These small mounds are what remains of one of the oldest cities in the land of Sumer, south of the Mesopotamian plain between Tigris and Euphrates, where writing was born 5000 years ago, and with it some of the founding epics of human mythology.
love the scaleless and timeless nature of this shot – almost otherworldly
Thanks Berndt2 ! It actually is an otherworldly place, ruined and abandonned in the middle of a desert which once was a fertile valley, 4000 years ago…
great use of depth of focus in this, like a shot of a moonscape
That was the feel, and what looks like the thickness of the atmosphere above horizon, is not the sea : it really was the thickness of the air… I am afraid it might be now full of bombs craters (photo taken late 80s)
If it’s full of bomb craters then it’s lucky you got this as a record of how it was. That’s even better!!
This shot was taken before the war, so it’s no bomb craters yet (maybe now…) but mere archaeologists’ traces (probably also some robbers…). Thanks a lot JJ as usual ! :-)
– Hélène David-Cuny
And sorry for the late reply, I am away again for some more field work in the Middle East and not much time for the picturesque web ! ;-)
Thank you for this. I recently read The Epic of Gilgamesh and it’s fascinating to study the contrast between the city as it’s described and the current reality.
Thank you Zelli? Actually a specialist of garden history asked me to use this photograph to illustrate his evocation of the lost paradise that was ancient Mesopotamia… ;-)
Comments
love the scaleless and timeless nature of this shot – almost otherworldly
Thanks Berndt2 ! It actually is an otherworldly place, ruined and abandonned in the middle of a desert which once was a fertile valley, 4000 years ago…
– Hélène David-Cuny
great use of depth of focus in this, like a shot of a moonscape
That was the feel, and what looks like the thickness of the atmosphere above horizon, is not the sea : it really was the thickness of the air… I am afraid it might be now full of bombs craters (photo taken late 80s)
– Hélène David-Cuny
Wow! This is a fantastic shot. Brilliant stuff. Nicely taken Helene :o)
If it’s full of bomb craters then it’s lucky you got this as a record of how it was. That’s even better!!
This shot was taken before the war, so it’s no bomb craters yet (maybe now…) but mere archaeologists’ traces (probably also some robbers…). Thanks a lot JJ as usual ! :-)
– Hélène David-Cuny
And sorry for the late reply, I am away again for some more field work in the Middle East and not much time for the picturesque web ! ;-)
– Hélène David-Cuny
I can but agree with Jason. Great shot. Great subject.
Thank you Trobe ! This picture is one of my favorites and I am especially happy it gets rewarded here ! :-))
– Hélène David-Cuny
Thank you for this. I recently read The Epic of Gilgamesh and it’s fascinating to study the contrast between the city as it’s described and the current reality.
Thank you Zelli? Actually a specialist of garden history asked me to use this photograph to illustrate his evocation of the lost paradise that was ancient Mesopotamia… ;-)
– Hélène David-Cuny