Armina Ahmadinia 2025 Commended
Mina visits the pier of Torkaman port with her mother every evening to see the sea.The sea is considered a valuable source of life for the people living by the Caspian Sea. Not only do they earn their livelihood from it, but they also draw emotional and psychological well-being from the sea, with many memories tied to it. However, today, the large influx of tourists to the coast is causing serious environmental damage to the sea, which is a cause of concern for the locals.
Every year, during the autumn and winter seasons, local fishermen engage in the catch of whitefish, carp, and bighead goby using various methods – either through the “Salik” method or by laying and retrieving nets with the help of boats. In recent years, illegal fishing has significantly increased. It is estimated that around 35% of the total catch in the Caspian Sea comes from illegal activities, which not only diminishes the economic value of the fish caught but also causes irreparable damage to the marine ecosystem.
The café “Asheghan-e-Malavan” (“Lovers of Malavan”) is one of the oldest cafés in the city of Anzali. Its interior and furnishings have preserved the traditional style of old teahouses. For many years, it was one of the most popular gathering spots for elderly people and retirees—particularly former employees of the fisheries department, customs office, coaches, and former football players of the Malavan Football Club. In recent years, the difficult economic situation, along with the lack of interest and government support for Anzali port—one of Iran’s largest commercial ports—has significantly affected the living conditions of retirees, diminishing their hope and motivation for life.
Old car tires are being used as bird waterers. The Miankaleh Peninsula, covering an area of over 68,000 hectares, is the only protected region along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea that serves as a habitat for fish and migratory birds. However, in recent years, there has been a dramatic decline in bird and fish populations, as well as a noticeable decrease in vegetation in the area. Approximately 30 percent of the Miankaleh International Wetland has dried up.
Romisa. A girl traditional Turkmen Clothing.
The international Gomishan Lagoon, covering an area of 20,000 hectares, has dried up to more than half of its original size in recent years. The reasons for the threat to this ecosystem include insufficient allocation of water rights, decreased rainfall, water evaporation due to high temperatures, water extraction for agricultural purposes by local communities, and illegal fishing.
Adeleh and her husband Ali after Iftar during the month of Ramadan. The Turkmen are Sunni Muslims, for whom the month of Ramadan holds deep spiritual and cultural significance.
Four young people are fixing their hair. Due to rising youth unemployment and poor economic conditions, migration of young Turkmens to larger cities or neighboring countries for work has increased in recent years.
The beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) in the pond of the Ramsar Museum. In the past, the Caspian Sea was the world’s most important source of sturgeon, but today many sturgeon species are listed as endangered. Due to overfishing, illegal caviar trade, pollution, and dam construction, their populations have drastically declined.
The waterway between Torkaman Port and Ashuradeh Island, estimated to be about two kilometers long, is part of the Gorgan Gulf. In recent years, this area has been increasingly affected by the retreat of seawater and increased sediment deposition. A significant portion of the coastline on the Torkaman Harbor side has now dried up. To counter this process, dredging measures are currently being carried out in the affected area.
Andranik Restaurant. One of the few remaining Armenian restaurants in Anzali.
Rojan (my mother) next to the structures on the beach. The uncontrolled construction of recreational and tourist buildings along the coast, carried out in recent years without regard to legal coastal protection boundaries, has had significant impacts on the destruction of the natural marine ecosystem.
About the work
‘My Hause is covered in Clouds’.
The title is inspired by a poem by Nima Yushij, a poet from the Caspian region.
The project explores the growing sense of alienation between the Caspian Sea and the people living in its immediate surroundings in Iran.
As the world’s largest inland body of water, the Caspian has experienced a significant decline in water levels in recent years due to both human and natural factors—such as global warming, poor management, dam construction, illegal overfishing, and many others.
By closely examining the everyday lives of local people, the project reveals the effects of these ecological and climatic changes. These shifts have led to a deepening disconnection among people, a sense of disorientation, lethargy, and social exhaustion.
Today, many places have lost their meaning. A profound emotional gap has emerged between the sea’s past and present—a gap that stirs a shared longing and a collective melancholy within the people.
About the Photographer
Armina Ahmadinia (born 1989) was born near the Caspian Sea in Iran. She discovered photography in her childhood, inspired by her parents, who are both photographers themselves. She completed her bachelor’s degree in graphic design at Soore University in Tehran. In 2022, she immigrated to Germany to study Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hanover.
Her photographic work focuses on social and ecological issues such as migration, the environment, and the challenges faced by women. Her photography is characterized by narrative depth and the emotional portrayal of human experience—those feelings that shape us as people.
She is currently completing an internship as a photojournalist at the daily newspaper Weser-Kurier in Bremen.