Boys riding a ceremonial horse for the celebration preceding their circumcision. Their male relatives and all the men and boys in the village surround them. Kayalarca, 1998. (All photos by the author.)

Mosque with a striking metal-covered dome. Kayalarca, 2008.

A woman greets her elder by raising her hand to her forehead after kissing it on Şeker Bayramı, the holiday following the month of Ramazan. Kayalarca, 2009.

A grave of one of the imams from the Black Sea region of Of, stuffed with myrtle during the month of Ramazan. Yeniyurt, 2009.

A lone oak tree on the plain of Maşatla, where a simple prayer house was once located before mosques were constructed in villages. 2010.

Women surround a baby as they put henna on her palms and feet. Kayalarca, 2009.

Women gather on the mountaintop to read from the religious texts they have preserved from their ancestors. Yeniyurt, 2008.

Women gather on Friday for a prayer meeting in the house of an elderly woman. Kayalarca, 2009.

A young woman prays at the grave of a relative on Arife Günü during the month of Ramazan. Kaplandağı, the mountain above Yeniyurt village, is visible in the distance. Kayalarca, 2009.

A boy delivers rings of fried dough from his mother. This is an expression of a good deed. Kayalarca, 2010.