Chahar Lang Bakhtiari

The Chahar Lang are one of the two main branches of the Bakhtiari tribe who have lived in the heart of the Zagros mountains for centuries.  Their shared beliefs have been formed by the region’s rugged and wild landscape.

Today, their traditional territory extends across the provinces of Lorestan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, as well as northeastern Khuzestan.

A large number of the Chahar Lang Bakhtiari, like many nomadic communities in Iran, have gradually settled in villages and small towns. Over the past few years, the families undertaking their seasonal foot migration between the winter and summer pastures has dwindled considerably. It’s only a matter of time before their traditional lifestyle may disappear forever.

The photographs in this gallery were taken during the spring migration of 2026, documenting one of the last remaining communities that still continues this centuries-old tradition.