“HOLY PEOPLE” photography PROJECT

Three connected flights to Africa mark the beginning of the Holy men photography project.

I was on my way to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), and I had a stop-over in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) for 12 hours. Feeling bored at the airport, I decided to explore the city. Among other places, I visited the National History Museum of Ethiopia. There I stumbled upon a picture that impressed me deeply. It was the church of St. George of Lalibela.

Since childhood adventures and explorations excite me. Perhaps this is what draws my curiosity to find what hides behind the horizon in search of inspiring places, people, and stories.

In the beginning, I wanted to tell the story of Lalibela.

Upon my arrival, I realized that I am super lucky. I have found a great guide to help me explore the region in and around Lalibela. He is the person who introduced me to various priests, nuns, and pilgrims.

It turned out Lalibela and those religious people had much more to offer than I originally anticipated. They had stories that span to the time before the birth of Jesus Crist.

Orthodox Pilgrim in Lalibela, Ethiopia

I felt like in the “Indiana Jones” movie. I was exploring places & cultures that few people know about...at least this is what I thought at that moment.

And I wanted to share my positive experience by telling the stories of all those Holy People who dedicate their lives to serving God and human beings.

Places visited for this project

The Holy People photography project brought me to Ethiopia, Bulgaria, Athos, Ukraine, Mongolia, Korea, Vatican, Iran

Project status

In 2021 traveling international is a significant challenge. However, I believe there are many more stories of Holy People worth sharing.

As soon as it is safe to travel again, I am planning to visit:

• Korea

• Japan

• India

• Bhutan

• the Middle East

Conclusion

The meeting with all those Holy People from various corners of the globe and religion taught me to be more humble; to think of what is my purpose in life; how to find peace inside my soul; be more kind to others.