learn about navigating the Mehelle map, using POI pages, and the search functionality
Our map was organized using GPS data captured during filming. This data was then fed into mapping software that placed the footage within a 15 foot area where it was captured. Final positional adjustments were then made using our on the ground expertise.
When revisiting sites that have been demolished and are now within Central Park we returned to the GPS data from our original footage to track down where they were shot within the park. We then referenced the original footage for landmarks to make positional adjustments. While we're confident in the methodology we used in capturing this new footage, the landscape has changed so drastically that there may be some slight difference in where our original and follow up footage was filmed.
about the project
Mehelle is a project from Ajam Media Collective dedicated to preserving the sights, sounds, and memories of rapidly-changing neighborhoods. Utilizing a unique combination of modern tools like digital mapping and 360 degree video with traditional documentary photography and film, Mehelle serves as a resource for local inhabitants, community organizers, and urban researchers long after such neighborhoods have been demolished, gentrified, or transformed by private and state-led construction projects.
Mehelle, from the Arabic mahallah (a neighborhood or quarter), is a term used by communities stretching from North Africa to Southern Russia and from India to the Balkans. It refers to the semi-private walled neighborhoods centered around social institutions such as the local coffeehouse, square, or place of worship. In these spaces, people live and work, resolve conflicts, and build collective identities. However, these residential units are slowly disappearing with the development of municipal beautification projects, large-scale transportation infrastructure, and suburban expansion. Mehelle serves as a repository for the materials and personal histories of those living in these disappearing close-knit communities.
The Mehelle project’s first featured neighborhood is Sovetski, located in the heart of Baku, Azerbaijan. A 200 year-old neighborhood that was once home to 50-60,000 people, Sovetski has become the site of the state-led urban planning campaign. As of October 2019, the vast majority of the neighborhood has been demolished. Over the last five years, however, our team has painstakingly recorded life in the local shops, labyrinthine alleyways, and abandoned houses--the results of which can be viewed on out map here.
contact
If you like our work check out some of these other projects exploring Baku's history, alternate documentary storytelling practices, and interactive mapping
Mehelle is always interested in hearing from you. Whether you have a project you'd like to pitch, a question about our work, or just want to say hi you can reach us at:
If you have material, including photos, videos, music, radio broadcasts, or even personal memories you can submit them to us here: