Solmaz Daryani: The Eyes of Earth

Photograph Description 1
Urmia lake, which was once the biggest salty lake in the Middle East, located in Iran. Sharafkhaneh port is one of Urmia Lake’s most important ports. Now it gets fewer visitors and police officers are there. My mother and grandmother got a chance to swim in a shallow pond that is a remnant of Urmia lake. They walked almost 3km from the coast to the pond to swim.

Photograph Description 2
View of a bridge over Urmia lake, in Sharafkhaneh port, East Azerbaijan, Iran. Ten years ago my uncle had a food booth on the bridge and every Thursday the whole family got together to eat dinner. As a rule, my grandmother walks on the bridge every time she goes to the lake.

Photograph Description 3
Thistle with salt crystals that my grandmother found in Urmia lake's bed in Sharafkhaneh port, East Azerbaijan, Iran, in September 2014. She uses it as a decoration in her home.

Photograph Description 4
Sheikh Wali is a coastal village located northeast of Urmia lake. Sheikh Wali used to be heavily visited by tourists. Because of the lake drying off, the value of the surrounding lands has dropped, which caused big financial problems for families. Every Thursday people go to the graveyard, to say prayers for their deceased relatives and friends.

Photograph Description 5
Photos of deceased people hung on the wall of the mosque in Sharafkhaneh port, East Azerbaijan, Iran. Some were my grandparents’ relatives and friends. They used to live in the village. Some of them were seamen and motel owners, others had other jobs related to the lake. They are dead and their photos are hung on the wall as a memorial.

Photographer's Profile
Solmaz Daryani is a 29 year old Iranian freelance photographer based in Tabriz, Iran. She is pursuing her photographic adventure, which started in 2009. Solmaz started doing her photography to understand the people and life around her, to see the world bright and clear.