Aletheia Casey

Wedged deep between the mountains of Northern Greece and the border of Bulgaria live the only explicitly recognised minority in Greece. The people from the Trace region are muslims of Turkic origin and live in a traditional way completely in keeping with Turkish traditions and culture.

In 1923 Greece and Turkey conducted an exchange of population; the Greek Orthodox from Turkey were made to resettle in Greece and Turks of Greece were made to resettle in Turkey, that is, everybody except the Muslims of Greek Thrace.

High up in the mountain villages these populations live a traditional life, keeping the same traditions as in Turkish cultures. Each year the people of this area celebrate Kurban Bayram, where every family slaughters a goat to honour the willingness of the prophet Abraham to sacrifice his young first-born son Ishmael.

An elderly woman fills the intestines of a goat with water to clean them.

A young man skins an animal as part of the festival of Kurban Bayra. Northern Greece

Blood runs out from below a house in the village of Medousa, Northern Greece. Several animals had been slaughtered earlier that morning to celebrate the festival of Kurban Bayram.

A man takes a break after slaughtering several animals for the festival of Kurban Bayra. Medousa, Northern Greece.

Each year the people of this area celebrate Kurban Bayram, where every family slaughters a goat to honour the willingness of the prophet Abraham to sacrifice his young first-born son Ishmael.

An elderly woman sits and drinks her tea at her daughter's traditional restaurant  near Medousa, Northern Greece.

Girls sit in their mother's textile shop in Thermes, Northern Greece. During the celebration of Kurban Bayra shops close and it is a public holiday.

The view of the mountainous region of Xanthi where the people of Thrace origin live.