Galleries
A Place to Play
In the days of the Ottoman Empire, men would gather at the local kiraathane, Turkish for “reading house,” to talk about books and ideas. Photographer Daniel Smith visits a modern-day reading house in Bursa, a city of a million in northwestern Turkey.
Grappling for Camels
Mark Carrington photographs a camel wrestling tournament on the Aegean Sea: “Camel wrestling is more of a hobby than a lucrative sport,” says Carrington. “The owners of winning camels receive a trophy and a rug.”
Denizli Special
Nearly undone by a factory fire in the early 1950′s, Zafer Gazoz has rebounded to become one of the most popular soda drinks in southwestern Turkey, edging out competing brands such as 7 Up and Sprite. Photographer Josh Hinton tours Zafer’s factory on the outskirts of Denizli.
Views of Kathmandu
Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, is a gorgeous, teeming, mountain city. From a statue celebrating the first Nepali woman to summit Mount Everest to a well-preserved Buddhist holy site, the city, as photographer Chris Mauger’s gallery suggests, celebrates ascension of the physical and spiritual sort.
Istanbul’s Female Whirling Dervishes
Photographer Trevor Kapralos traveled to a cultural center on the outskirts of Istanbul where female whirling dervishes perform a dizzying ritual that they say brings them into the very presence of the divine. The accompanying stories from writer Krista Kapralos are here and here.
Snow on the Mountain
Uludağ, or “Sublime Mountain,” is more than 2,500 meters tall. It is the highest mountain in northwestern Turkey and one of the most popular ski attractions in a country where winter sports are gaining traction. Photographer Daniel Smith rides a cable car to the top of Uludağ, making time for a pit stop or two along the way.