it is interesting to see three boundaries on the road/street: the main road where we see the cars parked; a lower sidewalk display walk with the cobblestone and then the sidewalk proper (upper tier) the barriers of course are the walls of the building with a barrier/boundary of the rubble in the distance. this image is gritty and harsh but real in emotion and motion.

Great seeing there Mike. You are right, there are three distinct regions along the walkways, each with their own function.

such a magnificent shot. your b&w is just perfect..

Great work on this one, Roxy. I very much enjoyed your insightful comments also.

A very striking shot indeed. The stark black and white photography is very apt here. Adding to the 'character' of this place - if one might call it that - is the demolished rubble of one of those bleak concrete buildings - the construction sight you mentioned. It is interesting your remarks about the Kurds. I understand that within their quasi-independent territory in Northern Iraq, at least in the cities, you would be hard pressed to think you were not in a western country by the open and casual friendliness of the people there.

That is my experience too. The Kurds have a rather bad reputation amongst the Turks and Arabs. And yet for me the Kurds were universally friendly and outgoing. The very first thing they would say when they met you was "I am a Kurd and you are?" After being chased by the hostile young Arabs I wound up in a Kurdish market not 200 m away. There people were excited to see someone who wanted to take pictures with a big DSLR. Everyone was posing and goofing around. At the end I picked several fantastic fruits to fill a small bag but then they would not take any payment for them. Friends came back that evening and told of being invited into peoples houses for tea and treats. One of the positive things to come from my trip to eastern Turkey is that it changed my view of the Kurdish peoples.

Your photography is amazing Roxy, and the in depth story behind each shot is captivating. Your shots capture the very essence of each places soul. Very Well done!

Cool B/W capture, Roxy-san!

impressive streetview in b/w and informative text! ;o)

WOW, this is an amazing shot !!!

Excellent image and a timeless one indeed! This is a part of the world we don't often see in an every day setting... :)

Very cool shot!!!

Amazing photo. The high contrast does indeed suit this image. As Mike mentioned, I noticed the three layer road/sidewalk thing and found that interesting. It looks like it is normal part of street construction here. And that giant pile or rubble near the center of the photo is something to behold. I guess they get around to dealing with that when they can. Great contrast of cultures too. Interesting, but not surprising, to learn that a lot of Arabs don't like the seemingly "westernized" Kurds. That fact that we are seeing this photo means you escaped your assailants and I'll assume you are careful. Then again, you do like the thrill of a challenge, don't you ;)

It definitely has a gritty look to it - this reminds me so much of Udon-Thani (Udorn) Thailand when I was there back during the Vietnam war. I have to tell you..... Your remark about the Arabic men chasing you immediately brought to mind the scene in the Raiders of the Lost Ark movie where Marion Ravenwood was being chased through the streets.... I'm assuming you didn't have a frying pan handy.... LOL Anyway, you've once again captured a great scene from a very dangerous part of the world, and made a work of art out of it.

Oh hell Rod you make me laugh thinking of that scene. No, I did not have a frying pan. Not even a tripod to give them a whack. Just me and my Nikes.

Marvelous capture ... This street scene is really fantastic.

This is another of your stunning shots! You do these so well, and you do them in some of the most interesting places. I love the bits of cultural anthropology you bring into your writing. The image is priceless: I love the sharpness, the business, the name "Bellona" emblazoned in the background. Isn't she the ancient Roman "Destroyer of Cities?" Perhaps that has something to do with the rubble pile extruding itself into the street just beyond the sign: a bit of dark synchronicity there, as well as a common element of human existence. No matter how snooty and self-important we are, we make rubble! There's so much to see in this image and there's so much to enjoy; I love the armchair traveling I get to do, though I much prefer to do the get-on-a-plane-and-go-somewhere traveling, but until that time comes, I'll enjoy meandering through your gallery. (And don't you just love the names for places in Turkey: there's a lake called "Van" and there's a small city [somewhere in Turkey] called "Kars" pronounced like the automotive contrivance, and yet another city/town called Batman...well...that's how it's spelled, but I'm sure the pronunciation differs.) Anyway, I adore this image and I love the gritty reality you capture. It's nakedly human and that's the best part.

As I follow with your words and images, this journey through lands either in the midst of tragedy and danger or on the border of that so closely it creates a shiver.. I am captivated by the culture and the story so wonderfully told. I have had internet contact with a young man deep in Palestine during a time of heavy conflict yet we each showed a basic human desire for many of the same joys and dreams. That was some years ago but I am carried away beyond distance and time to these places you visit and describe. You have done and excellent job of this, both in photographs and tales of where your gut feelings were at the time. This may seem trivial, but I wonder what sort of brew will be on your table when you return home? How will that compare to beer in a "no alcohol" politic.