This is about a world far removed from what most of us are familiar with. The internet does not exist. Food is sourced directly from the land– by hand, instinct and tradition. There are no streets. There are no shops. There are no crowds or hum of a larger civilization. Only wind, hills, livestock and memory. Hiding amidst the Zagros Mountains, some kilometers outside of Shiraz, live the Qashqai nomads– an indigenous Turkic-speaking people whose roots in southern Iran trace back centuries. Known for their seasonal migration and intricate handwoven textiles, the Qashqai have survived modernization, political upheaval and climate shifts. They have mastered a way of life entwined with nature and movement. As each year passes, the number of Qashqai nomads diminishes. Modern life and urbanization has managed to pull younger generations towards the cities. Only a few remain carrying on this lifestyle. One of them is Mazar; a remarkably wise and skillful woman who has spent all of her sixty two years in the mountains.

Beyond her ability to endure and adapt to mountain life, she’s also been a talented carpet weaver since the age of seven. When asked “How do you prepare for your carpet designs?”, she answers “There is no preparation. Look outside. What do you see? The mountains, the wild trees, the walnuts, the goats, the colours. I simply lay my eyes on the world and begin weaving”. For Mazar, weaving is not a task—it is a translation. She honours a language passed down generations. She does not only live in nature. She listens to it, speaks through it, and becomes it. She is Mazar.