The 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games are currently underway in Baku, Azerbaijan. Around 2,800 athletes from 56 countries are competing for more than 1,000 medals across 20 sports over 10 days. Administered by the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation, the games are open to Muslim and non-Muslim athletes from countries that are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
As with the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, the Islamic Solidarity Games are held every four years, the first taking place in Mecca in 2005. However, the 2009 games were cancelled due to a dispute between Iran and the Arab world over the use of the term 'Persian Gulf' in its logo.
IBTimes UK presents a gallery of high-contrast black-and-white photos of athletes competing in the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Uzbekistan's Anastasiya Serdyukova competes during the Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual Women Apparatus FinalsJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesAzerbaijan's Ismail Aliyev competes during the Men's Discus Throw at the Islamic Solidarity GamesGlyn Kirk/AFP-ServicesUzbekistan's Aliyor Noraliev's Kuan and Azerbaijan's Elvin Isayev compete in their Men's Light Welter (64kg) boxing boutBenjamin Cremel/AFP-ServicesIlaha Gasimova of Azerbaijan and Yassmin Attia of Egypt compete in the Women's Karate Kumite -55 kg gold medal matchFrancois Nel/Getty ImagesAfghanistan's Kimia Yousofi competes during the Women's 100m at the Olympic stadium in BakuJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesMahsa Afsaneh of Iran competes in the Women's Karate KataDan Mullan/Getty ImagesTurkmenistan compete against Saudi Arabia in the Mens 3x3 Basketball Group GameDan Mullan/Getty ImagesMuminjon Abdullaev of Uzbekistan and Sabah Shariati of Azerbaijan compete in the Mens Greco Roman Wrestling 130 kg Semi FinalFrancois Nel/Getty ImagesSepideh Tavakoly Nik of Iran prepares to compete in the Women's High Jump FinalFrancois Nel/Getty ImagesMerdan Atayev of Turkmenistan competes in the Men's Swimming 100m Backstroke FinalDan Mullan/Getty ImagesTayebeh Parsa of Iran competes against Yaprak Eris of Azerbaijan in the Womens Taekwondo -57kg Semi FinalDan Mullan/Getty ImagesNeda Shahsavari of Iran competes against Ozge Yilmaz of Turkey in the Womens Table Tennis Quarter FinalDan Mullan/Getty ImagesEcem Cankaya of Turkey competes in the Individual Gymnastics QualificationDan Mullan/Getty ImagesAzerbaijan's Murad Agharzayev (L) and Bence Talas pose during the Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus FinalsJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesAlgeria's Imane Taleb competes with Egypt's Radwa Radwan during the Women's Karate Kumite -50kg bronze medal fightPatrick Baz/AFP-ServicesAlgeria's Amel Melih is pictured during the women's 50m BackstrokeBenjamin Cremel/AFP-ServicesJordan's Obada Alkasbeh (R) and Pakistan's Suleman Baloch compete during their Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games boxing matchBenjamin Cremel/AFP-ServicesIraq's Yasir Al-Dulaimi competes during the Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus FinalsJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesA swimmer attends a warm up session at the Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity GamesMarco Berterello/AFP-ServicesAzerbaijan's Marina Durunda competes during the Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual Women Apparatus FinalsJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesTurkey's Basak Nida Karaevli competes during the Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual Women Apparatus FinalsJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesIvory Coast's Adama Kone competes in a Men's Light Heavy (81kg) boxing boutBenjamin Cremel/AFP-ServicesMedics treat Palestine's Malek Abualrob during the Men's -58 kg Taekwondo qualificationsPatrick Baz/AFP-ServicesIraqis Salwan Alaifuri reacts as he competes during the men's weightlifting 105kg eventJorge Guerrero/AFP-ServicesIndonesian's Nurul Akmal competes during a women's weightlifting eventJorge Guerrero/AFP-ServicesAzerbaijan's Yekaterina Sariyeva competes during the Women's Triple JumpGlyn Kirk/AFP-ServicesSuriname's Monifah Djoe competes during the Women's Triple JumpGlyn Kirk/AFP-ServicesUganda's Kakayi Avice Michal Meya takes part in a training session during the Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity GamesBenjamin Cremel/AFP-ServicesPakistan's Hassan Mahmood competes with Iraq's Taha Yaseen Dhabir Al Salihi in the Men's Greco-Roman 71kg wrestling eventMarco Berterello/AFP-ServicesAthletes compete during the Women's 200mGlyn Kirk/AFP-ServicesUganda's Kalidi Batuusa competes in the men's weightlifting 94kg eventJorge Guerrero/AFP-ServicesWrestlers compete at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in BakuMarco Berterello/AFP-ServicesGambia's Gina Bass competes during the Women's 100m finalGlyn Kirk/AFP-ServicesA swimmer takes part in training sessions at the Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity GamesMarco Berterello/AFP-ServicesIndonesia's Sandi Firmansah competes with Uzbekistan's Dastonbek Otabolaev during the men's Karate Kumite -75kg bronze medal matchPatrick Baz/AFP-ServicesIran's Saeedreza Keikha competes during the Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus FinalsJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesIndonesia's Dennis Tiwa competes during the Men's Swimming 200m breaststroke eventMarco Berterello/AFP-ServicesAthletes compete during the Men's 5000m steeplechaseJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesIndonesia's Aldiansyah Rafi prepares himself during the men's 3m individual preliminary diving eventJorge Guerrero/AFP-ServicesTurkey's Oguz Berke Senemoglu catches the ball during the water-polo final match against IranJohanna Leguere/AFP-ServicesSaudi Arabia's Ahmed Almuwallad competes during the Men's 110m HurdlesJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesKyrgyzstan's Iulianna Morozova, Marina Grishaeva and Nailya Aliyeva block Tajikistan's Azima Abdurahmonova during their volleyball matchJohanna Leguere/AFP-ServicesIran's Yousef Ghaderian competes with Azerbaijan's Rafig Huseynov during the Men's Greco-Roman 80Kg wrestling gold medal boutMarco Berterello/AFP-ServicesGuinea-Bissau's Jessica Da Silva Inchude competes during the Women' Shot PutJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesMorocco's Marouane Aissaoui competes during the Men's Triple JumpGlyn Kirk/AFP-ServicesIran's team gather during their water polo match against TurkeyJohanna Leguere/AFP-ServicesSwimmers compete at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in BakuMarco Berterello/AFP-ServicesMali's Nana Doumbia (L) fights with Morocco's Nada Laaraj during the Women's -57kg Taekwondo qualificationsPatrick Baz/AFP-ServicesA swimmer takes part in training sessions at the Baku Aquatics CentreMarco Berterello/AFP-ServicesIran's Tayebe Parsa prepares to fight during the Women's -57kg Taekwondo qualificationsPatrick Baz/AFP-ServicesAlgeria's Hillal Metidji competes during the Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus FinalsJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesIndonesia's Aflah Prawira prepares before the Men's Swimming 400m Individual Medley finalBenjamin Cremel/AFP-ServicesIraq's Baderaldeen Naser jumps during the Men's bronze medal Handball match against AlgeriaBenjamin Cremel/AFP-ServicesTurkey's Hakan Dogan (L) and Guyana's Joel Williamson compete during their Islamic Solidarity Games boxing match at the Crystal Hall in BakuBenjamin Cremel/AFP-ServicesBoxers compete during a Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games boxing match at the Crystal HallBenjamin Cremel/AFP-ServicesIndonesia's Wahyu Putri performs during the Women Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual eventJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesIbrahim Colak of Turkey competes during the Men's Artistic Gymnastics eventJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesEgypt's Eslam Mohamed sits in his corner as he competes in his Men's Light Welter (64kg) boxing boutBenjamin Cremel/AFP-ServicesAzerbaijan's Zhala Piriyeva performs during the Women's Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual eventJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesTurkey's Metin Aydin competes during the Men's Swimming 200m medleyMarco Berterello/AFP-ServicesAn underwater view of the Men's Swimming 200m freestyle event at 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in BakuMarco Berterello/AFP-ServicesTurkey's Ibrahim Colak prepares to compete during the Men's Artistic Gymnastics eventJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesA gymnast prepares to compete at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in BakuJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesTeam Turkey reacts after the Men's Artistic Gymnastics event at the Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity GamesJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesIndonesia's Nurul Fitriyati competes during the Women's Swimming 100m backstroke finalMarco Berterello/AFP-ServicesSyria's Dina Alshikh Ali competes during the Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual Women Apparatus FinalsJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesUzbekistan's Sabina Tashkenbaeva competes during the Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual Women Apparatus FinalsJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-ServicesIndonesia's Nurul Fitriyati competes during the women's swimming 100m backstroke finalMarco Berterello/AFP-ServicesTurkey's Kaan Turker Ayar swims out of the pool after the Men's Swimming 100m breaststrokeBenjamin Cremel/AFP-ServicesA swimmer attends a warm up session at the Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity GamesMarco Berterello/AFP-ServicesSwimmers dive during the Men's Swimming 100m Breaststroke eventBenjamin Cremel/AFP-ServicesCameroon's Arcangeline Fouodji Sonkbou concentrates as she competes during a Women's Weightlifting eventJorge Guerrero/AFP-ServicesDivers take part in a training session at the Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity GamesBenjamin Cremel/AFP-ServicesA diver takes part in a training session at the 4th Islamic Solidarity GamesMarco Berterello/AFP-ServicesView of the Opening Ceremony of the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games, at the Olympic Stadium in BakuJonathan Nackstrand/AFP-Services
