STUCK IN BOSNIAN WINTER
January 24, 2021
In the last three years, Bosnia has seen an exponential increase in the number of people travelling to Europe, and at the same time the number of migrants stranded in the country has highly risen. Around 9000 migrants trying to reach the EU are currently stuck in Bosnia. Among them more than a third is without any shelter, while the situation further deteriorated after Lipa camp was evacuated and later set on by fire, leaving hundreds more homeless.
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BURNING THE YULE LOG ON ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS EVE
January 06, 2021
Orthodox believers in Serbia celebrate Christmas Eve on January 6 according to the Julian calendar, and it is tradition among people to cut and burn dried oak branches on this day.
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ANNIVERSARY OF THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION IN TEHRAN, IRAN
February 11, 2020
Crowd gathered on Enqelab Square during the rally marking the 41th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, at a time of heightened tensions with the United States and a sharp economic downturn. Tensions with Washington escalated in early January when a US drone strike killed general Soleimani in Baghdad. Hundreds of thousands of Iranians attended nationwide rallies on February 11 2020 to celebrate the 41st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
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ZURKHANEH IN TEHRAN, IRAN
February 10, 2020
Pahlevani and zurkhaneh rituals is the name for for varzesh-e pahlavani or varzesh-e bastani inscribed by UNESCO for a traditional system of athletics originally used to train warriors in Iran (Persia) and adjacent lands. It combines martial arts, calisthenics, strength training and music. It fuses elements of pre-Islamic Persian culture with the spirituality of Shia Islam and sufism. Practiced in a domed structure called the zurkhaneh, training sessions consist mainly of ritual gymnastic movements and climax with the core of combat practice, a form of submission-grappling called koshti pahlavani.
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KOLBARS IN KURDISTAN PROVINCE, IRAN
February 03, 2020
Kolbars are porters from Iranian Kurdistan who cross into Iraqi Kurdistan, collect goods, and bring them back to Iran, defying the harsh environmental conditions. Among the kolbars are people of all ages and professions, including highly educated young people, who have no job because of high unemployment rate in Kurdish provinces of Iran. They often come under fire from border guards and risk their lives in the treacherous mountain passes and cold winter temperatures.
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