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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Living Heritage of Commerce in Ancient City - Iraq

Amidst the rapid modernization of the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil’s traditional markets remain the resilient pulse of the city’s cultural identity. Every Friday, the Bird Market and the 'Loka' (second-hand) market transform into a living gallery of history and human interaction. This photo series documents the preservation of ancestral commerce, where collectors of antiquities and breeders of rare birds sustain a social fabric that predates the city’s modern skyline. These markets are not merely commercial spaces, but sanctuaries of nostalgia and communal memory in one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Photo by Othman Sabur Rashid/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Women Social Cohesion Camp in Aleppo Syria

Women sit around a table during a communal meal at a scouting camp in Aleppo, Syria on December 12, 2025. The camp brings together more than 20 women from diverse religious, cultural and social backgrounds as part of an initiative aimed at strengthening social cohesion and building women-led support networks. Organized by “Women’s Bridges” under the auspices of the Support and Stability Unit, the initiative focuses on women as key actors in peacebuilding through community facilitation, cross-identity dialogue and the design of locally driven initiatives, and includes visits to mosques, churches and the alleyways of Aleppo’s Old City to foster cultural exchange and shared understanding. Photo by Hibatullah Barakat/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Women Social Cohesion Camp in Aleppo Syria

A woman arranges a table ahead of a communal meal during a scouting camp in Aleppo, Syria on December 12, 2025. The camp brings together more than 20 women from diverse religious, cultural and social backgrounds as part of an initiative aimed at strengthening social cohesion and building women-led support networks. Organized by “Women’s Bridges” under the auspices of the Support and Stability Unit, the initiative focuses on women as key actors in peacebuilding through community facilitation, cross-identity dialogue and the design of locally driven initiatives, and includes visits to mosques, churches and the alleyways of Aleppo’s Old City to foster cultural exchange and shared understanding. Photo by Hibatullah Barakat/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Women Social Cohesion Camp in Aleppo Syria

Women arrange a table ahead of a communal meal during a scouting camp in Aleppo, Syria on December 12, 2025. The camp brings together more than 20 women from diverse religious, cultural and social backgrounds as part of an initiative aimed at strengthening social cohesion and building women-led support networks. Organized by “Women’s Bridges” under the auspices of the Support and Stability Unit, the initiative focuses on women as key actors in peacebuilding through community facilitation, cross-identity dialogue and the design of locally driven initiatives, and includes visits to mosques, churches and the alleyways of Aleppo’s Old City to foster cultural exchange and shared understanding. Photo by Hibatullah Barakat/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Hebron Area Village Faces Demolition

A view of a communal tent in the village of Umm al-Khair in the Masafer Yatta area, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on October 29, 2025. Israeli occupation authorities have issued demolition orders targeting 13 homes, the community center and a health clinic in the village. According to village representative Khalil al-Hathalin, carrying out the orders would destroy about half of the village’s housing and displace roughly 150 residents from a population of 300. The demolitions would also leave approximately 65 children without recreational space or access to health services. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Hebron Area Village Faces Demolition

A view of a communal tent in the village of Umm al-Khair in the Masafer Yatta area, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on October 29, 2025. Israeli occupation authorities have issued demolition orders targeting 13 homes, the community center and a health clinic in the village. According to village representative Khalil al-Hathalin, carrying out the orders would destroy about half of the village’s housing and displace roughly 150 residents from a population of 300. The demolitions would also leave approximately 65 children without recreational space or access to health services. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Hebron Area Village Faces Demolition

A view of a communal tent in the village of Umm al-Khair in the Masafer Yatta area, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on October 29, 2025. Israeli occupation authorities have issued demolition orders targeting 13 homes, the community center and a health clinic in the village. According to village representative Khalil al-Hathalin, carrying out the orders would destroy about half of the village’s housing and displace roughly 150 residents from a population of 300. The demolitions would also leave approximately 65 children without recreational space or access to health services. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Pilgrims Begin Forty Day Trek to Karbala - Iraq

The first procession in Ras Al-Bishara marks the departure of pilgrims on foot to the holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq on July 18, 2025. The annual pilgrimage, known as Arbaeen if occurring during its traditional period, or in this case a prelude to it, draws millions of Shia Muslims from across Iraq and neighboring countries. Pilgrims walk for hundreds of kilometers to honor the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. The journey is not only religious but also deeply symbolic of faith, resilience, and communal solidarity. In Ras Al-Bishara, families, community leaders, and volunteers gather to send off the first groups of walkers, offering food, water, and prayers as part of long-standing traditions of hospitality and devotion. Photo by Samer Al Husseini/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Pilgrims Begin Forty Day Trek to Karbala - Iraq

The first procession in Ras Al-Bishara marks the departure of pilgrims on foot to the holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq on July 18, 2025. The annual pilgrimage, known as Arbaeen if occurring during its traditional period, or in this case a prelude to it, draws millions of Shia Muslims from across Iraq and neighboring countries. Pilgrims walk for hundreds of kilometers to honor the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. The journey is not only religious but also deeply symbolic of faith, resilience, and communal solidarity. In Ras Al-Bishara, families, community leaders, and volunteers gather to send off the first groups of walkers, offering food, water, and prayers as part of long-standing traditions of hospitality and devotion. Photo by Samer Al Husseini/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Pilgrims Begin Forty Day Trek to Karbala - Iraq

The first procession in Ras Al-Bishara marks the departure of pilgrims on foot to the holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq on July 18, 2025. The annual pilgrimage, known as Arbaeen if occurring during its traditional period, or in this case a prelude to it, draws millions of Shia Muslims from across Iraq and neighboring countries. Pilgrims walk for hundreds of kilometers to honor the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. The journey is not only religious but also deeply symbolic of faith, resilience, and communal solidarity. In Ras Al-Bishara, families, community leaders, and volunteers gather to send off the first groups of walkers, offering food, water, and prayers as part of long-standing traditions of hospitality and devotion. Photo by Samer Al Husseini/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Pilgrims Begin Forty Day Trek to Karbala - Iraq

The first procession in Ras Al-Bishara marks the departure of pilgrims on foot to the holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq on July 18, 2025. The annual pilgrimage, known as Arbaeen if occurring during its traditional period, or in this case a prelude to it, draws millions of Shia Muslims from across Iraq and neighboring countries. Pilgrims walk for hundreds of kilometers to honor the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. The journey is not only religious but also deeply symbolic of faith, resilience, and communal solidarity. In Ras Al-Bishara, families, community leaders, and volunteers gather to send off the first groups of walkers, offering food, water, and prayers as part of long-standing traditions of hospitality and devotion. Photo by Samer Al Husseini/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Pilgrims Begin Forty Day Trek to Karbala - Iraq

The first procession in Ras Al-Bishara marks the departure of pilgrims on foot to the holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq on July 18, 2025. The annual pilgrimage, known as Arbaeen if occurring during its traditional period, or in this case a prelude to it, draws millions of Shia Muslims from across Iraq and neighboring countries. Pilgrims walk for hundreds of kilometers to honor the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. The journey is not only religious but also deeply symbolic of faith, resilience, and communal solidarity. In Ras Al-Bishara, families, community leaders, and volunteers gather to send off the first groups of walkers, offering food, water, and prayers as part of long-standing traditions of hospitality and devotion. Photo by Samer Al Husseini/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Pilgrims Begin Forty Day Trek to Karbala - Iraq

The first procession in Ras Al-Bishara marks the departure of pilgrims on foot to the holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq on July 18, 2025. The annual pilgrimage, known as Arbaeen if occurring during its traditional period, or in this case a prelude to it, draws millions of Shia Muslims from across Iraq and neighboring countries. Pilgrims walk for hundreds of kilometers to honor the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. The journey is not only religious but also deeply symbolic of faith, resilience, and communal solidarity. In Ras Al-Bishara, families, community leaders, and volunteers gather to send off the first groups of walkers, offering food, water, and prayers as part of long-standing traditions of hospitality and devotion. Photo by Samer Al Husseini/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

E

Pilgrims Begin Forty Day Trek to Karbala - Iraq

The first procession in Ras Al-Bishara marks the departure of pilgrims on foot to the holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq on July 18, 2025. The annual pilgrimage, known as Arbaeen if occurring during its traditional period, or in this case a prelude to it, draws millions of Shia Muslims from across Iraq and neighboring countries. Pilgrims walk for hundreds of kilometers to honor the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. The journey is not only religious but also deeply symbolic of faith, resilience, and communal solidarity. In Ras Al-Bishara, families, community leaders, and volunteers gather to send off the first groups of walkers, offering food, water, and prayers as part of long-standing traditions of hospitality and devotion. Photo by Samer Al Husseini/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

E

Pilgrims Begin Forty Day Trek to Karbala - Iraq

The first procession in Ras Al-Bishara marks the departure of pilgrims on foot to the holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq on July 18, 2025. The annual pilgrimage, known as Arbaeen if occurring during its traditional period, or in this case a prelude to it, draws millions of Shia Muslims from across Iraq and neighboring countries. Pilgrims walk for hundreds of kilometers to honor the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. The journey is not only religious but also deeply symbolic of faith, resilience, and communal solidarity. In Ras Al-Bishara, families, community leaders, and volunteers gather to send off the first groups of walkers, offering food, water, and prayers as part of long-standing traditions of hospitality and devotion. Photo by Samer Al Husseini/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

E

Pilgrims Begin Forty Day Trek to Karbala - Iraq

The first procession in Ras Al-Bishara marks the departure of pilgrims on foot to the holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq on July 18, 2025. The annual pilgrimage, known as Arbaeen if occurring during its traditional period, or in this case a prelude to it, draws millions of Shia Muslims from across Iraq and neighboring countries. Pilgrims walk for hundreds of kilometers to honor the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. The journey is not only religious but also deeply symbolic of faith, resilience, and communal solidarity. In Ras Al-Bishara, families, community leaders, and volunteers gather to send off the first groups of walkers, offering food, water, and prayers as part of long-standing traditions of hospitality and devotion. Photo by Samer Al Husseini/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

E

Pilgrims Begin Forty Day Trek to Karbala - Iraq

The first procession in Ras Al-Bishara marks the departure of pilgrims on foot to the holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq on July 18, 2025. The annual pilgrimage, known as Arbaeen if occurring during its traditional period, or in this case a prelude to it, draws millions of Shia Muslims from across Iraq and neighboring countries. Pilgrims walk for hundreds of kilometers to honor the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. The journey is not only religious but also deeply symbolic of faith, resilience, and communal solidarity. In Ras Al-Bishara, families, community leaders, and volunteers gather to send off the first groups of walkers, offering food, water, and prayers as part of long-standing traditions of hospitality and devotion. Photo by Samer Al Husseini/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Qadiri Disciples Gather in Akre - Iraq

Participants share a communal meal at Abdulaziz Gilani Takya in Akre, Iraq, on June 7, 2025. Followers of the Qadiri Waliani Tariqat make their annual visit to the shrine on the second day of Eid al-Adha. Photo by Shwan Zangana/Middle East/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Qadiri Disciples Gather in Akre - Iraq

Participants share a communal meal at Abdulaziz Gilani Takya in Akre, Iraq, on June 7, 2025. Followers of the Qadiri Waliani Tariqat make their annual visit to the shrine on the second day of Eid al-Adha. Photo by Shwan Zangana/Middle East/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Illustration - Summer Activities

FRANCE, HAUTE-CORSE (2B) VIVARIO COMMUNAL FOREST, GR 20 NORTH. BERGERIE DE TOLLA, MANGANELLU VALLEY Photo by Robert Palomba/Only France/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Aftermath of Russian drone attack in Odesa

City Roads Communal Enterprise workers remove the rubble after a Russian drone strike in Odesa, Ukraine, on April 14, 2025. (Photo by Nina Liashonok/Ukrinform)

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Russian drone attack on residential area in Dnipro

An employee of the City Transport Infrastructure Communal Enterprise prepares a damaged car for evacuation in a residential area affected by a large-scale Russian drone attack in Dnipro, Ukraine, on March 29, 2025. (Photo by Mykola Miakshykov/Ukrinform)

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Iftar Amid Rubble In Gaza

A large crowd gathers for a communal Iftar in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, on March 15, 2025. Despite the devastation, families continue their Ramadan traditions amidst the ruins of their homes. Photo by Saeed Jaras/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Iftar Amid Rubble In Gaza

A large crowd gathers for a communal Iftar in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, on March 15, 2025. Despite the devastation, families continue their Ramadan traditions amidst the ruins of their homes. Photo by Saeed Jaras/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Iftar Amid Rubble In Gaza

A large crowd gathers for a communal Iftar in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, on March 15, 2025. Despite the devastation, families continue their Ramadan traditions amidst the ruins of their homes. Photo by Saeed Jaras/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM