Unesco - International Photo Contest 2026

• Unesco

• Deadline: June 30th, 2026

• Category: Travel & Portrait Photography

• Prize: Professional Reflex Camera + Exposure

• Entry Fees: Free

• REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities

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UNESCO is pleased to invite young photographers from across the globe, aged between 14 and 25, to participate in the 8th edition of the Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads International Photo Contest. This unique initiative encourages young people to use the art of photography to explore, document, and celebrate the rich cultural diversity and shared heritage that connect communities along the historic Silk Roads.

Organized within the framework of UNESCO’s Silk Roads Programme, the competition promotes photography as a powerful tool for intercultural dialogue, mutual understanding, and peaceful cooperation. By capturing meaningful images, participants have the opportunity to tell stories that transcend borders and highlight the enduring connections between different cultures, traditions, and peoples.

For the 2026 edition, the contest focuses on the theme “Living Heritage along the Silk Roads.” Participants are invited to submit original photographs that showcase the traditions, customs, rituals, craftsmanship, and cultural practices that continue to shape communities throughout the Silk Roads regions today. These living expressions of heritage reveal the interconnected histories of societies that have exchanged ideas, knowledge, beliefs, and artistic traditions for centuries.

From East Asia to the Mediterranean, through Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Africa, and the Middle East, the Silk Roads have long served as pathways for cultural interaction. The living heritage preserved across these regions has played a vital role in safeguarding collective memory and passing down knowledge, skills, and cultural expressions from one generation to the next.

Young photographers are encouraged to capture both the visible and often overlooked aspects of this shared heritage. Whether through images of historic landmarks, traditional ceremonies, local craftsmanship, daily community life, or the transmission of cultural knowledge, participants are invited to reveal the people, practices, and places that continue to keep the spirit of the Silk Roads alive in the modern world.