Silk Roads Photo Contest Launch

The UNESCO Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads photo contest is part of the Organization’s Silk Roads Programme and Social and Human Sciences Sector. It promotes photography as a tool for encouraging cultural interaction, helping build mutual understanding, and promoting peace amongst the people living in the regions connected by the Silk Roads.

This year, the themes are Architecture, Monuments, and Urbanism. Entries may focus on either of these, while concentrating on mutual influences shared by people along the Silk Roads.

Photographers interested in exploring the theme of Architecture, Monuments, and Urbanism along the Silk Roads might capture the:

• Grandeur of ancient and medieval cities along the Silk Roads, including their monumental citadels, temples, mosques, and palaces;
• Internal architecture and designs of the historic monuments and places;
• Mix of architectural styles and motifs found in the Silk Roads cities, reflects the diverse artistic influences across the region;
• Modern cities and monuments that continue to reflect the legacy of the Silk Roads, such as towering skyscrapers and museums;
• Impact of urbanism and architecture on the people and communities of the Silk Roads, from traditional neighbourhoods to modern urban sprawl;
• Role of architecture and urbanism in promoting sustainable development and cultural heritage preservation along the Silk Roads, and its impact on local communities.

Photo entries will be examined by an International Selection Committee composed of the following photographers: GMB AKASH (Bangladesh), Fatimah Hossaini (Afghanistan), Liang Li (China), Gulnara Samoilova (USA), Mustafa Seven (Türkiye), and Osama Silwadi (Palestine)

Key Information:

• Two Categories: 14 to 17 years old and 18 to 25 years old
• Prize: Three winners in each age category will receive a professional camera. First place winners will receive a professional camera. Second place winners will receive a semi-professional camera. Third place winners will win a standard-model digital camera.

In addition, around 60 of the best photos from the contest will appear in a professional photo album and will be showcased in an exhibition held in various locations around the world (subject to Covid-19 restrictions).

• Themes: Architecture, Monuments, and Urbanism
• For instructions on how to participate, click here
• More information on the photo contest
• More information on the Silk Roads Programme
• Contact: silkroadsphotocontest@unesco.org

#UNESCOSilkRoads

The Silk Roads in short

For thousands of years the Silk Roads have been an extensive network of trade and communication routes which have connected civilizations and brought peoples and cultures from across the world into contact with each other. As well as permitting the exchange of merchandise, they facilitated the interaction of ideas, cuisines, languages and fashions, shaping the modern cultures and identities of the contemporary world. The Silk Roads linked vast areas of the world – originating in East Asia, South Asia, and South-east Asia, then crossing Central Asia, the Russian steppe and Indian subcontinent, the Iranian and Anatolian plateaux, and the Arabian Peninsula. They also stretch through North and North-east Africa, from Tanzania to Morocco, before passing through Eastern and Southern Europe, reaching France and the Iberian Peninsula.

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At a time when societies, as well as educational and cultural institutions continue to be disrupted, this contest provides an opportunity for young people to share their creativity and vision for a new and more inclusive world where tolerance and intercultural dialogue help people understand each other and live together in peace. In this context, UNESCO, through its many initiatives, is trying to support learning, access to knowledge and education, and to engage youth.