2nd Nomadic Migration – Spring 2024
Echoes of the Ancestors
In spring 2024, I returned to the Zagros Mountains to continue the story I had started a year before. I came back out of deep curiosity, with a desire to finish what I couldn’t in 2023 — to walk the full length of the Bakhtiari nomads’ Kooch and to learn more about their fading way of life. I also returned with questions, experiences, and a stronger connection — and I was ready to go deeper.
The journey began from the same point where I had stopped the year before. Over two weeks, I completed another third of the migration trail, pushing my total distance to two-thirds of the full route. We travelled through remote valleys, narrow ridges, and high passes reaching 3,400 metre in altitude. The weather was harsh. The terrain was brutal. But the stories I encountered were even more intense than the landscape itself.
This time, I joined a strong and kind Bakhtiari family. Their hospitality, strength, and openness helped carry me through many challenges. But the migration wasn’t peaceful. Early into the journey, I learned about a violent tribal conflict between two local groups — a gunfight that left four people dead, two from each side. It shook me to realize that these ancient routes were not only shaped by nature but also by old tensions still alive today.
One day, a wild bear approached a nomadic herd, and I saw how quickly the locals reacted — grabbing their rifles and protecting their animals with fierce determination. On another day, we passed an extremely difficult mountain trail. The path was steep, icy, and exposed, with a narrow ridge at 3,400 metres that tested every part of my body. And yet, through these same passes, small children walked beside their parents like seasoned trekkers — carrying loads, guiding livestock, and moving with a maturity far beyond their age. It was a reminder of how hard life is for these families, and how early responsibility is passed on from one generation to the next.
But once again, I couldn’t complete the entire trail. Toward the final part, the man I was traveling with made a surprising decision — he sold his horses and transported the rest of his gear by truck. For me, that moment changed the spirit of the journey. The migration lost its rhythm, and I left the trail again, with one final third still left unfinished.
Yet I didn’t feel the same kind of failure as the year before. Instead, this trek gave me something different — it raised new questions and pulled me deeper into the world of the nomads. I saw how fragile and strong this culture is at the same time. I felt the tension between tradition and change. And more than ever, I knew I had to return again — not just to finish the route, but to follow the deeper story still unfolding in the mountains.
All that happened during this year’s journey convinced me that photography alone wasn’t enough. It was no longer just about creating a coffee table book — it became clear that I needed to write a full book to tell the real story behind these treks, the people, and the life I was slowly becoming part of.
