Photo Essays

In this photo gallery, Valerie Stocker gives a fascinating insight into the diversity of ethnic and tribal groups in modern-day Libya

Every year, groups of Shia men parade through the centre of Nabatiyeh, where Lebanon's major Ashura rituals take place. These rituals include the controversial bloodletting rite known as "tatbir". Although frowned upon by religious and political authorities, Shia communities still practice tatbir as a vital part of their communal act of mourning Imam Hussein, who was martyred at the pivotal Battle of Karbala in 680 AD. Text and photos by Maya Hautefeuille

When Islamists captured northern Mali in 2012, there was a danger that thousands of historical manuscripts might be destroyed. But the Malians know the value of their cultural heritage and organised their rescue. By Philipp Breu

Abdul Fattah al-Sisi's government has little to show for its first hundred days in office: the economy is still far from having recovered from the January 2011 revolution, energy prices are soaring, tourism is floundering and freedom of expression is not what it should be.

In 2002, the then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon approved the construction of a barrier wall that would run along the ceasefire line of 1949 with the intention of separating Israeli territories from the Palestinian West Bank. In Bethlehem, graffiti artists have started using the wall as a canvas for political protest and socially critical art. By Laura Overmeyer

Thousands of Yazidis were trapped on Mount Sinjar after being forced to flee their homes by Islamic State terrorist militias. Many have fled to Syria; others have remained in Iraq. The US has provided food and water, although Washington no longer sees the need for a rescue mission. Their situation is desperate.

The violence unleashed in Libya by the struggle against the Gaddafi regime has spiralled out of control. Young fighters and militia members are reluctant to give up the power they gained by force of arms. The younger generation is politically frustrated and scarred by the trauma of the war. By Valerie Stocker

The civil war in Syria means that there are many traumatised and vulnerable Syrian children living as refugees in Lebanon. For them, the few makeshift schools set up to educate them are often the only semblance of normality in their disrupted and difficult lives. Many, however, are not even lucky enough to attend school. Photos by Amy Leang.

The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul has become a bone of contention. Since it was secularised in 1935, it has been a museum. Now Turkish nationalists want to turn it back into a mosque - while the Patriarch of Constantinople wants to use it as a church again. A photo essay by Klaus Dahmann.

Muslims all over the world are currently observing Ramadan. The month of fasting is supposed to be all about reflection, meditation and abstention - but Ramadan is becoming increasingly commercialised.