DESKTOP 2392 - ABU SIMBEL

The Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples at Abu Simbel (أبو سمبل in Arabic), a village in Nubia, southern Egypt, near the border with Sudan. They are situated on the western bank of Lake Nasser, about 230 km southwest of Aswan (about 300 km by road). 

The complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Nubian Monuments," which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan). The twin temples were originally 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 victory at the Battle of Kadesh.

Their huge external rock relief figures have become iconic. The complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir. The relocation of the temples was necessary to prevent their being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

DESKTOP 1945 - URN 3

urn | əːn | noun

1b: An ornamental sculpture shaped like an urn: Urns are features that are often found in formal gardens.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

DESKTOP1880 - EGG

Having a bit of fun with some lengths of rusty wire and stones I found on a walk. I wondered if cast iron ducks lay wiry eggs?

This post is part of the  Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

DESKTOP 1061 - COMO BEACH, PERTH

These larger than life silhouette sculptures stand on the Swan River foreshore, just across the River from the Perth CBD, in the suburb of Como. This area is just a little difficult to reach, being separated from the residential area by the busy Mitchell Freeway. A pedestrian overpass must be used.

There are nine representations of the good people of the area, all in black. This includes older people, children, and families. The silhouettes themselves contain 'cutouts', with shapes of local landmarks. The intent of the artwork is to represent the history, environment, and community of the region. The artists who created the works are Danka Scholtz von Lorenz and Jason Hirst.

My favourite piece is shown here: Two children looking out towards the river, the little girl looking pensive or apprehensive, and the boy more confident and somewhat protective, whispering a word of reassurance perhaps. The archetypal male/female couple in evolution...

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Orange you Glad It's Friday meme,
and also part of the Saturday Silhouettes meme,
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme.

DESKTOP 943 - GREEK ART

Detail of an Ancient Greek bas relief sculpture from the Athens Archaeological Museum.

DESKTOP 925 - EGYPT

Ancient Egypt was a civilization of ancient Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. It is one of six civilizations globally to arise independently. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology) with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh.

The history of ancient Egypt occurred in a series of stable Kingdoms, separated by periods of relative instability known as Intermediate Periods: the Old Kingdom of the Early Bronze Age, the Middle Kingdom of the Middle Bronze Age and the New Kingdom of the Late Bronze Age. Egypt reached the pinnacle of its power during the New Kingdom, in the Ramesside period where it rivalled the Hittite Empire, Assyrian Empire and Mitanni Empire, after which it entered a period of slow decline.

Egypt was invaded or conquered by a succession of foreign powers, such as the Canaanites/Hyksos, Libyans, the Nubians, the Assyrians, Babylonians, the Achaemenid Persians, and the Macedonians in the Third Intermediate Period and the Late Period of Egypt. In the aftermath of Alexander the Great's death, one of his generals, Ptolemy Soter, established himself as the new ruler of Egypt. This Greek Ptolemaic Kingdom ruled Egypt until 30 BC, when, under Cleopatra, it fell to the Roman Empire and became a Roman province.

This post is part of the  Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

DESKTOP 584 - SCULPTURE

Detail of Neil Taylor's sculpture, "Theoretical Matter" (1999-2000), at Heide Gallery, Melbourne.

This post is part of the Weekend in Black and White meme.

DESKTOP 151 - EAGLE

This sculpture is displayed in a Melbourne suburban nursery. It makes a good foil for the sky and looks good on my Desktop.

This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Inspiring Photography meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

DESKTOP 13 - GLASS ART

This is a detail of a sculpture in Athens close to the National Gallery.
 
This post is part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.