28
Jul
2009
Egyptian Pyramids
There are many pyramids across Egypt, and if I ever make it back, I hope to see more of them, but I did get to see THE pyramids. THE pyramids being the ones on the Giza plateau in greater Cairo. These are the pyramids that were on the original list of the 7 wonders of the world. There were various iterations of this list – essentially a travel guide for the Ancient Greeks. When the 7 wonders were defined, the pyramids were almost 2000 years old already and another 2,000 years has passed since. That’s how incredibly old the pyramids are. And today, the only wonder of the ancient world that survives is the pyramids at Giza.
Footsteps of the Ancients - Khufu's Tomb
The last leg of our journey on local transport was a taxi. Being stuffed in the middle of a large station wagon taxi, I never got a peep of the pyramids that a few of the others in our group did. This instead was my first view of the largest of the 3 pyramids, the tomb of the Pharaoh Khufu. With the sun ahead of us, the only image I could possibly get shooting into the sun was a silhouette, but I made the best of it, casting my entire group of travel companions into silhouette as we marched up that hill to the pyramids. Khufu was the first of the pyramid builders at Giza. Construction of this pyramid took between 14 and 20 years and was probably completed around 2560 BC. Khufu reigned for 23 years and died in 2566 BC – so his lasting monument was constructed across most of his reign. I have other conventional shots of this pyramid, but this is the way I will always remember it, golden and silhouetted.
Wonders of Antiquity - Pyramid of Khafre
The second pyramid on the plateau at Giza was the tomb of the Pharaoh Khafre. The second pyramid could not outshine the first, so it was purposefully built smaller. Khafre is believed to be the son of Khufu, thus his reign and construction of his pyramid would have followed on the heels of his father’s. The top of this pyramid still has a bit of it’s original casing stones intact. All three pyramids would have originally appeared much different than today. What we see is the rough stone core. Originally, smooth limestone was applied to the outside. Some of it weathered away, but much was apparently stolen for building in Cairo in the middle ages. Khafre’s pyramid will always hold a special place for me as this was the one we went inside. Climbing in and out of that dark two way tunnel was quite an experience, but the thing I will most remember is the oppressive atmosphere inside. One of the group inside described it as thrice breathed air. Still, it was absolutely incredible, to stand where an ancient pharaoh was once interred.
Memories Remain - Menkaure's Pyramid
The last and smallest of the three pyramids was for Pharaoh Menkaure. There’s conflicting accounts of whether Menkaure was the son of Khafre of Khufu, but he succeeded Khafre as Pharaoh. Two coffins were found within this tomb in modern times. One held bones that were two modern to be the Pharaoh. A sarcophagi was also unearthed from the pyramid but lost in the sinking of a boat bound for Great Britain in 1838. There were smaller pyramids begun adjacent to Menkaure’s tomb, likely for family, but never completed. After this pyramid, no further were built at Giza.
Well Worn Roads - The Sphinx
The last thing we saw before leaving the plateau was one of the most enigmatic, the Sphinx. The best theory so far seems to be that the Sphinx was built by Khafre, possibly in his image. It was carved from solid stone on-site. It’s generally believed that there was a rock adjacent to the pyramid and the solution to removing the obstruction was to make it a monument itself. The pyramids seen behind in this shot are left to right, Menkaure and Khafre. Even now looking at these photos and remembering being there, it seems something like a dream. One of those things you see on TV and read about and never dream you’ll actually stand there, and I’m happy that I took the opportunity to visit.
You can see more prints from my adventure in Egypt in the Egypt Gallery.
13
Jul
2009
Mérida – Yucatan Capital Prints
Mérida is the capital city of the Mexican state of the Yucatan. The Spanish founded it in 1542 on the foundations of an older Maya City, T’ho. Because it’s foundations were laid on an older city, Mérida is said to be one of the oldest continually occupied cities in the Americas and its centro historico (Historic district) is among the largest. Mérida has architecture stretching from it’s foundations to today gracing it’s easy to follow numbered streets. Because of the hot temperatures (at least in the summer), the city tends to close down in the afternoon and re-open as the sun goes down. I never did figure out when they close back down again! Even the local car rental place I used one day while I was there closed in the afternoon and re-opened in the evening.
Mérida Cathedral
The Cathedral in Mérida may not be the largest or grandest on the earth, but it is the oldest in the mainland of the Americas. It is also far older than one might think. The Cathedral was built between 1561 and 1598, using readily available stone. The Spanish pulled down the temples the native Maya had built and used it in this cathedral. This photo was taken in the late afternoon as the city was just waking up again. The warm glow is from the sun hanging in the west.
Iglesia de Santa Ana - Mérida
The city of Mérida is a collection of neighborhoods or barrios built around neighborhood churches. This is probably among the older ones and was likely built on the platform of a Maya temple. Originally built in the 1500s, the Iglesia de Santa Ana was built to serve indigenous Maya and mulattoes. The church was reconstructed in the 1700’s and in the 1800’s, the nearby Paseo de Montejo, a wide Parisian style boulevard was built and this barrio became the address to have. The people who lived in the area were eventually pushed into other parts of the city. Today, it’s a beautiful if eclectic church (observe the pyramids on the towers).
Wired
This photo is the epitome of Mexico (in my mind anyway). Gorgeous colors and textures that just call for photos. No matter how much you upkeep things in this partof the world, nature is constantly fighting you. Anywhere else, I would fight heaven and earth to eave out the power lines, but here, they are such a huge part of the landscape it’s hard to imagine a photo without them (despite the fact that they obviously weren’t there when these buildings were new). This photo is from the streets of Mérida, a simply beautiful and friendly city.
Neon Dreams
Mérida is very much a place that’s proud of it’s city. It’s an incredibly clean place where they have managed to preserve so many of the buildings that have been built there over the centuries. I don’t know any of the history of this theater, but it looks very art deco to me and there was a sign that I believed indicated it was owned by the government, but very much still an active part of the community. On my last night in town, I managed to catch this shot of it with the marquee and neon lights accenting the architecture. An enjoyable shot both for the place and for those of us who love these old movie palaces.
More photo prints from Mérida are available in my Mexico Prints.
10
Jul
2009
Puuc Hills – Uxmal & Kabah Prints
If you’re ever planning a trip into the Yucatan to see ruins, you should really try to get into the Puuc Hills. From Mérida, Uxmal and Kabah are an easy day trip, but there are more Puuc Hill ruins to see to the extent I wish I had more time when I visited to travel a bit further afield. None-the-less, the ruins I did see were excellent. The ruins in this area of the country have the distinction of having a style of Maya architecture named for them. They are also different from their low land counterparts in not being built over Cenotes (sink hole access points to the underground rivers of the Yucatan). Instead, the Maya built large cisterns in these cities to capture rain water for the dry months. If the theory that droughts were largely responsible for the end of the Maya way of life, these people were probably the first to suffer.
Uxmal, the first place I visited is still touristed but not nearly so heavily as Chichen Itza. People were living at Uxmal around 500 AD. It flourished for sometime as the main city in the region, but it’s star dropped after the fall of Chichen Itza. By the time the Spanish arrived, Uxmal was already largely abandoned.
Uxmal - The Nuns Quadrangle
This is part of a large complex of buildings adjacent to the main pyramid at Uxmal. The first Spaniards to study this location thought that it looked like a nuns convent, hence the name. It’s believed that these buildings may have been a school for princes. This was the last building of the quadrangle, note the masks on the corner, these are masks of Chac Mool, the rain god, and are on each corner of this building. Also note the elaborated decorations. This is typical of the Puuc style. The prominence of Chac Mool highlights the importance of rain to the people living here.
Palacio del Gobernador - Uxmal, Mexico
This is another of the buildings at Uxmal, said to be one of the best examples of the Puuc style. Built in the 9th an 10th centuries, it was probably an administration building for the region. As with other Maya buildings, it is aligned with the heavens, the main door lines up with the planet Venus.
Inheritance of the Maya
The site of Kabah is yet less touristed and there’s been far less reconstruction here. There was a city here as early as the 3rd century which reached it’s height around the 8th. By the 11th century, the site was abandoned. This palace appears to have had 30 or more rooms and is remarkably intact considering how long it’s been since it was inhabited.
Uxmal is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Kabah is not listed, but should be on the list of anyone who appreciates the ruins of our past cultures.
More photo prints from both sites are available at my Mexico Prints.
8
Jul
2009
Chichen Itza Prints
It’s been a couple of years since I visited Chichen Itza. At the time, I spent a week in Mérida, the capital of the Yucatan taking day trips out to see the sights, including possibly the most well known of the Maya ruins. Many Americans visiting Cancun will take a tour to see these ruins and learn about the Maya.
The topography and soil of the Yucatan causes the formation of cenotes, typically open pits where underground water is accessible. It’s not surprising that the ancient Maya built their cities around these cenotes, which they considered magical and gateways to the afterlife. Chichen Itza or, Chich’en Itzá in Maya, translates basically as ‘at the mouth of the well of the Itza.’ The Itza were a particiular group of the Maya. This is apparently not the first name of Chichen Itza but there’s a lack of consensus on what the first name was.
These cities, like our cities today, are not built at once, they are built, torn down, and built again, inhabited by successions of people with different tastes and beliefs over the centuries. Chichen Itza was at its peak from roughly 600 AD to 1,000 AD. It was sacked and the focus moved to Mayapan sometime between 1,000 and 1,200, but even by the time the Spanish arrived, there were still people living there and making pilgrimages to the centotes. So, when we look at these ruins, we’re looking at around 1,000 years of human habitation but primarily with the buildings of the last of its prosperous times.
Lost - Pyramids of Chichen Itza
This view is of El Castillo, the main pyramid at Chichen Itza. This temple to Kukulcan was built on top of an earlier temple to Chac Mool, the rain god. The earlier temple has been excavated and was once open to the public but no longer is. The later temple shows Toltec influences. In fact, Kukulcan is the Maya version of the Toltec god, Quetzalcoatl. There are stories of the arrival of a Toltec king around 987 who set up a new court at Chichen Itza. If true, it’s possible this explains the cultural influence. It’s hard to look at these ruins without thinking of the culture that flourished and vanished here so long ago. The craftsmanship is amazing.
Kukulcan Temple
This is a close up of the top of the pyramid. It has been restored by the Mexican Government in the 1920’s and 30’s and restoration activities continue. Still, we have not restored these temples to their original appearance. The buildings were not bare stone originally but were plastered and were likely painted colorfully. Even in their muted forms, these buildings still speak to us of a talented and creative people.
El Castillo Steps
These are the northern steps to El Castillo. There are 4 stairs, one on each side, each with 91 steps. If you were to add these four sets of stairs, they total 364. The final step, the floor level of the temple at the top makes a total of 365, the number of days in a year. There are many such astronomical connections to these temples. On the north side, there are two plumed serpents (Kukulcan) carved into both sides. On the spring and autumn equinox, the sun casts shadows that make the snakes appear to slither down the pyramid. I’m told the nightly light show recreates this view. Even today, this is an imposing edfice!
Chichen Itza is UNESCO World Heritage site.
There are more prints available from Chichen Itza and Mexico in my Mexico Prints
30
Jan
2008
Pyramids – As Seen on TV
I’m slowly getting over the crud, but Friday heading for Boston (business meeting Monday that I was able to roll into some me time). So, I’m at a standstill for the moment on editing photos.
However, there are plenty of the pyramids and a small taste of Cairo in my Egypt Gallery.
Here’s a taste.
Memories Remain
This is the last of the three major pyramids on the Giza plateau, the tomb of Menkaure. The interesting thing is, at our last full group dinner, Sam, the guide, asked us all what our favorite parts of the trip were, the things we’d take back with us, etc. The interesting thing was, one person out of twelve mentioned the pyramids at Giza. One person chose 4,000 year old monuments that have been on the must see list since antiquity.
Yet, guess what, it wasn’t me that chose them. Personally, my favorite moment was the hot air balloon over Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. This was an optional activity, but something I’d likely have never tried at home. And my favorite place was the Sawa camp on the Red Sea beach. You’ll barely see any photos of it, though, I really unwound there and just sat.
I think the lower ranking of the pyramids was a two part thing. One, as Sam pointed out, almost everyone has seen they pyramids extensively on TV and in books, etc. They either live up to our expectations or they don’t, but they aren’t a surprise. I also think that part of it was that was really the first full day of our trip, and we had experienced nearly two weeks of Egypt since then. So much had happened in between.
So, if you go to Egypt, you have to see the pyramids, but then experience Egypt and leave with so much more.
