“We will go for a few days to the south to forget our problems”, said Emad to me on the last days of my semester in Hannover, just a few days after the assassination of Ghasem Soleimani in January 2020. Emad was a friend of my friend Reyhaneh. Two weeks later, I started a camping trip with some young Iranians who were all connected by a friend in common to each other. Some came camping for the first time, others enjoyed staying in the nature almost every week. Foreign people became friends during the trip and spent long nights with singing and dancing at the campfire.
Southern Iran is famous for its people’s warm hearts. Their hospitality turned the area into a popular destination for young travellers. “Jonoob” –the south– became a place of freedom far away from strict traditions and rules.
Shirin Abedi
Photojournalist | Hannover, Germany | Fotografin aus Hannover