A look into the Iranian Turkmen Sahra – in Pictures

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An immigrant family from Sistan and Baluchestan living in one of the Turkmen villages. Their different culture and religion have prevented them from having friendly relationships with other residents of the village.
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An old woman and her grandchildren in beautiful Turkmen dress wear. Even though Turkman in Iran make beautiful rugs and are wonderful artists, they still live in extreme poverty.
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Malik Banoo is an artist who enthusiastically invited me to take a picture of a wall rug that she had just finished weaving. Many Turkmen women weave carpets and Kilims, but very few agree to have their pictures taken.
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The colourful woven thread placed on the top of the door is a sign of good luck for the new home in the Iranian Turkemen culture.
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Children playing on a bench as they are pretending to be riding a motorcycle. When I asked them why they were barefoot, they told me they had taken their shoes off so they wouldn’t fall off when they cruised at high speed.
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Araz is a kind and hospitable Turkmen man who raises camels in the desert.
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A photo of a “happy” family. The woman in the middle first became a mother at the age of thirteen and has six children as of this day. One boy was hiding behind the light pole, while the other one was still in the mother’s womb.
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A Turkmen woman resting outside her kitchen that opens to the road. She later invited me to see her house, which is more than 150 years old.
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Older Turkmen men gather in front of the mosque an hour before the prayer. They sit and exchange conversations until the prayer starts.
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It is rice paddy season, so while the woman is washing dishes, the man is planting starch. The couple said that they sent two of their sons to the university by working in this very field.
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The Gordian Magazine is a community-supported magazine that shares YOUR revolutionary ideas in regards to human rights, animal welfare and environmental protection. Every issue contains global news, opinions and long reads accompanied by striking photography and insightful companion pieces.

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