CRISTIAN GEELEN | The Middle East through my lens

CRISTIAN GEELEN | The Middle East through my lens

There is no city more named in history than the city of Jerusalem. Being attacked 52 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, besieged 23 times, and destroyed twice. Making it one of the oldest cities in the world and one of the most complex and fought over. For me, it feels like a sort of second home by now.

My favorite places vary from the old city to the new city’s vibrant parts, like the Mahane Jehuda market.
There is always so much going on. You see pilgrims going to all of the holy sites, Israeli’s and Palestinian coexisting and make somehow most of the situation. On the one hand, you see a very modern lifestyle with bars live music and craft beer, and on the other, you see traditions being continued.

My key moment was the first day I arrived. An old Palestinian man with his grandson asking an Israeli solder to take a photograph of them together. Other than that, I have met so many beautiful souls and had so many beautiful moments that I can’t count them on my hand and feet anymore. And I am sure everyone that will visit the old city of Jerusalem will find them instantly. It literally is a place of magic.

Aida Refugee Camp

The big key on top of the camp entrance represents the key to the homes of the Palestinian people and symbolizes the right of return. The right of return is a principle in international law that states that everyone can return to their country of origin or citizenship. Which therefore makes everything so complicated since it is everyone’s homeland.

You will see this and Handhala all across the Palestinian territories. Handhala is a little ten-year-old boy created by cartoonist Naji al-Ali. He represented his ten-year-old self when he was forced to leave Palestine and refused to grow up until he was allowed to return home. It eventually became a symbol of Palestinian Deviance. Aida Palestinian refugee camp houses approximately 5000+ people in about an area of 100 square meters.

CRISTIAN GEELEN

Cristian Geelen is mainly an analog photographer from the Netherlands. Born on October 17th, 1982. As a person, he is fascinated by humans. What they do, what they feel, what they say. And even more important- how their life really looks like. Influenced by the all-time greatest, including James Nachtwey, Joseph Koudelka, Sebastiao Salgado, He decided to tell his own photo stories… Some of them led him to document the life in Israel and the Palestinian territories; other times, it led to capture the beautiful souls of the people in Iran…
Most of his work is from those kinds of journeys.

Dheisheh Refugee Camp

A gate that still is there from the first incarnation of the camp. A steep hill. And quiet streets… As soon as you walk into the camp’s main road, you will instantly forget the busy road that is in front of it. But Dheisheh still houses about 13000 people in an area of about 1 square kilometer. The tents that once were replaced by brick housing because time has passed and a short term have become a long while.
When you walk around the camp, you arrive in a strange reality. So many people but still so empty. Even the local mosque is not used that much. People have better things to do.
Making sure there is food on the table is one thing. And like you see murals everywhere in the Palestinian territories, you also see them in Dheisheh. Most of them are dedicated to the martyrs of the people.

Read the full article on Lens Magazine Issue #71