The Pyramids At Giza
A trip to the Pyramids at Giza, accompanied by a young Egyptologist, great weather, and an inexplicable, undeniable presence in the atmosphere...
a mystical place, a surreal auditory experience...
the pyramids at giza have been photographed countless times before.
in this series, I wanted to showcase the true 'mystical' feeling of this wonderous area, as evidenced by the ever-changing gorgeous skies, the desert landscapes whose every millimeter is shrouded in history and the vast emptiness of the areas surrounding the pyramids during the time I was there...
additionally, the light was very particular here. It changed...and the colors changed with it. each step of the journey seemed to 'turn' a different color, highlighting a different feature of the desert landscape.
and then there was the silence, the 'sound' of silence...unlike anything I've ever heard before...
The Pyramids at Giza
best if viewed full-size
our guide in front of 'The Great Pyramid' (also known as The Pyramid of Cheops and Khufu). at this point, we were among a few hundred people standing in awe of these monstrous structures...but moments later we'd somehow find ourselves completely alone. there was a presence here, something you can feel/sense all over your body
this entrance to The Great Pyramid, which was actually a robber's tunnel, is off-limits to visitors
The Pyramid of Khafre, with the still-in-tact bit of limestone cover at the apex
despite the feeling that you've 'entered another dimension', we are, after all, in modern times.
this particular scene literally stopped me in my tracks; I felt this overwhelming sense of heat, calm, quiet & peace.
when I turned to look for my colleagues, no one was around. just our guide. the crowds of people just disappeared...and there I was, in deafening silence, standing amidst these wonders of the world, completely entranced.
completely alone, completely silent. this feeling was unnerving, but similarly electrifying
the Pyramid of Menkaure, the smallest of the three
as the sunlight continued to beat down upon us, I once again felt this overwhelming sense of 'total' silence. as i looked up, I could see the skies changing; the cloud cover shifted rapidly, and the landscape shifted in hue. Super-surreal and near extra-terrestrial, for what it's worth...
as we walked, I turned around and noticed the pyramids from a distance, sans crowds of people or vehicles, with the Pyramid of Khafre eclipsed by a series of dark clouds overhead (which would ultimately pass over quickly)....I only wish I'd thought to roll video at this point.
I often talk about 'the desert sun'...*this* is what I'm talking about. you feel it, and not just the heat...
The Sphinx. It was here that we again found ourselves among lots of tourists...but only for a moment.
I'm so glad to have captured a few snaps of this iconic wonder, fairly unobscured by people or things.
note here that the surroundings seemed to radiate a golden hue with the bluest of skies
as I left the grounds, I turned to once again see the re-appearance of people...everywhere. where had they been?
the mystery of the Pyramids; the majesty of their longevity; the wonder of their creation. truly awesome.