Ayten Tiryaki, master calligrapher and illuminator of Istanbul
Through a contact at the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, I had been put in touch with a calligraphy and illumination Hodja (master) living on the Asian side of the Bosporus.
The Hadži Kurt Mosque in Mostar
In the Hadži Kurt Mosque, I met Ilma, a young red-headed women with bright blue eyes. She told me about the history of this small Ottoman-era mosque.
Ashgabat, the otherworldly capital of Turkmenistan
Four days in undoubtably the most surreal place I have ever visited.
The train from Podgorica to Belgrade
A couple of years ago an intrepid friend of mine spoke of a train journey through the Balkans that sounded like no other. She described a line that connected Podgorica in Montenegro to Belgrade in Serbia crossing a spectacular mountain range. In, 2019, I had a chance to travel it.
Kashgar, ancient Silk Road trading hub
A selection of photographs from the ancient Silk Road trading hub in the westernmost corner of China’s Xinjiang Province known to the Uyghur community who live there as the Republic of East Turkestan.
Ceilings of Iran
Images of the spectacular ceilings that can be found in Iran and the mosques, mausolea, madrasahs and palaces they belong to.
Then & now: The Mausoleum of Oljaytu
Some historical lithographs and photographs of the magnificent mausoleum of the the Mongol general Oljaytu recently came to my attention via an Instagram post by Fartash Tours that included a photo I took of the mausoleum in 2019.
Life and death along the ghats of Varanasi
I had barely slept the last few days so I asked the proprietor of the hotel for a quiet room. He paused briefly and then meeting my eyes said: “this is a very difficult place to find peace.” Ironic, I thought, since this is where people come to die.
Can Tunisia revive its tourist industry? (Financial Times)
Seven years after its revolution, the country is luring visitors back with desert settlements and a diverse history.
A feature for the Financial Times.
The Artisans of al-Darb al-Ahmar: Life and Work in Historic Cairo
The story of the artisans of al-Darb al-Ahmar. Discover one of Cairo’s most historic but undiscovered neighbourhoods, home to 1,000 artisans workshops and 40 monuments of Islamic architecture. This series, which was exhibited at London’s Royal Geographical Society, presents artisans at work some of whom are part of a tradition going back a thousand years but whose skills may not last another generation.