The Tat-Kheiri

The Tat-Kheiri are a small community of Chaharlang Bakhtiari nomads who live deep in Iran’s central Zagros Mountains, where there’s no access by road. They identify themselves as descendants of the ancient Tat people and preserve stories of warrior ancestors who fought for these Mountains generations ago. Although it’s impossible to verify these accounts, they still continue to shape the community’s individuality.

Surrounded by rugged peaks, the Tat-Kheiri spend the winter in simple stone houses in one of Iran’s most isolated landscapes. A large part of the story is just about reaching the winter pasture region. The only access is via the UNESCO-listed Trans-Iranian Railway, followed by a full day of hiking through steep valleys and across mountain rivers.

The Tat-Kheiri continue to live by traditional pastoralism. Sheep and goats remain the foundation of their livelihood, and every spring they begin one of Iran’s most remarkable seasonal migrations. Their journey combines walking, freight trains, pickup trucks, horseback riding, and yet, even more days on foot.  Once they reach the meadows situated below the 4,064-meter peak of Oshtoran Kuh, they spend the summer in black tents.  At the end of the season, their long and arduous journey to their winter home begins.