Mediterranean
Photographer · Traveller · Observer
Stories found
between places.
A living collection of photographs and travel notes gathered across continents and decades.
Explore selected work
01
Selected photographs
Early selections from the recovered ruchanziya.com archive. A renewed edit—including current Alamy work—is in progress.
02
Thematic Collections
& Archive
A curated retrospective of journeys, people, and landscapes gathered across continents and decades from 2000 to the present.
People & Tradition
Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling
Mediterranean
Saint Nicholas Cathedral
People
Elder of Çanakkale
Europe
Catching Fish
Europe
Portofino Boats
Europe
Three Crosses of Warsaw
Asia
Lutfullah Dome
Asia
Serenity Now
Asia
Roof Detail
Africa
Swazi Highlands
Africa
Cape Point Horizon
People & Street
Off to Work
Mediterranean
Castle Door
Explore dedicated regional collections
Browse complete travel series, regional context, and 75+ curated photographs organized by continent.
01
Türkiye & Mediterranean
24 photographs · Istanbul, Kaş, KKTC, Rhodes
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02
Europe
18 photographs · Italy, Greece, France, Poland
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03
Asia & Silk Road
16 photographs · Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Southeast Asia
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04
Africa
16 photographs · South Africa, Swaziland, Safari
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05
Meridians (Boylam)
36 photographs · Planetary longitudes from -87° W to +118° E
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06
Original travel writing
12 recovered articles · Nepal, Iran, India, Southeast Asia, Mexico
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03
25 Years of Journeys
A quarter century of exploring the light, geography, and human moments across continents from 2000 to 2026.
Anatolian Crossings & Aegean Basin
Istanbul · Kaş · Çanakkale · Edirne · Hasankeyf · Marmaris · Rhodes
The early film and digital journeys: dawn mist on the Bosphorus, ancient stone cliff settlements of Southeastern Anatolia, and coastal light of the Mediterranean.
Explore Collection (24 photos) →The Silk Road & Southeast Asia
Nepal · Tibet · Varanasi · Thailand · Java & Bali · Hong Kong
High-altitude Himalayan passes, sacred ghats of the Ganges, Thai temple architectures, and Indonesian coastal reflections recorded across 12 travel essays.
Read Travelogues & Essays →European Capitals & Ligurian Light
Rome · Portofino · Marseilles · Mykonos · Athens · Warsaw · Berlin · Sarajevo
Nocturnal squares of Central Europe, quiet pastel coves of Liguria, Aegean island geometries, and post-war Balkan architectural textures.
Explore Collection (18 photos) →The Great Steppes & Persian Splendor
Almaty · Issyk-Kul · Bishkek · Isfahan · Shiraz · Tehran · Yazd
Alpine lakes of Tien Shan, nomadic steppe horizons, and the geometric brilliance of Safavid dome tilework across Isfahan and Shiraz.
Explore Collection (16 photos) →Southern Africa & Swazi Wilderness
Cape Town · Cape Point · Durban · Zululand · Kruger · Swaziland
Atlantic coastal drama at the Cape of Good Hope, Durban beach culture, misty Swazi highlands, and unfiltered wildlife portraits in natural habitat.
Explore Collection (16 photos) →Archive Restoration & Stock Licensing
macOS Photos Library · High-Res Digitization · Alamy Curated Stock
Full digitization of 2,300+ photographic masterworks, color calibration for modern Retina screens, and ongoing international editorial stock licensing.
Browse Stock on Alamy (390+ photos) ↗04
Field Notes & Travel Essays
Nepal · Himalayas
Capital of Nepal? Kathmandu!
On arriving at the foot of the Himalayas, losing oneself in nameless streets, and finding tranquility within ancient chaotic beauty.
Read Field Essay →
Tibet · Central Asia
Pilgrimage to the Roof of the World
Crossing high mountain passes into Tibet, walking the Barkhor circuit in Lhasa, and the monastic chants of Tashilhunpo.
Read Field Essay →
Iran · Silk Road
Persia: Isfahan, Yazd & Bridges of Light
Night reflections along the Si-o-se-pol bridge, desert windcatchers in Yazd, and centuries of Persian poetic hospitality.
Read Field Essay →05
Photography as a way
of paying attention.
Rüçhan Ziya is an observer who has spent the last 25 years photographing the texture of travel — the kind of moments that don't announce themselves: a rooster on a cliff edge at sunrise, an aircraft wing slicing through morning fog, a child's laughter dissolving into a crowded market.
The archive spans five continents: the dusty caravan roads of Central Asia and Iran, the coastal light of the Aegean and Mediterranean, the savannah wildlife of southern Africa, and the baroque geometry of European city squares. Each photograph is an argument for slowing down.
Stock & Editorial licensing
A curated portfolio for commercial and editorial stock licensing is actively hosted on Alamy. The personal archive presented here is separate from that process and will continue to grow.