Photo of the day Archives

Pilgrimage through the stone desert

Kazakh pilgrims and tourists of all ages endure a lot of hardship to climb down from the Ustyurt plateau along narrow paths and countless steps to… [...]

Under the yurt

In the heights of the Alai valley, yurts have been set up to watch over the herds during the summer transhumance period. [...]

The green lake

Dzhizev is a village far from the road that follows the Bartang. It is reached by an eight-kilometre trail that can only be travelled on foot… [...]

Jump into Issyk-Kul

Jump into Issyk-Kul / Unchanging childhood: The opportunity to jump into the water wherever and whenever, into the sea, the river, the lake, over and over again. Credits: Grégoire Chesnot… [...]

Pareidolia

The Zhumbaktas (in Kazakh: Mysterious Stone) is a oddly shaped sandstone rock that rises up right in the middle of the Lake Burabay in northern Kazakhstan. [...]

Registan at night, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

The Nights of Registan

The Registan, located in the heart of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, is one of the most magnificent architectural ensembles in the world. The word ‘Registan’ means ‘sandy place’ or… [...]

An eagerly-awaited meeting

Ilima is an enthusiastic French-speaking Kyrgyz who loves to welcome tourists and show them around her country. En route to the town of Naryn, they were lucky enough to come… [...]

museum Ahmad Yasawi Turkistan Kazakhstan

Ahmed Yasavi Museum

The town of Turkestan, Kazakhstan, has been turned upside down by the extensive work being carried out to transform pilgrims into religious tourists. While… [...]

Janpik Kala

Less well known than other fortresses in the Kyzylkum desert of Karakalpakstan, such as Ayaz-Kala or Toprak-Kala, the clay fortress of… [...]

Floodwaters

An inconspicuous latrine stands on the brown floodwaters of the Panj River near Kozidech, between Khorog and Ishkoshim, Tajikistan. Credits : Joachim Bohndorf (Germany) Find… [...]

In the dragon’s belly

To the south of Lake Issyk-Kul lies a fairytale valley: Skazka or Fairytale canyon. This enchanting place has certainly stimulated the imagination of mystics and dreamers. In… [...]