'Sacred Job' Iraq Kurds Digitize Books to Save Threatened Culture

A member of the Kurdistan Centre for Arts and Culture, inspects an old book before making a digital copy, as part of an effort to digitize historic Kurdish volumes and manuscripts, in the northern Iraqi city of Dohuk on February 13, 2024. A member of the Kurdistan Centre for Arts and Culture, scans the pages of an old book, as part of an effort to digitise historic Kurdish volumes and manuscripts, in the northern Iraqi city of Dohuk on Feb. 13, 2024. Members of the Kurdistan Centre for Arts and Culture, carry a box of old books to a van to be taken for scanning, as part of an effort to digitise historic Kurdish volumes and manuscripts, in the northern Iraqi city of Dohuk on Feb. 13, 2024.

Huddled in the back of a van, Rebin Pishtiwan carefully scans one yellowed page after another, as part of his mission to digitize historic Kurdish books at risk of disappearing.