#ajamistan

When looking at video and photos from Sovetski over the past 2 years you'd be forgiven for thinking you were looking at a neighborhood on the outskits of Baku. Even when walking its streets one feels as though they've left the capital, entering some undefined space separate and surely far from the glittering lights and glass skyscrappers of Azerbaijan's capital. In truth though Sovetski is the absolute heart of the city, a five minute walk from the popular Targova shopping distract. This summer while recording footage for our project, the sound of F1 race cars racing around the carefully preserved walls of Baku's Old City could be heard buzzing over the razed homes of Sovetski. Read More

For six months before the city bulldozed Sovetski, the Ajam MC team painstakingly recorded everyday scenes in local shops, housing complexes, and labyrinthine alleyways. “Within the neighborhoods themselves, we try to find the specific buildings, people, shops, and street life that make it unique. In Sovetski, this included doner shops, street musicians, bird keepers, and repairmen. When exploring the map, viewers should constantly be surprised by what they find,” Ajam MC co-editor-in-chief Rustin Zarkar tells The Creators Project.

Read More and see the whole project at Mehelle.ajammc.com

The #mihrab of the #StPetersburg #Mosque, modeled after Timur's mausoleum in Samarkand. #ajamistan pic taken by our editor @rz422 #Russia

This #ajamistan photo from the great @jmashouf, who you should be following if you aren't already. #iran #chador #mosque #muslim

Beautiful pic of #Golestan Palace by @rmsoleymani. That's Fat'h Ali Shah's ivory throne, and the walls are adorned with yellow and blue mosaics, signature of the Qajar period. Tag your pics with #ajamistan to share them with us! #qajarlife

#ajamistan pic by @norakayseri of the new #Komitas museum in #Yerevan, #Armenia, dedicated to the 19th/20th century composer. (at #ajamistan)

A still from @emesghali's video of the pure jubilation in #Tehran after the #IranDeal--check them out! #ajamistan #Iran (at #ajamistan)