Nowruz, an ancient Persian festival to mark the start of spring, is widely celebrated in many parts of Afghanistan, Iran, Syria and Turkey.
Iraqi men carry fire torches, as they celebrate Nowruz Day, a festival marking the first day of spring and the new year, in the town of Akra near Duhok, in Iraq March 20, 2019. (Reuters) People celebrated Nowroz, the traditional Persian New Year, by carrying torches atop the Akre mountain in Iraq's northern region on Wednesday night.
raqi Kurdish people carry fire torches up a mountain, as they celebrate Nowruz Day, a festival marking the first day of spring and the new year, in the town of Akra near Duhok, in Iraqi Kurdistan, Iraq March 20, 2019. (Reuters) Thousands of people, many wearing traditional Kurdish clothes, carried torches and shot fireworks as part of the annual celebration.
Kurds dressed in traditional outfits celebrate Nowruz (Noruz) in northeastern Syria Qamishly on March 20, 2019. (AFP) The Persian New Year is an ancient Zoroastrian tradition, that is also celebrated by Iranians and Kurds and coincides with the vernal (spring) equinox and is calculated by the solar calendar.
An Iranian couple lights a lantern in a park in Tehran on March 19 2018 during the Wednesday Fire feast, or Chaharshanbeh Soori, held annually on the last Wednesday eve before the Spring holiday of Noruz. (AFP) It symbolises the passing of the dark season and the arrival of the season of light.
People dance at a Nowruz holiday market in Baku on March 20, 2019. (AFP) The Zoroastrian community in India and Pakistan also celebrate the festival.Source: trtworld.com