A pigeon, known as Siyah Kinifirli, with an approximate market value of 1000 Turkish Lira ($263), bred by 23-year-old Ismail Ozbek, is pictured in Sanliurfa, Turkey, December 23, 2016. As night-time approaches in Sanliurfa, southeastern Turkey, most of the alleyways of the city's old bazaar are emptying out of buyers and vendors, except for one. The bustle of daytime trading has died down, but on this little street, a stream of men carry cardboard boxes filled with pigeons to a cluster of three teahouses. Here, they sell the birds at Sanliurfa's famed auctions to a dedicated band of pigeon keepers and breeders, a pastime that has been thriving for hundreds of years across the region and over the nearby border into war-torn Syria. In a country where the minimum wage is about 1,400 Liras ($367) a month, enthusiasts regularly easily spend hundreds of dollars for one bird. “I once sold a pair of pigeons for 35,000 Turkish Lira”, says auctioneer Imam Dildas. “This is a passion, a hobby you cannot quit. I've been known to sell the fridge and my wife's gold bracelets to pay for pigeons”. (Photo by Umit Bektas/Reuters)





A pigeon, known as Sari Alaca, with an approximate market value of 2500 Turkish Lira ($659), bred by 23-year-old Ismail Ozbek, is pictured in Sanliurfa, Turkey, December 23, 2016. (Photo by Umit Bektas/Reuters)





A pigeon, known as Ispir, with an approximate market value of 1500 Turkish Lira ($395), bred by 23-year-old Ismail Ozbek, is pictured in Sanliurfa, Turkey, December 23, 2016. (Photo by Umit Bektas/Reuters)





A pigeon, known as Kara Alaca, with an approximate market value of 1500 Turkish Lira ($395), bred by 23-year-old Ismail Ozbek, is pictured in Sanliurfa, Turkey, December 23, 2016. (Photo by Umit Bektas/Reuters)





A pigeon, known as Siyah Aynali, with an approximate market value of 1000 Turkish Lira ($263), bred by 23-year-old Ismail Ozbek, is pictured in Sanliurfa, Turkey, December 23, 2016. (Photo by Umit Bektas/Reuters)





A pigeon, known as Kirmizi Akkuyruk, with an approximate market value of 1500 Turkish Lira ($395), bred by 23-year-old Ismail Ozbek, is pictured in Sanliurfa, Turkey, December 23, 2016. (Photo by Umit Bektas/Reuters)