Photo of Mongolia girl wins 1st prize of National Geographic Contest

A photo portrait of a Mongolian Kazakh girl won first place of the National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest in the People category. The photo is titled “Tea Culture” where a Kazakh girl named Damel is featured holding a cup of tea.

Photographer Alessandra Meniconzi from Switzerland stated,"For a long time, I have been fascinated by the ancient Mongolian method of hunting with golden eagles. In early 2018, I followed one family of eagle hunters during their migration from winter camp to spring camp. Mongolia is sparsely populated, but the inhabitants have a very hospitable and welcoming culture. Tea for Kazakh culture is one of the attributes of hospitality. Tea isn't just a drink, but a mix of tradition, culture, relaxation, ceremony, and pleasure. Damel, seen here wrapped in heavy fur clothes, drinks a cup of tea to keep warm from the chilly temperatures in Western Mongolia."

The photographer prefers to center on the ancient heritage, customs, spirituality and the daily life of indigenous people who are strongly connected to nature. Throughout her work, she highlights traditional culture that is at the risk of vanishing. Meniconzi says that she is motivated by a passion for the “interplay between wild places and ancient cultures” and has a “profound respect for native people who subsist in isolated regions of the world”.