The Ancient Guardians of Bakhazner - Iraq
In the isolated village of Bakhazner in the Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, two sisters, Mestan Rasul Muhiddin and Gustan Rasul Muhiddin, both over 85 years old, continue to embody a vanishing way of life. Born and raised in Bakhazner, the sisters have spent their entire lives on their family's land, witnessing decades of regional transformation without ever leaving. Living independently, they dedicate their lives to the arduous tasks of livestock farming and shepherding, traditions passed down through generations. Their self-sufficiency and deep-rooted connection to the rugged Zagros foothills landscape provide a rare insight into traditional Kurdish pastoral life, which is under threat from modernisation and rural-to-urban migration. Despite their advanced age, the Rasul Muhiddin sisters remain the primary caretakers of their flock, serving as the living memory of their community, on January 3, 2026, in Taq Taq district of the Kurdistan Region, in Iraq. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPR
- Product Code
- ILEA005017406
- Registered date
- 2026/1/03 00:00:00
- Credit
- Abaca Press / Kyodo News Images
- Media source
- Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACA
- Media size
- 6000 × 4000 pixel
- Deployment size
- 2.56(MB)*
*File size when opened in Photoshop, etc.