Iranian Photographer Wins First Prize at UNESCO International Photo Contest

WANA (Sep 27) – Farbad Bawaei, a photographer from Saqqez, secured first place within the seventh version of UNESCO’s International Photo Contest “Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads.”

The profitable work by Farbad Bawaei, titled “The Kurdish Horsewoman,” captures a scene from the Nowruz ceremony within the village of Cheshmider Sewlawa, close to Sanandaj. It depicts the second a younger girl on horseback leaps via the Nowruz fireplace, as villagers and guests watch in awe.

This yr’s contest, held from May 26 to August 5, 2025, was organized underneath the theme “Women, Guardians of the Silk Roads’ Heritage.” It supplied younger folks worldwide the chance to painting the shared heritage of the Silk Roads via the lens of pictures.

Bawaei’s profitable picture not solely highlights the Nowruz rituals and symbols of nature’s renewal but additionally emphasizes the position of ladies and youth in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and sustaining the traditions of the Silk Roads.

The jury of this version—comprising Hannah Reyes Morales from the Philippines, Thandiwe Muriu from Kenya, Emilio Morenatti from Spain, and Zeng Yi from China—chosen Bawaei because the first-prize winner. His award was an expert pictures digital camera.

Iranian Photographer Wins First Prize at UNESCO International Photo Contest. Social media /WANA News Agency