 1900 and provide a unique insight into Palestine before its modernisation. By Marcel Serr

Poor government, economic recession, cultural norms: all factors that have turned Lebanese zoos into hotbeds of illegal animal trading. An animal rights organisation is now campaigning to stop lions being sold off as pets. By Martin Jay

Back before the pandemic, millions of devout Muslims conducted the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia in 2019. The organisers are expecting similar numbers this year. By Janina Semenova

Muslim women in Belgium organised a different kind of protest. They gathered in Antwerp to celebrate at a beach party, dressed in burkinis, bikinis or bathing suits. Their motto was: "We are women and we are free". By Greta Hamann

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 according to region, ethnicity, but most noticeably according to religious affiliation. Shia women wear red rectangular masks, while those of Sunni women are black or indigo with gold, shaped to give the impression of eyebrows and moustache – once a ruse to fool invaders into thinking that the women they spied from a distance were in fact men. By Eric Lafforgue

This month while Pakistan marked its independence, its twin India also celebrated its freedom from British rule. Tensions between the two, however, are running high and ties continue to be scarred by mutual suspicion. By Srinivas Mazumdaru

In August 1895, the first steam locomotive departed from the port city of Beirut, crossed the rugged terrain of Lebanon′s Bekaa valley and arrived in Damascus. Back then, Lebanon was the first country in the Arab world to have a railroad and one of the world′s first train factories in Rayak – a Lebanese border town located six kilometres from Syria. Impressions by Changiz M. Varzi

Since the Islamic Revolution women in Iran have been obliged to follow a strict dress code. But an increasing number are refusing to obey the rules. Many young women are wearing clothes that are more colourful and revealing – and accepting the repressive consequences

Iran is holding numerous women in jail on political charges. They include human rights activists, journalists, artists and simply engaged citizens. By Shabnam von Hein