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.
Ceilings of Uzbekistan
Images of the spectacular ceilings that can be found in Uzbekistan and of the palaces, mosques, madrasahs and mausolea 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.
Rock breakers, northern Pakistan
After a glacial lake burst in 2015, Singal village was partly destroyed by flooding and the rock avalanche that came with it. The villagers would do everything in their power not to let that happen again.
Stari Most: The bridge at Mostar
Mostar is arguably most famous for its soaring 20 metre high arched bridge that traverses the Neretva river.
The bridge was commissioned by the Ottoman ruler Suleiman the Magnificent in 1557. It stood for 427 years, until it was destroyed on 9 November 1993 during the Bosnian War.
Meet the young Pakistanis conserving Mughal heritage in Lahore (part 2)
Architects, art historians, engineers, fine artists, chemists, conservators, and ceramists make up the constellation of skilled young people working for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture on one of the largest restoration projects in Pakistan. I spoke with some of the team working on this project to understand why this restoration work is so important to them and to Pakistan.
Meet the young Pakistanis conserving Mughal heritage in Lahore (part 1)
Architects, art historians, engineers, fine artists, chemists, conservators, and ceramists make up the constellation of skilled young people working for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture on one of the largest restoration projects in Pakistan. I spoke with some of the team working on this project to understand why this restoration work is so important to them and to Pakistan.
Nurses of Zanzibar
In November 2017, I was asked by the Aga Khan University to photograph 20 of their nursing alumni living and working in Zanzibar for a book to mark 35 years since the university was established. Here are some of my favourite photos from that series.
The doorways of Stone Town, Zanzibar
Stone Town, Zanzibar’s capital, is arguably most famous for its iconic wooden doorways. Often they are the only thing left standing when the buildings they belong to collapse, which an alarming number have.
Colours and culture in Stone Town, Zanzibar (National Geographic)
Ruled for centuries by the Sultanate of Oman, Tanzania’s laid-back archipelago is home to a vibrant blend of African, Islamic and Portuguese architectural and artistic styles.
A feature for National Geographic Traveller UK.
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 jewellers of Jaipur (The Guardian)
Unesco has named the capital of Rajasthan, India, a world heritage site, partly for its jewellery and artisanal traditions, which continue to thrive on one of its main commercial streets.
A feature for The Guardian.
The artisans of Lahore’s Walled City (Financial Times)
In Pakistan’s ‘cultural capital’, craftsmen offer a link to the past and, thanks to a major restoration project, hope for the future.
A feature for the Financial Times.
London to Beijing along the old Silk Road
Dear friends, in two weeks I will be embarking on the most ambitious trip of my life, the trip I always dreamed of. I will be travelling from London to Beijing by land crossing 17 countries and 40,000km over four months.
Sufi mystics, Istanbul
On the outskirts of Istanbul lies one of the few remaining Sufi monasteries in Turkey. Here, the local community gather to watch a performance of ‘whirling dervishes’ - a practice which originated from the teachings of the 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic theologian and Sufi mystic, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi.
Qaytbay in Cairo’s City of the Dead
Photographs from around the Sultan of Qaytbay Mosque in Cairo’s City of the Dead.
Teekam Chand, Jaipur's original street photographer
On one of Jaipur’s main streets, near the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds), Teekam Chand is setting up his World War I era box camera to take his next portrait and is directing his subject. Me.
The Monkey King
A lovely man who spends all day with the animals at Galtaji where there’s a shrine to Lord Hanuman, the original monkey king.