Photos: Earth >> Africa >> Egypt >> Delta >> Cairo >> Cairo

Register

  << Previous Next >>

The Sphinx, Giza Plateau, Cairo Egypt


The Sphinx, Giza Plateau, Cairo Egypt
Photo Information
Copyright: John van Aarle (JohnTulip) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4355 W: 858 N: 9164] (36194)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-05-10
Categories: Architecture
Camera: Canon EOS 30D, Canon EF-S 17-85 mm f: 4-5,6 IS USM, Compact Flash 2-2gb
Exposure: f/6.3, 1/530 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): 70-79 Points Part 4 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-05-21 15:17
Viewed: 1052
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 82
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Sphinx and Pyramids, Giza Plateau, near Cairo, Egypt.

We made a Tour to the Pyramids and Sphynx of Giza(Gizeh) from our Cruisse-ship at port of Alexandria, to Cairo in a 3 hours tour and later a little Nile-Boat cruisse and lunch. (Costs 150 Euro per person) :-)

If the Pyramids of Giza are the most famous landmark in the world, then the Sphinx is the most famous fictional animal.
A lion's body with a man's head, the mythical creature was the symbol of fear and awesome power in ancient Egypt.
Its name has been interpreted as, "The Wonderful One", "The Terrible One", "The Father of Terror", "The Living Statue", and "Horus of the Horizon."

Egyptian tradition holds that the face of the Sphinx is the image of Khafre (Chephren). But archæologists believe it does not represent the form of a great leader.
Rather, it is a mythical creature whose job is to guard the bodies of the dead in the cemeteries surrounding the Giza pyramid complex.
This theory is supported in part because it was built more than 2,600 years before Khafre's rule. Unlike the nearby pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx was was carved largely from a natural limestone outcropping by a civilization that has long since vanished.

It is 190 feet long, and 66 feet tall. On many picture postcards, the Sphinx's paws seem to be too big. In fact, they are in proportion to the rest of the body, if you look at it from where it was intended to be seen -- the bottom of the valley below, where those who created the creature, and presumably worshipped it, would look up to see the statue watching over them.

The ancient Greeks would come to this place and marvel at the half-man, half-beast resting in the desert.

In fact, it was they who christened it the "Sphinx," naming it after a mythical winged creature in their own culture. Evidence of Greek life in the area can be found in a bit of ancient graffiti scratched into the paws of the Sphinx -- it is a poem of peace.

My advice to who ever would like to visit this impressive / important place.. read a little of this subject before you go.. than it sure tells you a stronger message .

Egypt, Sphinx and Pyramids Folks..
Thanks for popping in,

Kind regards

John T


**
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
Martin Luther King Jr.
**
c_rapp, cleocat, rokoslav, TheMystic, norenastramus, riverfriends, vandana2923, PierreFrigon, Photograph2u, Hendrika, juyona, Pops71, shelbeesmom, vsinopoulos, sugah_bear69, tomek_wap, SkyF, deains, Refugee, Mitra, Viking, Josine, ed-lin has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekLens members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekLens members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To cleocat: Wow and yesJohnTulip 2 05-21 16:15
To ttreen: ThanksJohnTulip 1 05-21 15:44
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • ttreen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1578 W: 118 N: 3602] (14419)
  • [2007-05-21 15:25]
  • [+]

Hi John
wonderful POV and wow not what they look like on tv... amazing what time has done to them...

Hope you had a wonderful trip...
Love your notes.. and the frame is perfect


Take care

Tricia

Such an impressive structure. I have always been amazed by these structures and these ancient people's ability to create such dynamic pieces of art. Read an article the other day in which they say the ancient egyptian's couldn't have build the pyrimads and that they had help from creatures from outer space.

Hi John.
Good work. Great colour and composition. Very impressive picture. Well done. tfs- Stev

Well taken!!!

Great story, awesome presence: you were blessed to be able to see this! Good work with this composition. Monumental structures are hard to take.
Cheers
Otto

merhaba dear john
beautiful historical picture.beautiful light and composition.well done.
best regards.
gürkan akçakır.

Hello John,

Great capture. This is definately on my list of places I would like to visit. Excellent composition and colors.

TFS,
David

Hello Johnny,

Great photo, and history presented here. Sharp, and nicely composed. Informative note to go with.

So the "photo magic box: started opening now :)
TFS

Vandana

  • Great 
  • limba3 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1112 W: 430 N: 391] (10935)
  • [2007-05-21 17:23]

Hi John
I like the composition. A bit you selected the weak sky. But the idea is good.
Anna

Hoi John,
Left also some footsteps over there. Nice capture, but you did a trick with the sky isn't it? ;)Anyway a nice reminder of a very special place, very impressive!
Hans

Excelent capture. Amazing to se the Sphynx and the pyramid like this.
well done
Pierre

Halo my 'Belanda' friend!

A historical architectural that very long lasting, and still give impression of mystery in building it. It's great to have a chance visiting this place.

Well captured, fine detail and perfectly composed with blue sky as BG.

Cheers,
Tjutjut

HI Bro, wow! seing the sphynx and die! Or something like that! :)

Well done and taken!

Talk to you soon by phone, Sis :)

Hello John,
Frankly, I'd half expected you'd take his place, hehehe!
Nice framing, good textures and the natural colour are well captuerd!
Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • jawa Gold Star Critiquer [C: 1691 W: 0 N: 1] (11059)
  • [2007-05-22 3:39]

Hallo John
Dat is nr 1 mooie registratie.
Wordt beslist een mooie serie.
Gr Jos

Aha, I did not know that the Greek were responsible for the name Sfinx.
Wat zal dat vreselijk imposant zijn geweest om daar onder te staan!
TFS Picture and information.
Els
:)follow

Hi Hohn...welcome back:)
Now I see the 'hood' that you mentioned...
very sharp...and the textures in the stones are very clear...
looks like it has been vandalised a bit...
Great notes for my education...
Most excellent work in every way John!
david
:)

  •      
  • NINIX Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 332 W: 151 N: 575] (6249)
  • [2007-05-22 5:12]

He John,

Very nice picture. The blue and yellow works like a Van Gogh painting. (But uh.. is ouit of the magic box?)

Looking forward to see your picture from the top too.

Hendrik

Excellent POV and framing. Very impressive monument. I like the stone texture and the intense blue sky.

TFS,

Andreea

  • Great 
  • juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2475 W: 0 N: 882] (13260)
  • [2007-05-22 7:24]

Hola amigo,
una maravilla estos monumentos,
detalles y pov, excelentes,
magnífica presentación,
saludos

Wonderful image, beautiful light, wonderful depth, incredible place.
Best wishes,
Achim

Hello John,
Your camera was too powerful, you broke the nose of the Sphinx (^_*). Excellent POV with great colors and sharpness. What did you do to the sky to look like tinted glass? Very well done, TFS
Warrm greeting to you and Yolanda
Pierre

  • Great 
  • Silke Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3368 W: 284 N: 6439] (23904)
  • [2007-05-22 10:04]

Perfect PoV, superb colours
Nice to have you back again -- I turst you had a wonderful holiday!
TFS
silke

A place I have always wanted to go...maybe someday! Nice shot here John! You got really close to this monster of a statue! B-)
Linda

  • Great 
  • Janone Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3362 W: 86 N: 2738] (18097)
  • [2007-05-22 10:43]

Je hebt er wel werk van gemaakt, John.
Good job.
Zo te zien vanaf een behoorlijke afstand genomen.
Mooie omlijsting.
Jan

Hi John,
This is a good composition with nice POV and exposure.Beautiful color and contrast.Well done.TFS.
Greetings.
H.Ayhan

Hi John,

Wonderful capture of this famous landmark, contrasting nicely with the lovely blue sky. Very good detail, well exposed and sharp. Interesting note too, my good friend.
TFS,
Greetings,
Vassilis

  • Great 
  • c_rapp Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1025 W: 17 N: 1190] (6624)
  • [2007-05-22 13:31]

An amazingly cool and informative note to go with this breathtaking landmark! All I can think is WOW! What amazing days those must have been to live in. TFS
Christan

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1380 W: 31 N: 1561] (9603)
  • [2007-05-22 13:57]

Hi John

Great POV and framing. You have very effectively eliminated any ugly distractions and have shown these monuments off in their full beauty

TFS

Karan

Ciao John, classic and splendid view from Giza, wonderful composition with great depth of field, great blu sky, very well done, ciao Silvio

The ravages of time show on the face of the sphinx, between wars and weather it is amazing that it has survived. Great notes to accompany the colorful, well composed photo, thanks for sharing,
Fran

Nice shot, with one of the wonders of the world.

Been to africa for over a yr, but never got the chance to go to Egypt, got as close as Tobruk, where the famous military cementry is located.

Interesting POV here.

Well done.
Tom

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1666 W: 136 N: 1263] (6138)
  • [2007-05-23 6:33]

Hi John,
ahh I was hoping for those detailed shots of your vacation. Captured quite the detail in this pyramid, unforunatly the sky got a bit noisy, but that can be helped with a bit of softening.
Great captured very well cropped and interesting info.
Sky

  • Great 
  • deains Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 210 W: 33 N: 1128] (4650)
  • [2007-05-23 11:51]

Good photo John TFS Don

Excellent John, such a pity that it has not been protected form the ravages of time and the elements. Good textures and well composed. TFS,
Dave

Many thanks for your comment on ‘Tasmanian Sunsets II’

  • Great 
  • BMYNBR Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 174 W: 1 N: 87] (1086)
  • [2007-05-23 18:14]

Great shot, excelent POV and the colors are fabulous.
TFS Dave

  • Great 
  • Mitra Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1454 W: 75 N: 819] (7250)
  • [2007-05-24 11:24]

What a impressive structure. I love to see Egypt.
Great shot with good details & colors. Well done.
Mitra

John,
Strong and an eye-catching composition!
Good colour palette, nice contrasts...
Attractive artistic effect!
Rob

John what a dream shot. Some day I hope to do the same and see this 'miracle of world format' myself!
Joos

hoi john en thanks! al miljoenen keren gefotografeerd maar toch steeds anders
die van jou is heel mooi!
groetjes aan j & y xxxxx

Very cool picture. I like how the pyramid takes up almost the whole picture. I like the color of the sky. Great frame. TFS
Mandie

Hello John.

Excellent image, very good details.
Nice frame.

Regards.
Jose Luis.

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF