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PHOTOGRAPHS BY SABIHA ÇIMEN
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By Whitney Johnson, Director of Visual and Immersive Experiences
Inspired by her own experiences, photographer Sabiha Çimen documented Quran schools across Turkey, hoping “to create a nuanced look at a rarely seen and often misunderstood segment of society,” she says.
As a young girl, Sabiha and her twin sister attended one of these schools in their hometown of Istanbul. Years later, after becoming a photographer, Sabiha felt compelled to return—this time with her Hasselblad camera in hand.
“Sabiha was able to blend in, reconnecting with her own memories,” photo editor Julie Hau told me. “She sheds a light on the hearts and minds of these young girls.”
While all the girls focus on the same task of memorizing every page of the Quran, the images reveal a more nuanced narrative. Through vignettes of daily life—pranks and daydreams, whispered secrets and shared failures—we see young girls searching for, and finding, their individuality. (Pictured above, a student named Zeynep and a classmate on a study break.)
Read the full story here and keep scrolling for additional images.
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