Vic's Pics

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks guy's, glad your liking them, today we are buzzing round Cairo for the day. We'll flip up the Nile to Luxor next to Karnak Temple.

Pic 1 & 2. Sphinx and Ramsis II statues outside Cairo Museum. Unfortunately cameras are banned inside.

Pic 3. The Cairo Bazaar, much changed form the 1950s and the traders are very much in your face which is somewhat off putting when trying to bargain.



Pic 4. The Muhamed Ali Mosque in Cairo, now just a tourist attraction and no longer used for prayer.

Pic 5 & 6. The mosques inner square and fountain that would have been used for washing before prayer and a close up of the decorative roof.

Pic 7. The grand chandelier within the mosque, I believe it was donated by king Louis Philippe V of France.

Pic 8. The main dome of the mosque which I feel my picture does not do it justice.

Pic 9. One of the two Minbar's (pulpit) within the mosque. Unfortunately the place was teaming with visitors, like Hil and I and it's kind of hard to get photos without people walking past.

Just for interest sake to all you photographers out there, the majority of these pics were without flash.

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

WOW!!!! Excellent shots and fabulous material!

[GrauGeist]

Excellent shots and extremely fascinating. I have always wanted to get to the middle east to see sites of antiquity, but have never had the chance...so there's a little bit of jealousy when I say that!

You know, if you want the photo to be free of folks, simply whip out a little paper bag and blow it up, then pop it (this is where a friend or two with bags of thier own would be handy, too). Now, as everybody is panicking and fleeing for the exit, you can wander at your leisure snapping away!

[Vic Balshaw]

You know, if you want the photo to be free of folks, simply whip out a little paper bag and blow it up, then pop it (this is where a friend or two with bags of thier own would be handy, too). Now, as everybody is panicking and fleeing for the exit, you can wander at your leisure snapping away!

Not a bad idea Dave , but I'd be a fool to do such a thing in that part of the world, to many armed tourist police about, an could end up getting shot.

[evangilder]

Neat stuff, Vic!

[GrauGeist]

Not a bad idea Dave , but I'd be a fool to do such a thing in that part of the world, to many armed tourist police about, an could end up getting shot.

Well dang!

Sounded like a good idea!

[Vic Balshaw]

Well dang!

Sounded like a good idea!

This one's for Dave (GrauGeist), one of the Egyptian Tourist Guards, most are fully armed with AK-47. This one pointed towards a bit of a stone monument for us to look at and then asked for Bucksheesh (money). Now like I've just said, the man had an AK-47. What would you do?????????????

[Gnomey]

Good stuff!

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks for the comments guy's, much appreciated. Now for the next batch, we go to some of the other phenomenal constructions in Egypt, The Temple of Karnak near Luxor.

Pic 1. At the entry to Karnak Temple they have this scale model which really emphasises the size of the place.

Pic 2. The Ram's of Karnak that line each side of the entry to the temple.

Pic 3 & 4. Some of the many statues of the king of upper and lower Egypt in the classic "I'm all powerful" stance.

Pic 5. The incredible hieroglyphics the cover every spare space on walls, columns and entry posts.

Pic 6. The close packed columns of the temple.

Pic 7. A cartouche with hieroglyphics symbols. The bee was our favourite.

Pic 8 & 9. More statues and a needle obelisk.

[evangilder]

Great pics. One day I would love to see all of that.

[Vic Balshaw]

Great pics. One day I would love to see all of that.

Thanks Eric, if'n you ever do be prepared as it's full on and mind boggling.

[Gnomey]

Nice pics!

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Thanks Eric, if'n you ever do be prepared as it's full on and mind boggling.

I'll bet. I've only ever seen it on TV and in books but to see it in person would be spectacular!

[GrauGeist]

This one's for Dave (GrauGeist), one of the Egyptian Tourist Guards, most are fully armed with AK-47. This one pointed towards a bit of a stone monument for us to look at and then asked for Bucksheesh (money). Now like I've just said, the man had an AK-47. What would you do?????????????

Well...I guess I'd hand him some Bucksheesh and be happy he's not in a bad mood...

Unless I could catch his greedy *** in a dark alley, then he'd loose all his Bucksheesh...and perhaps his watch, too...

Excellent photos, I'm really enjoying the hieroglyphic and structure details. I really appreciate your sharing them!

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks again guy's, much appreciated.

In this batch we go just down the road from Karnak, close to the Nile at the temple of Luxor, here the sun was sinking fast, but I stuck with the no flash theme and got some quite good results, what I was missed though was a tripod.

Pic 1. This is the Sphinx lined avenue to the temple. In the distance under the housed the avenue continues and in time the Egyptian authorities will rehouse the people and excavate this area.

Pic 2. A close shot of one of the Spinxes.

Pic 3. The entry to the Temple of Luxor with the lights just starting to take effect in the advancing dusk. In the foreground in the checked shirt is my partner and also our guide on his mobile.

Pic 4 & 5. Statues and pillars.

Pic 6. The effects of the lighting as the sun sets.

Enjoy

Pic 7 & 8. It was quite dark by now and these were hand held shots taken with just the floodlighting, thus a little shaky.