Photo Essays

The "zar" cult is a religious medicinal ritual with roots in the sub-Saharan region. The ceremonies are mainly held to cure mental illnesses, which are also interpreted as "possessions". Each ritual is led by a priestess and aims to appease evil spirits through sacrificial gifts, incantation songs and dances. Impressions by Ikhlas Abbis

Rawabi (″the hills″ in Arabic) – vision of Nablus-born entrepreneur and billionaire Bashar al-Masri – is the first planned Palestinian city and the largest private sector project in Palestinian history. Mockingly referred to by some as ″the first Palestinian settlement", Rawabi is not without its critics, who argue it merely serves to sugarcoat the Israeli occupation.

The development has also faced difficulties connecting to the water supply: infrastructure had to be built across Area C, the 60 percent of the West Bank under Israeli civil and security control – the necessary permits were eventually granted, but the main access road remains unauthorised. By Ylenia Gostoli

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 civil war?

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

For years now, the wearing of headscarves and veils for religious reasons has been the periodic focus of debates and conflicts in public life. We present the key phases of the headscarf debate in Germany.

India is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural society. But in the old, predominantly Muslim-inhabited part of the country's capital Delhi, Ramadan is celebrated by people of different faiths

The month-long Muslim holiday of Ramadan began last week. In a camp of about 800, refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan celebrate with what little they have. Jodi Hilton reports from Ritsona Camp outside Athens

The many multi-ethnic teams that will be meeting each other during the European Soccer Championships in France are not only a model for successful integration, but also for a coexistence of cultures and religions. We present some of the key players.

Each year on 15 May, Palestinians across the world commemorate the Nakba, or ″catastrophe″: the 1948 displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians following Israel′s declaration of independence. In 2011, the Knesset passed a law that authorises the Finance Minister to reduce or withdraw state funding from organisations that reject Israel′s existence as a Jewish and democratic state, or that remember Israel′s Independence Day as a day of mourning. The ′Nakba Law′ has had a chilling effect on the ability of 1.7 million Palestinians with Israeli citizenship to hold activities commemorating Nakba Day. By Ylenia Gostoli in Jaffa