Iraq: Iraq’s ancient religious minority Sabian-Mandaeans celebrate feast by Tigris River.

SHOTLIST: BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MAY 17, 2026) 1. PHOTOGRAPH AND WRITINGS ON BANNER SEEN 2. VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF SABIAN-MANDAEAN COMMUNITY ARRIVING 3. TIGHT SHOT OF PLATES 4. VARIOUS OF FEAST AREA 5. VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF SABIAN-MANDAEANS COMMUNITY PERFORMING THEIR RELIGIOUS RITUELS BY TIGRIS RIVER BAGHDAD, IRAQ - MAY 17: The Sabian-Mandaeans, one of Iraq’s ancient religious minorities, gathered on the banks of the Tigris River in the capital, Baghdad, to celebrate the "Dahva Ad Dima" feast on Sunday (May 17). Members of the community performed their unique religious rituals and traditional water baptisms along the riverbank, emphasizing the central role that running water plays in their faith. Commonly settled near riverbanks, the Sabian-Mandaean community conducts all its essential religious rituals in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Due to this spiritual connection to water, they often describe themselves as the "ancient people of the two rivers." Holding official minority status under Iraq's 2005 Constitution, the Sabian-Mandaeans first began organizing in the 1980s to secure and protect their social, cultural, and political rights. Today, facing a severe decline in population due to years of migration and conflict, the ancient community struggles to preserve its distinct heritage and existence in Iraq.