Direct contacts between Armenians and Azerbaijanis are almost non-existent. Founded by Raffi Wartanian, the Letters for Peace project is an attempt to create ties between young people from both countries through epistolary exchanges. 

“Photography is my first immune weapon against amnesia and the tough situation,” says self-taught photographer Obaid Allah from Yarmouk in Syria.

وجدت في البسطة التحتة عالماً من الانتيكا ورحلات فريدة عبر الزمن من نافذة كلّ متجرٍ صغيرٍ زرته

In Beirut’s Basta neighbourhood, an antiques dealer from Damascus has created a world of artefacts and objects from the past.

Kists in Georgia’s Pankisi Valley have traditionally embraced sufism, and Sufi orders – or tariqas – have played a major role in structuring society and organising religious practices through collective rituals. One of their most treasured practices is zikr, the remembrance of Allah.

Defying a ban against LGBTI+ events in Turkey’s capital Ankara, queer film fest KuirFest sets out on a tour to three Turkish cities.

Population census is a prolonged photo-performance by Azerbaijani photographer Sitara Ibrahimova which brought  the concept of photographic studio to the streets of Baku.

The birdhouses of Istanbul, built mostly during the Ottoman era, provide urban shelters for birds but also pleasure for curious eyes. The houses come in various styles and can be found all over the city, from churches to banks and offices.

Georgia harbours a valuable, often forgotten, Muslim heritage. The project “Indigenous Outsiders” aims to let people discover the old wooden mosques of the Adjara province.

A list with some of our favourite storytellers/sharers and initiatives from across the UAE. Enjoy!