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Abu Simbel


Abu Simbel
Photo Information
Copyright: Hans Spruijt (GreenBaron) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3236 W: 968 N: 11731] (50060)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-06-10
Categories: Daily Life, Architecture, Artwork, Mood
Camera: Minolta Z1
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Egypt 2004 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-10-21 4:00
Viewed: 2776
Points: 38
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Abu Simbel
This is absolutely not a unique shot. While visiting this archeological site in the early morning is a real pleasure as long as you not are bordered by arrogant guides. Good greave that happened to me. The guy was treating us as were we absolutely stupid unknown creatures. He did the explanation of this very interesting site if he was the only person who knew something about it. “Do you know who was Ramses II?” He asked as a rhetorical question. The moment you want to answer it he started to talk the most absolutely crap I’ve ever heard. To prevent a Third World War I walked away and made lots of fabulous pictures instead of listening to this bumptious guide. The statue of the always “humble” pharaoh Ramses II is stunning large and you can see how large compared with the figures on this photo. Read the details here below and when you are in Egypt. Visit this site but ignore the guides (and never ever tip these guy it is never enough for those wicked clowns).

PS-talk:
 cropped
 framed and add text
Abu Simbel (Arabic أبو سنبل or أبو سمبل) is an archaeological site comprising two massive rock temples in southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser about 290 km southwest of Aswan. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Nubian Monuments" [1], which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan).
The twin temples were carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his alleged victory at the Battle of Kadesh, and to intimidate his Nubian neighbors. The complex was relocated in its entirety in the 1960s to avoid being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan dam on the river Nile. Abu Simbel remains one of Egypt's top tourist attractions.
In 1959 an international donations campaign to save the monuments of Nubia began: the southernmost relics of this ancient human civilization were under threat from the rising waters of the Nile that were about to result from the construction of the Aswan High Dam. Later Abu Simbel temples were moved from Sudanese lands into Egyptian lands.
The salvage of the Abu Simbel temples began in 1964, and cost some USD $80 million. Between 1964 and 1968, the entire site was cut into large blocks, dismantled and reassembled in a new location – 65 m higher and 200 m back from the river, in what many consider one of the greatest feats of archaeological engineering.(Text from Wikipedia.com)
HaBeMa, puffy, fotobram, Refugee, PierreFrigon, shelbeesmom, anjhello, Janice, vandana2923 has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To perryhooter: Late responce...GreenBaron 1 11-03 13:03
To PierreFrigon: Manpower...GreenBaron 1 10-22 04:54
To hester: Nefretari tempeGreenBaron 1 10-22 04:50
To limba3: Abu Simbel..GreenBaron 1 10-22 04:38
To HaBeMa: Thanks!GreenBaron 1 10-22 04:37
To fotobram: Tourist...GreenBaron 3 10-21 11:11
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Hans;Your all photos perfect,all great.
This photo ideal frame and shot.This border very good...
Habema.
:-]

Hi Hans
Very much nicely you demonstrated Abu Simpel. Frames very much are also fitting. (translator)
Anna

  • Great 
  • puffy Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1791 W: 128 N: 3006] (16621)
  • [2006-10-21 6:12]

Good on you Hans, walk away and look what you got here, fantastic shot! Excellent POV and composition, i like your border here too, excellent work my friend, tfs

Cheers,
Sweety

It is a tourist shot and it is not absolutely sharp. However, it looks magnificiant.
And I like the story :-)

BdM

I have been here as well but I wandered around by myself. I preferred the other smaller temple. It is a great place and this is a nice photo of it

TFS

Karan

Hello Hans, beautiful and grand! It must be very impressive to be there. And to know the time frame of it's history too!

Very well captured with the people walking by, for the perspective of it.

Nice colours but I would add a bit of contrast maybe. Good pov and sharpness.

Nicely done! Have a great day! Yan :)

ps: many thx for your crit on "Queen Mary Meets Frontenac".

Amazing photo. Just think of the manpower required to create such statues.
TFS.
Pierre

Unique, maybe not - but this is a wonder of the world seen through your eyes, it's a capture of a moment in your life and that's what makes it special.
Very well captured, great light and colour, good choice to include the people for a true sense of scale.
Thanks for sharing
Rew

A lucky man you are for being able to see this in your lifetime! There is nothing worse than a BORING guide! I too, tend to disappear when the babbling starts! My dream is to visit Egypt someday...I hope that we will not "blow it up" before then with our fighting!
Nice shot!
B-)
Linda

Hello Hans,
Very nice composition, I like the inclusion of the people without making them too prominant!
Textures and details are well captured!
Greetings,
Pablo -

hi! hans nice shot... great view... i also like the frame and border... thanks for sharing (",)

Excellent notes Hans. I can actually remember the relocation of the temple, I was in high school at the time. Fine image with good detail and POV. TFS,
David
Many thanks for your comment on
For Valari

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3294 W: 269 N: 7833] (33458)
  • [2006-10-22 17:16]

I'd love to visit this place, but I think this might be the closest I will ever get to it. Thanks Hans for your interesting notes and guide tips too!
I have seen many photos and TV programs, but I am enjoying your photo. With your comments you make the scene more real to me, thank you.
It is good to compare the people against the monstrous size of the statue. And they seem to be places very strategically too, well done, TFS
Janice

Impressive image. Very well composed. The touch of color add some ballance.

Cheers!

Ben.

Well composed and framed, interesting picture. Thanks for the description. Good done.
Jan

really good shot Hans!
Thxs

Armel.

Hi Hans - I love the framing of this shot. Having visited the site in February this year I know that you have not lost any of the grandeur of the temple. It is easy to take photos of such sites but to produce something different is the challenge
TFS
Will

Hello Baron (^_^)

Love the tight composition and frame here. Difficult to avoid the tourists around.... but here they do help in giving the scale of the monuments. As Ben pointed out they also provide colors to the composition. Informative note too.

PS. About the guide. Perhaps, you might have been unlucky with yours here and at the pyramids with the policeman, but please do not make general statements. I feel a bit sad reading this. After all these guys are there to gain their life too, and promote the beauty of their country. Experience will come with time. In Canada we often have students from College and University working as guides. They start without much experience too.

Major Tourist Centers are often called Tourist traps..... as some people are trying to take advantage of the newcomers.
Egypt is indeed one of the sad examples, I also read previously. Some precautions must be taken , when you are aware of this sad reality.

Hope you won't mind this remark. I like a lot your work , and sense of humour. Keep up the good work.

Your friend across the Atlantic!
Robert

Hi Hans, I love culture and history...(not for study please). Your this shot of Pharoh liked very much. TFS. :) Vandana

*later

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