Sunday, May 8, 2011

Luxor Temple by Moonlight

Moonlight is sculpture.
Nathaniel Hawthorne

With a crescent moon shining overhead, we strolled through Luxor temple this evening. The temple is open until 9 pm. This is a magical time to visit. The carvings have a sharper focus and there are fewer  visitors.

The lighting highlights the religious drama that permeates the temple. Here is celebrated the mystery of the birth of Amun.

The "Sun Court" built by Amenophis III is all the more impressive under the Moon. The busy Corniche with its incessant and insistent touts is just on the other side of the wall, and yet they seem miles away. All is quiet and calm inside the temple's holy precinct.

My goal to capture the crescent moon between the minarets of Abu el Haggag Mosque remains just that -- a goal; nevertheless, I thought that the mosque looked particularly stunning tonight.
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5 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 9, 2011 at 1:55 AM

    the clarity of our first spring moon, is pulling the buds out of the trees for a peep.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMay 9, 2011 at 2:01 AM

    - i love the fact that we see the same moon and are connected for a moment - such a pretty moon to rise on the beginning of Grandpa Ken's 100th year -

    todays word - unnessis

    ReplyDelete
  3. ShariMay 9, 2011 at 2:29 AM

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA KEN! I hope the Egyptian Mail service delivered the card in time -- I fear it may take a century to get there. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. JohnMay 9, 2011 at 8:02 AM

    "The cravings have a sharper focus..."

    Yes, I get hungry when it's dark too...

    :0)

    ReplyDelete
  5. ShariMay 9, 2011 at 4:32 PM

    ooops! ;-) I'm always thinking with my stomach!

    ReplyDelete

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