Creative photography brings out the best of Mosques

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Dubai, July 15, 2018

The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) has concluded the June edition of the Instagram Photo Contest titled ‘Mosques.’

A total of five winners were announced for the competition which received submissions under the hashtag #HIPAContest_Mosques.

The winners hailed from Iran, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

For the second month in succession, HIPA also awarded a ‘People’s Choice Award’ to one of the winners who happened to receive the most Instagram likes for their winning submission. This month’s ‘People’s Choice Award’ winner will receive a Nikon D7200 SLR Camera, presented by Nikon Middle East and Africa.

Architectural Marvels

HIPA Secretary General said, “Mosques are considered to be some of the most unique architectural marvels known to man. They evoke a sense of spirituality and nostalgia in people that visit them, be it worshippers there to perform prayers or tourists visiting to appreciate their beauty. Likewise, Mosques are not restricted to a single design or style but are developed uniquely by different cultures and nations around the world, adding to the intrigue behind these beautiful places of worship. With all this in mind, we set out a challenge to our photography community to reflect Mosques in the most creative and unique ways possible. The results have been outstanding and we wish to congratulate our June winners for their hard work and commitment.”

People’s Choice’ Winner

Iranian winner, Fayaz Bahram @fayazbahram, who also picked up the ‘People’s Choice Award’ for receiving the most number of Instagram likes on his winning photograph (6735 Likes) said, “I captured my photograph during an assignment in my native country of Iran. The unique architecture of the location of the assignment, a religious landmark, fascinated me to the point that I forgot about my original assignment and began to photograph the place of worship instead. The inspiration from within the Mosque helped me produce some of the finest photographs I have ever captured and I am very satisfied with that. For me, arts and photography are preoccupations that I use to get away from some of the difficulties I face in my everyday life. This win will no doubt spur me on to seek further success in HIPA’s main competition and other international photo contests.”

Inspiring structure in Saudi Arabia

Another June winner, Siraj Alquraish @ siraj_alquraish from Saudi Arabia remarked, “During the Holy Month of Ramadan, and during a visit to a local Mosque in the city of Safwa in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, I caught a glimpse of a beautiful image which I figured must be photographed. The symmetry inside the old mosque inspired me to shoot as many photographs as possible and showcase the spirituality encapsulated within its walls. I was confident that my winning photograph would become a winner in the HIPA Instagram Photo Contest due to what I felt was its unique beauty and charm, and thankfully my confidence was proven right. I would like to thank HIPA for this opportunity and hope to compete in future editions of the Instagram Photo Contest.”

About HIPA

The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) is an internationally renowned photography competition. It was launched in 2011 by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The Award enjoys a social and legal stature as a tool for promoting Dubai’s vision of artistic and cultural excellence. At a local level, the award hopes to develop and increase awareness of the art of photography amongst the local Emirati population. For more information visit www.hipa.ae

The Winners