Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
children of Iran's gypsies 2

This project showcases rare images of a camp of gypsies taken on the outskirts of Bardaskan, Iran, that I was able to photograph on November 17th 2019. Here, I focused on the children of the camp: small work-worn hands, ragged shoes, dirty faces and plastic patches on tents tell the story of their lost childhood. This community of gypsies has been on its way northwards from Sistan to find seasonal low paid work in the saffron fields of Khorasan. Iranian gypsies are characterized by their nomadic way of life, social marginality, low social status as well as certain types of occupations such as begging, metal- and woodworking or basket weaving. According to Prof. Sekandar Amanolahi at Shiraz University little to no data exists about Iran’s gypsies. While there have been many prohibitions imposed on their traditional lifestyle after 1979, the government has done little to provide alternatives for the communities to improve their living conditions.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 11.2020
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Bardaskan, Iran
Camera: NIKON D750
Copyright: © Basim Ghomorlou