23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Rush hour in the Marshes of Mesopotamia

In the Mesopotamian marshes of Iraq, a Ma'dan slowly advances through the canals at dusk, when water buffalo gather as densely as if it were rush hour. He zigzags, searching for a gap between their dark bodies emerging from the water, while the silence and peace of the marsh transforms into a living, pulsating stream. An everyday scene, ancient yet vibrant, in which man, animals, and landscape flow together like a single current.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2023
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Marshes, Iraq
Camera: LEICA SL2-S
Copyright: © Andrea Peruzzi