Norouz, the traditional Persian new year's celebration, heralds the arrival of spring throughout Central Asia, the Caucasus, and parts of the Middle East.
Happy Norouz! Welcoming The Persian New Year
![Iraqi Kurds mark Norouz with a torch-lit procession up a mountain above the town of Aqrah, some 100 kilometers east of Mosul.](https://gdb.rferl.org/cbabf7a4-e6b8-4989-8ab4-ad862b2cde50_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Iraqi Kurds mark Norouz with a torch-lit procession up a mountain above the town of Aqrah, some 100 kilometers east of Mosul.
![The torch-lit procession snakes up the mountainside.](https://gdb.rferl.org/0246df8b-252b-4e51-ab24-2a93b74c2fb5_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The torch-lit procession snakes up the mountainside.
![An Afghan girl looks out a window at Norouz festivities happening in the courtyard of the Hazrat-e-Ali Shrine in Mazar-e Sharif.](https://gdb.rferl.org/bbf45005-a8be-45a0-ba6e-3b4c965609fa_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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An Afghan girl looks out a window at Norouz festivities happening in the courtyard of the Hazrat-e-Ali Shrine in Mazar-e Sharif.
![A Kurdish woman dances around a bonfire in the Turkish town of Diyarbakir on March 21.](https://gdb.rferl.org/0eac0ee7-937e-4db6-9a7d-ed20f2cae912_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A Kurdish woman dances around a bonfire in the Turkish town of Diyarbakir on March 21.
![A column of cotton candy offers a flash of color to the landscape of Kabul, Afghanistan, during Norouz festivities on March 21.](https://gdb.rferl.org/c8eb6a2c-fc4f-4b13-b0d1-d0d11c0be98d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A column of cotton candy offers a flash of color to the landscape of Kabul, Afghanistan, during Norouz festivities on March 21.
![Young Azerbaijani musicians take part in Norouz celebrations in central Tbilisi on March 21.](https://gdb.rferl.org/18e7c385-3712-47ee-ac47-7876a46bc31c_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Young Azerbaijani musicians take part in Norouz celebrations in central Tbilisi on March 21.
![Locals gather around a bonfire as the torch procession winds up a hill above Aqrah, in northern Iraq, on March 20.](https://gdb.rferl.org/3ddf2a8f-0abf-46b8-b8b7-ad30b62d1109_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Locals gather around a bonfire as the torch procession winds up a hill above Aqrah, in northern Iraq, on March 20.
![Kurdish women dance during Norouz celebrations in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, on March 21.](https://gdb.rferl.org/084c7374-2a56-4275-a910-b7c5e852b585_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Kurdish women dance during Norouz celebrations in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, on March 21.
![Crowds around a bonfire during the celebrations in Diyarbakir, Turkey, on March 21. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/13854187-dac2-4bbb-9eb0-2c87a0ed8d12_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Crowds around a bonfire during the celebrations in Diyarbakir, Turkey, on March 21.
![Goldfish for sale on a Tehran street on March 17. The fish are a frequent feature of Norouz holiday displays known as "haftsin."](https://gdb.rferl.org/461250b8-ce4b-43b5-b9ca-197af6e33135_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Goldfish for sale on a Tehran street on March 17. The fish are a frequent feature of Norouz holiday displays known as "haftsin."