
Spotlight on Photography: Discover the Marshes of Iraq in a Visual Story by Wilfred Thesiger
- Arts
- History
- Photography
Reading time:1min
Photograph by Wilfred Thesiger
November/December 1966
As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of AramcoWorld this year, we are looking back at some of the memorable and visual story spreads in the magazine. In the past, AramcoWorld has written about the cultural impact of a simple reed hut like those in the marshes of Iraq and built recently in Houston, Texas. That journey really began in 1964, with the publishing of Wilfred Thesiger’s book The Marsh Arabs. His travelogue connected the world to a culture and people few had known or experienced. AramcoWorld amplified that connection in the November/December 1966 issue with the story "In the Marshes of Iraq."
“… then I realized that I was looking at great reedbeds. A slim black, high-prowed craft lay beached at my feet—the sheikh’s war canoe, waiting to take me into the Marshes. Before the first palaces were built at Ur, men had … launched a canoe like this and gone hunting here. … Five thousand years of history were here and the pattern was still unchanged.”
— Wilfred Thesiger, The Marsh Arabs
You may also be interested in...
How to Discover Egypt From the Inside Out
Arts
Rather than just telling travelers where to go, the guidebook Egypt: Inside Out by Trevor Naylor offers an inside-out perspective that evokes the experience of being there, inviting readers to embrace an almost meditative travel discipline of slowing down to take in the details and complexities of Egypt, moment by moment.When the Mountains Trust You: The Photographic Life of Peter Sanders
Arts
For more than 40 years, British photographer Peter Sanders has documented communities across the Islamic world. Sanders discusses his legacy with us, including his inspiration and influences over the course of his career.FirstLook: Soaring off Ambon Island
Arts
This photo was taken off Ambon Island, East Indonesia in 2010. It is one of my favorites, illustrating the free-spirited nature of the children in the rural archipelago. While some children in the big cities may stay inside and play computer games, the children in Ambon with easy access to the water see the ocean surrounding their village as their playground.