Chess in the Park ... Belgrade, Serbia

Children play in Balat -- a neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baka_people_(Cameroon_and_Gabon)

The Baka people, known in the Congo as Bayaka (Bebayaka, Bebayaga, Bibaya), are an ethnic group inhabiting the southeastern rain forests of Cameroon, northern Republic of Congo, northern Gabon, and southwestern Central African Republic. They are sometimes called a subgroup of the Twa, but the two peoples are not closely related. Likewise, the name "Baka" is sometimes mistakenly applied to other peoples of the area who, like the Baka and Twa, have been historically called pygmies, a term that is no longer considered respectful.

The Baka people are hunter-gatherers, formerly called Pygmies, located in the Central African rain forest. Having heights of 1.52 meters (5 feet) in average as well as a semi-nomadic lifestyles, the Baka are often discriminated against and marginalized from society.

The tropical rain forest in Gabon, Central Africa where some of the Baka reside
They reside in south-eastern Cameroon, northern Gabon and in the northern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Congo, the Baka people are otherwise known as the Bayaka. Some Baka are also found in the Southwestern African Republic. Although, the Baka people are located throughout the Central African rain forest, they are mainly concentrated in Cameroon as the Baka community of Cameroon represents roughly 30 000 individuals.

The Baka are a semi-nomadic people, like other hunter-gatherers such as the Bagyeli and the Twa. However, they are slowly becoming a more sedentary people due to the intensive deforestation of the Central African Rainforest. Pressures from their taller and more dominant neighbors, the Bantu, have also slowed the Baka people’s mobility.

The Baka have successfully maintained their language, also called Baka. Unlike their neighbors’ languages (Koozime, Bakoum and Bangandou) which have Bantu roots, Baka comes from a different language family, Ubangian.

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baka_people_(Cameroon_and_Gabon)

A man sells jackfruit to those passing by in Soroti, Uganda

A school child in the village of Opucet, Uganda

Muslims who landed in India as soldiers, merchants, mystics, and camp followers enriched the native dialects. Especially the one that was spoken around Delhi called Khari Boli. A language known as Hindi, Hindvi or Dehlavi came into being. It spread towards the south and by the 18th century it was called Rekhta and Hindustani, among other names. The elites of Delhi Persianised it and renamed it as Zuban-e-Urdu-e-Mualla (the language of an exalted city).
Far from being a separate identity marker, Urdu represented the complex Hindu-Muslim exchange during the 13th-18th centuries. Urdu is a common heritage of Hindus and Muslims for at least 500 years if not more.
Modern Urdu is a deliberate Muslim cultural product, which came into being through the linguistic reform movement during late 18th century. This was the same time when Hindu reformers started to clean up and remove Persian and Arabic words in favor of Sanskrit.
The above excerpts were edited from http://tribune.com.pk/story/331873/myths-about-the-urdu-language/
Urdu is the official language of Muslim Pakistan but it is used across India by Hindus as well as Muslims as a lingua franca, a common language, to communicate with others in a land that despite the government promotion of Hindi as the official language of India has no language mutually understood by a majority of Indians. Urdu and Hindi can be called dialects of one another or dialects of a common language, Hindustani. Muslims in India and Pakistan may identify with it and Hindus by contrast may not be specifically insistent on it or likely to learn its Persian-Arabic originated script, but the notion that there is a strict Muslim-Hindu divide with Urdu being used by Muslims and Hindi by Hindus, is an oversimplification that is political and divisive in nature. If Urdu and Hindi can be seen to be a common heritage of both Hindus and Muslims in the Indian subcontinent, there would be more harmony between these two communities that historically have been in conflict and were therefore separated into India and Pakistan in the 1947 Partition of India.

a man celebrates with a kudu horn in the village of opucet, uganda

From:
http://www.bedawi.com/Bedouin_Culture_EN.html

Origins of nomadic peoples are difficult to trace as they leave little evidence behind for archaeologists...

The term 'Bedu'in the Arabic language refers to one who lives out in the open, in the desert. The Arabic word 'Badawiyin'is a generic name for a desert-dweller and the English word ‘Bedouin’ is the derived from this.

In ancient times, most people settled near rivers but the Bedouin people preferred to live in the open desert. Bedouins mainly live in the Arabian and Syrian deserts, the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt and the Sahara Desert of North Africa.

There are Bedouin communities in many countries, including Egypt, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iraq in the Middle East and Morocco, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya in North Africa. Altogether, the Bedouin population numbers about 4 million.

The Bedouins are seen as Arab culture’s purest representatives and the Bedouins continue to be hailed by other Arabs as “ideal” Arabs, especially because of their rich oral poetic tradition, their herding lifestyle and their traditional code of honour.

The Egyptians refer to the Bedouins as 'Arab', but Bedouins are distinct from other Arab’s because of their extensive kinship networks, which provide them with community support and the basic necessities for survival. Such networks have traditionally served to ensure safety of families and to protect their property.

The term 'A'raab' has been synonymous with the term 'nomad' since the beginning of Islam.

The Bedouins are recognized by their (nomadic) lifestyles, special language, social structures and culture. Only few Bedouins live as their forefathers did in camel- and goat hair tents, raising livestock, hunting and raiding. Their numbers are decreasing and nowadays there are approx. only 5% of Bedouins still live as pastoral nomads in all of the Middle East. Some Bedouins of Sinai are still half-nomads.

Bedouins have different facial features by which they can be distinguished from other Egyptians and also they generally dress differently.

The Bedouin men wear long 'djellabaya' and a 'smagg' (red white draped headcover) or 'aymemma' (white headcover) or a white small headdress, sometimes held in place by an 'agall' (a black cord).

The Bedouin women usually wear brightly coloured long dresses but when they go outside they dress in an 'abaya' (a thin, long black coat sometimes covered with shiny embroidery) and they will always cover their head and hair when they leave their house with a 'tarha' (a black, thin shawl). Traditionally a woman's face was hidden behind a highly decorated 'burqa'ah' but this is now only seen with the older generations. The younger generations cover their face simply with their 'tarha' (shawl).

The Bedouins have a rich culture and their own Arabic ‘Bedawi’ language, which has different dialects depending on the area where they live.

In former days they emphasised on the strong belief in its tribal superiority, in return to the tribal security – the support to survive in a hostile environment.

'The Bedouin' is aristocratic and they tend to perceive the Arabian nation as the noblest of all nations, purity of blood, way of life and above all noble ancestry. They often trace their lineage back to the times of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and beyond.

The first converts to Islam came from the Bedouin tribes and therefore (Sunni) Islam is embedded and deeply rooted in the Bedouin culture. Prayer is an integral part of Bedouin life. As there are no formal mosques in the desert, they pray were they are, facing the Ka’aba in Mecca and performing the ritual washing, preferably with water but if not available they ‘wash’ with sand instead.

'The Bedouin' is generally open-minded and interested in what is going on in his close and far surroundings since this kind of knowledge has always been a vital tool of survival.

At the same time, the Bedouins are quite suspicious and alert keeping a low profile about their personal background.

Modern Arab states have a strong tendency to regulate their Nomadic lifestyle and modern society has made the traditional Bedouin lifestyle less attractive, since it is demanding and often dangerous, so many Bedouins have settled in urban areas and continue to do so.

The Bedouin people are faced with challenges in their lifestyle, as their traditional Islamic, tribal culture has begun to mix with western practices.

Men are more likely to adjust and interact with the modern cultures, but women are bound by honour and tradition to stay within the family dwelling and therefore lack opportunity for advancement.

Today unemployment amongst Bedouin people is very high. Only few obtain a high school degree and even fewer graduate from college.

However, for most people the word Bedouin still conjures up a much richer and more mysterious and romantic image...

Source :
http://www.bedawi.com/Bedouin_Culture_EN.html

A man is dressed for a wedding and the reception that will follow in the village of Opucet, Uganda.