A soldier from the U.S. backed Syrian Democratic Forces looks towards ISIS lines in the distance, Deir Ezzor province.
Kurdish and Arab SDF fighters dance at a military base, around 20 kilometers from Hajin frontline.
Blood and dirt soaked stretched of a field hospital in Hajin frontline, Deir Ezzor province.
SDF fighters walks next to the frontline against ISIS in Hajin, Deir Ezzor province, November, 2018.
Arab and Kurdish fighters from SDF man a position in the frontline against ISIS in Hajin, Deir Ezzor province. In the background, NATO coalition aircraft continue hitting ISIS positions. Days later, Islamist counter-attack overran the frontline and killed hundreds of SDF fighters.
Funeral of a Kurdish SDF fighter in Kobane, Northern Syria. He was killed while fighting against ISIS in Deir Ezzor, November, 2018.
A grief-stricken comrade of a killed Kurdish fighter is pulled out of the grave during funeral in Kobane, November, 2018.
Bones of killed ISIS fighters in Kobane, Northern Syria.
Family members huddle by a grave of a Kurdish fighter in Kobane, Northern Syria.
Mother of a killed Kurdish fighter grieves during the funeral in Kobane, November, 2018.
Poster in Kobane of a Kurdish fighter killed during fights against ISIS in 2014-15.
Texts and photographs by Michele Cirillo and Emanuela Laurenti.
Premise
Only scratched the surface by the passing of time, by the Islamic conquest and other foreign dominations, the Kurdish culture is now in danger of being forgotten, or worse, losing its true identity, confused in recent years with the Muslim or Turkish tradition. Put through to the Ottoman Empire and then divided by the Western powers in the four states of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria, in the last ninety years, the Kurds have been victims of persecutions and slaughters that occurred with greater ferocity in Turkey, where a regime of forced repression resented every expression of their cultural identity. “Mountain Turks”. As Turks called Kurdish people. But in those mountains, dominated by the great Ararat, unquestionably still persist the flavors of ancient and specific traditions, traces of a thousand-years old past, vestiges of a precise and recognizable identity. Among those mountains, the first days of the wedding of Sükran and Samet took place, a symbolic union, especially because of their origins and historical events: Sükran is Kurdish, Samet is Turkish. Our journey starts here. In August 2014, at Xarik place as first, in Eastern Anatolia, and at Yozgat then, in Central Anatolia.
The Wedding
In the social structure Kurdish family is considered an inseparable unit: it is the core on which dipend the whole society and its importance is manifested on the occasion of a marriage. Specifically, the Sükran and Samet wedding party lasted five days: the first part of the celebrations was held in the bride family home, in the altitudes of Xarik, with sober characters although colored. The remaining four days of celebrations, took place, with the most sumptuous atmospheres, in the groom's family house. In Yozgat, a Turkish small town. The criteria that direct the marriage of two young people often depend on the relationship between their families. Even if there is not anymore the custom to give in marriage young girls, young men have some freedom of choice, young women even less, waiting for a sincere marriage proposal. The history of Sükran and Samet, fortunately, is a different story.
A human skeleton emerge from the ground in a dump at the outskirsts of Qyyara used as mass grave by I.S.
A child with his book the first school day.
Women sign up their children at the school for the first day.
A teacher and her numerous pupils.
Children in the streets of Qayyarah. Despite de reopening of the school, many children must work to support the family.
Qayyara's young people.
An Iraqi soldier on the back of a vehicle
People waiting the drinking water distribution by a N.G.O.
Children with box of drinking water
A human bone in a dump at the outskirsts of Qyyara, this dump was used as mass grave by I.S.
The bulldozer move the burning oil on the surface.
Guardians at the checkpoint on the road to the burning oil wells.
In the afternoon the children playing on the streets, no many children have toys but some of them have these toy weapon, replicas of American M16.
I.S. destroyed the bridge on the road to Qayyara
A guy in front of the sports hall destroyed
Portrait of two brothers who lost their job, now they come to take bricks in the rubble to sell at the black market
Portrait of two brothers who lost their job, now they come to take bricks in the rubble to sell at the black market
The steaming crater of an extinct fire of an oil well set on fire by I.S.
Children near the crater of an extinct fire of an oil well.
An armed guardian on the road to a burning oil well.
Firefighters with the fire hoses in front of the burning.
A firefighter going up to a bulldozer for the exchange with his colleague.
Firefighters at the work.
The bulldozer move the burning oil on the surface.
Firefighters after the job light up a cigarette.
Ruins of Ani
Bridge over Arpachay river, this river is a boarder beetwen Tukrey-Armenia, so from left side is Turkey from right Armenia.
Parts from Varagavnk monastery. Often used like a storage