In this installment we focus on Luxor Temple at night, a unique atmosphere created by dusk and darkness.
It feels like an eternity since I last posted an image from our amazing vacation in Egypt this year. Of course, time is relative, as the true eternity belongs to antiquity. This time I’m going back to one of the early stops in our travels, the stunning city of Luxor.
Here’s a lovely view…
Luxor Temple at Night
Getting to visit this temple complex at night is a privilege. The dusk and darker times provide an additional element of mystery and impressive atmosphere. In this view, we’re looking back at one of the colonnades toward Abu Haggag Mosque. This mosque is part of the temple complex.
This week’s edition revisits a trip to Egypt, highlighting the usefulness of smartphones for capturing interior shots in low light, especially in crowded tombs.
For this week’s edition, I’m taking you back to this year’s trip to Egypt. As I’ve mentioned, a good smartphone can be really useful for getting interior shots, where the lighting might not be ideal. Especially, when you’re in a crowded tomb, such as the case here, it’s a good shortcut over taking the time for a proper exposure with a ‘real’ camera.
Here’s a look inside one of the tombs…
Toward the Afterlife
In this lovely scene we witness part of the preparation for the Afterlife, done with appropriate tenderness. Of course, it’s always good for the pharaoh to get some assistance on the way and have a good relationship with Osiris.
I’m curious how many among you can identify the pharaoh, whose tomb this is. Of course, you could just read the cartouche, or you may have visited it yourself.
We reflect on life along the Nile, waxing nostalgic about ancient features and the more leisurely pace.
In the previous Along the Nile – Living post, I showed a bit of the community aspect of life along the river. This post takes a bit more of a nostalgic look and highlights some specific aspects. There are a number of features that stand out, as we look at the landscape along this longest river.
Here’s one that is rather ubiquitous…
Dovecotes
Dovecotes pop up along the landscape in many places, and have a strong connection with both farming and raising pigeons. They go back to antiquity as a means of addressing the need for manure and having pigeons become a staple in the Egyptian diet.
One of the things that I noticed is that along the river, life doesn’t seem to be as hurried…
Taking Time
It was not unusual to see people taking a moment to observe the Viking Aton, as we sailed by at a gentle pace.
And sometimes we even got a bigger reaction…
Enthusiasm
The lad in the striped shirt came running into the water to share his greetings with us! I figured that it was a slow day for boats that day, as I can’t imagine him doing that on a day when 20-30 boats pass.
Sometimes it felt like we were in a different era…
Olden Times
It was truly nice to unwind a bit and watch the landscape float by.
I hope you enjoyed this more nostalgic look at our journey.
Moe impressions from the deck of the Viking Aton of life next to the river Nile.
In the first Along the Nile – Living post, I showed a bit of what I got to witness from our ship, the Viking Aton. As there are a wide selection of photos that I captured during this trip, I gathered some more to share today.
Let’s start with what appears to be under construction…
Building
I have always felt that the English word ‘building’ connotes something that is not finished, which is the case in this image. One of the parts that struck me in this scene is the number of little boats; this indicates a strong connection with the river.
Here are some more houses in various stages of completion…
Irrigation
The left-most house looks amazing, and very different from most houses which are predominantly boxy and right angles. Also, a notable item is the pier with the little house at the end. These pop up at regular intervals and house pumps that can provide water to the fields for irrigation. It’s not the way the ancient Egyptians irrigated their lands, but likely much more reliable.
And last, but not least…
Community
Every community that we saw had a mosque or church, as faith is very much a part of life throughout the country. The minaret strikes a strong pose that makes it a key part of the landscape, just as much as the palm trees and the mountains in the distance.
I will have a future post with more photos from communities we visited.
A moment at Dendera with Nut, the sky goddess, preparing to swallow the Aten, symbolizing her daily ritual in Egyptian mythology.
While in Egypt I took a significant amount of photographs with my iPhone 16 Pro Max. There are 2 simple reasons for this: lower light performance is easier to manage than with most cameras and RAW Max! The ability to shoot and not lose to compression is magnificent, as it gives much more post-processing freedom.
Here is one of the shots…
Nut in Hathor’s Temple
In this image we see Nut, goddess of the sky, heavens and stars, getting ready to swallow the Aten. In Egyptian mythology Nut swallows the sun-god at the end of every day and gives birth to him each morning.
I’ll do a more complete post or two on the Dendera Temple Complex, as it is a magnificent site and we got to spend some quality time here.
A view of the more traditional fishing practices along the Nile, highlighting a hands-on and sustainable approach compared to industrial fishing.
In this series of posts, I didn’t want to leave out one of the obvious industries of the Nile: Fishing. Nowadays, most of us are used to the industrial scale of fishing that takes place on our seas and oceans. Traveling along the Nile, I observed fishing at a much smaller scale.
Here is one of those endeavors…
Simple Approaches
A much more hands-on approach to fishing along the grassy islands that form in the river. Throwing out a net from a rowboat and gathering the catch. In this scenario there is a division of labor between gathering the fish and rowing, so I wonder if this is a trawling approach.
Here’s a one man operation…
One-Man Operation
I have to admit that looking at this type of fishing, I don’t feel the hurried pace of our lives. There is a certain balance with Nature in working this way, as it would be unlikely to deplete the supply provided by the river.
The Nile River is central to Egyptian life, offering vibrant views and fostering habitation near its banks. Improved water predictability due to dams has encouraged closer living.
As mentioned in earlier posts, the Nile is the beating green heart of Egypt. As one cruises up and down the river, cities and life is visible right from the ship. As the river has become more predictable in its water volume since the introduction of dams, people will live closer to the water.
Here’s a view from board…
Life along the Nile
Among the palm trees houses have been built to enjoy the river’s proximity. Note the rebar sticking up from one of the houses. This was a practice under earlier tax laws, as one would not have to pay property taxes until the building was finished. This loophole has now been closed, but the rebar sticking up from buildings is still rather commonplace.
And another view…
Ready to set Sail
Kids wave as we pass by. I can imagine that they are waiting for their parents to take them for a bit of boating themselves!
Of course there are risks associated with living right next to the river…
Too Close
River banks do shift over time, as they meander. It would appear that this was a little too close for comfort! Although, I still wonder if this was meant to be a pleasure boat.
We explore the serene Nile River, the vital green corridor of Egypt. The slow river features small islands ideal for grazing cattle, allowing them to enjoy lush vegetation and relax while observing passing boats.
For this Sunday, I want to bring a touch of serenity, as we cruise along the Nile river. The Nile is the strip of green that can be traced from the south of Egypt (and beyond) to the delta that stretches along the Mediterranean Sea. It provides the 5% of the land in Egypt where most of the population lives.
One use of that land is for grazing…
Grazing the Nile
As the Nile is a rather slow moving river, there are many small islands just off its banks. These are ideal for putting some cattle out to pasture for grazing. After all, it’s not like they are about to wander off.
Sometimes we find a single cow…
Cow Island on the Nile
There is plenty of lush vegetation for this cow to keep it well nourished!
And after a good meal…
Rumination
It’s now time for a lie down and chew the cud. I imagine that watching the boat traffic is a source of relaxation for this cattle, as they are well-fed and entertained.
While cruising the Nile, it was fun to capture fleeting glimpses of life along the river, highlighting the ongoing significance of the Nile to Egypt.
As we cruised up and down the Nile river, there were numerous photo opportunities to capture from our Viking ship, the Aton. Photographing some of these quick-takes provided a bit of what life along the Nile might be like for some of the Egyptian people. While these vignettes provide a rather incomplete picture of Egypt, I want to share them nonetheless.
Here’s one of those moments…
Boat Parking
The Nile is still a major transportation network for Egypt; most of the goods are now transported over the road with trucks, but there is still a connection to the river for many people. Boats, such as the one here, are frequently used to transport tourists to points of interest along the river. This one is parked for later use…
A visit to Khan el-Khalili, a historic bazaar in Cairo. Originating from the Mamluk period, the bazaar was established between 1382 and 1389.
As there are so many cool moments from our trip to Egypt, I hope I won’t bore you with all these images. This one is from our first day in Cairo, where in the evening I visited the famous bazaar in the historic center: Khan el-Khalili. The experience was amazing!
Here’s a view of some of the shops…
Khan el-Khalili Alley
The history of the bazaar goes back to the Mamluk period of the 14th and 15th centuries, as it became a center for trade under Sultan Barquq. The sultan’s Master of the Stables, Jaharkas al-Khalili, erected a khan (multi-storied structure) in the heart of the city to be a center of economic activity between 1382 and 1389. This khan became know as Khan al-Khalili and leant its name to the entire district after some time.
The bazaar is a vibrant place to visit with lots of merchants offering many different types of wares. It was a joyous area to frequent for us with lots to see!
