Stories

In what could be the last of its kind in the city, one teahouse close to the historic sulphur baths in the Georgian capital continues to embody the multi-cultural nature of the surrounding neighbourhood. It welcomes a diverse clientele to play backgammon, share news and memories, and, of course, drink tea.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was in Moscow on 22 April 22, where he met with Vladimir Putin to celebrate the anniversary of the BAM Railway, the construction of which involved many Azerbaijanis, not least the president’s father, Heydar Aliyev.

How a Doctor of Pharmacology decided to open her own skincare brand after ten years of creating skincare products for herself, friends, and family.

Despite facing unemployment in Tajikistan and abroad, three Tajik migrants have found success as stuntmen and extras in Türkiye.

Schools are thousands of teachers short of requirement; Salaries are dismal, educators are demoralized, children are bored.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin continues threatening the West with the possibility of nuclear war after revoking Russia’s ratification of the 1996 global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests, Kazakhstanis living close to the former nuclear test site say, “Let our suffering be a lesson to others.”

The animation artist behind a successful short animation film, Hadis, talks about the struggles of Azerbaijani Turks in Iran and the censorship of taboo topics in Azerbaijan.

Vahid Qarabagli explores the remarkable life of Mirza Hasan Roshdiyyeh, who revolutionized Iranian education by challenging religious norms to establish modern schools and promote public mother-language-based education.

Visitors to southeastern Iran tend to focus on the city of poets, Shiraz, and the nearby ruins of Persepolis, the ancient Persian capital destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330BC. However, around 100km further south is a lesser-known series of ancient remains.