Photograph albums have been removed in dusty shelves and drawers with the modern age and digital life. However, they are still indispensable for Kurdish guerrillas. Each guerrilla no doubt has an album as they store the most beautiful memories, unforgettable friendships, timeless separations in those albums.

As the saying goes, guerrilla has eyes for albums. It is as special as the diary and placed in the bags with great care before anything else while preparing. For guerrilla, albums and diaries are something like the things to be saved first in case of fire...

Guerilla carries the album in the backpack although even a gram weight would be worth tons on the mountains of Kurdistan. Guerrilla carries the memories, friendships, and unforgettable moments with the album. But they are sometimes burnt out for not coming to hand during conflicts.

And the album is sometimes buried in the ground; it is covered with a piece of cloth, then carefully wrapped in nylon and packed to prevent its getting wet. They stay there for years, under the ground until they are unearthed again years after.

What’s not in a guerrilla album? Faces soon after a conflict, sleepless eyes, hands in halay (Anatolian folk dance), tears of joy, happiness, early separations… That’s why the albums of guerrillas are somewhat sad and somewhat joyful.

Briefly, each frame in guerrilla albums picture and recall scenes in minds and hearts as well as witnessing to history. Here, for all these reasons, album is the most valuable goods for guerrilla; so valuable that they protect and treasure them like a part of their bodies and souls.

One of the most special moments of guerrilla is when a few come together and view each other albums. Viewing albums, telling about the scenes mean the flood back of memories… Here, we also witnessed that kind of moment; a group of women guerrilla view the albums with wondering and interested eyes…

Their sensation is written all over their faces…

Translation: Berna Ozgencil