Nubian street art in Abu Simbel Photo

Photographer’s Note

Before showing my vision of the famous temples of Abu Simbel, I want to show you a bit of Abu Simbel. It's a small picturesque town (with arquitechture weirdly similar to Algarve, southern Portugal: you go all this way, almost to Sudan, and you feel like you're 300 km from home!) with a very relaxed atmosphere in the southern part of Egypt. While wandering in the center I found paintings everywhere that livened their white architecture. This one seems like spontaneous street art, or maybe it's a trip plan made by a group of friends in the previous night ;-) The nubian sat on the corner is still trying to figure out the details of the plan that involves diferent kinds of transportation, while drinking some tea ;-)

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WS1 - some workers painting a façade in a building next to this one.

WS2 - a general view of the lake Nasser and Abu Simbel town.

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Abu Simbel lies on the west bank of Lake Nasser, 280km south of Aswan and 40km north of the Sudanese border. A road runs there from Aswan, used by tourist vehicles travelling in a convoy, and public buses at other times. The site can also be reached by air or water – notably on the luxury cruises that also visit other sites on Lake Nasser (see "Wadi el-Seboua, Amada and Qasr Ibrim). Although most tourists visit Abu Simbel on a day-trip from Aswan, it's quite feasible to spend a night there.

Roughly 2km from the temple site, the new town of ABU SIMBEL (meaning "Father of the Ear of Corn" in Arabic) looks a desolate place as you roll in past the airport, but once beyond the main square it becomes quite picturesque as it straggles around rocky headlands dotted with beehive-domed houses and crimson oleander bushes. From the junction with its row of cafés, you can turn left and follow the main road as it curves around towards the temple, 1km away. This takes you past a telephone office, a pharmacy and three banks (none with ATMs; all closed Fri), followed by a post office with the tourist police around the corner, before you pass the town council and reach the stone-faced souvenir arcade that precedes the visitors' centre and ticket office for the temples – about fifteen minutes' walk in all.

Source: The Rough guide to Egypt (book).

papagolf21, trekks, zeynepe, tober, Photo65Net, feather, MiguelP, mortijo, Cricri, ribeiroantonio, paura, Kielia, gildasjan, vascao, danos, Emile, AiresSantos, stego, manatee, adores has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

bema (8619) 2008-11-21 1:12

Ola Ricardo,

simply a pleasant view, fine graffity and a real good composition, works real good; the pictures in WS are also pretty..

have a fine day , regards Bernd

papagolf21 (56141) 2008-11-21 1:40

Bonjour, cher ami Ricardo,
Très intéressantes images de ces façades décorées simplement. Cela donne de la gaieté à ces villages.
Merci pour les photos présentées en atelier.
Très bon reportage.
Amitiés.
Philippe

trekks (14262) 2008-11-21 1:44

hi ricardo

Wow I like this graffiti work on the wall! Very creative and really a fine cartoon art painting work. What a better way to capture the scene than with a man looking and turning back to see the wall?

I wonder if he is the painter? Or is he able to read the art? Great shot!

tfs, bill

zeynepe (9342) 2008-11-21 1:59

Why didn't you tell us what you drew on this wall Ric as a painter? What I like the most there was a yellow truck on the wall :PPP Anyway I wonder which story our we in ... I prefer WS1, it is also very colorful and graphics-intensive composition.And another question where was the man looking for !!! Thanks for useful information, it helps to improve my geography knowledge:)Enjoy your weekend,
Zeynep

batalay (20806) 2008-11-21 2:05

Hello Ricardo,

Absolutely fabulous! I love this image of the man sitting with cross legs, looking up at graffiti. I'd love to know what he thinks, whether he is the artist? I like your speculation and the superb informative note in general. I've visited some spectacular areas of Egypt, but missed "the father of corn."

Warm regards,

Bulent

tober (3944) 2008-11-21 2:36

Hello Ricardo, as far as I understoood from your note, there's no need to go far away to visit Abu Simbel, if your house is just 300 km near to Algarve :) OK. Next weekend I am in the south :)

Lisbon is a city of graffitis. The most common one is Dala'iama, which is characterised by a man with the birds flying out of his mouth :) I don't know what it means:)

I've visited Cairo long time ago but not the south of Egypt. I guess, the ambience is more African, rather than being Arabic. As I can see from your photo, Egypt's graffiti is completely different then the ones in Portugal. I can even see a drawing which may symbolise "Não piso !" :)

Best regards, Tolga

carper (64484) 2008-11-21 3:46

a very special shot here Ricard,
well composed, good balance, I like it my friend, good photojob, have a nice day.
regard jaap

Photo65Net (43084) 2008-11-21 3:50

Hello Ricardo,
I like this street catch.
So many details to see, and overall it tells a story.
Have a nice day,
JB.

feather (49858) 2008-11-21 4:23

Strangely when thinking about Abu Simbel, we think of the temples and overlook the fact there is a thriving town in the area. This is a wonderfully unique post teaching many of us something new. (Well me anyway!) Excellent composition of the man sitting looking at the paintings. He was probably wondering what you found so interesting in them; you know how it is in familiar surroundings that fade into the background.
The WS1 made me smile as we have just finished decorating, involving the use of miles of masking tape and I was wondering if these men managed to take it all off without the paint running. ;D Another good all round presentation.
Kath

MiguelP (14322) 2008-11-21 4:25

Ola Ricardo... Yes, this is the way it has to be. No other way to portrait this moment. His regard observing the wall, what it is written on it, and sat just there, tiny in the corner... Nice.
Miguel

mortijo (12094) 2008-11-21 4:59

Very nice ands very funny. I like the way the guy is looking at the graffity.
Regards
John

Gerrit (35593) 2008-11-21 5:28

Hi Ricardo,
Fine piece of mural street art. Remarkable that one of the artists signed in roman signs.

The grafitty is quite different from 'our' grafitty.
No sjablones, more like comics.

Regards, gerrit

jmdias (19053) 2008-11-21 6:14

ricardo

a impressão que tenho é que a idéia era fazer um painel mais artístico e o artista, ou outras pessoas, acabaram abandonando esta idéia, fazendo uma arte ao redor menos estruturada e mais anárquica, quase que um grafite de rua popular. Gostei dos traços em sua anarquia e da posição do homem. foto bem interessante

abraços

jorge

wolf38 (12642) 2008-11-21 7:04

Hello Ricardo. During the hasty running over the TE pages I see your beautiful photo. It pleases me very well. With regards, Wolfgang.

Cricri (43030) 2008-11-21 10:35

Hola Ric
Peut être ce demande t'il ce que peut bien dire ce "message" :-) ou bien c'est lui meme qui a fait les dessins!! enfin ça reste une scéne amusante, belle images en WS aussi
Have a nice evening for you
cricri

chris04stop (2267) 2008-11-21 13:22

Bravo! A great photo about a minimal thing: just a wall. This is the eye of a very, very good artist! And a wonderful idea the man sitting there and looking ...with some perplexity!
Ciao,
Anna Paola

emka (21179) 2008-11-21 13:43

Hi Ric,

Hehehe, Funny picture. Interesting scene, this man sitting on the street on the rug, drinking tea..This graffiti is very amusing. I wonder what it is about. It seems to me many artists worked on it. I like this yellow bus, something like from chemistry is also interesting:) I used to now the letters in arabic but I forgot everything. i did not know there is a village in Abu Simbel. I knew only the temples and the dam.

Fabulous shot

Malgorzata

ribeiroantonio (21839) 2008-11-21 21:43

Pelo menos, parece ter uma história e não são só "tags" horrorosos!!! Agora o que é muito curioso é o facto daqueles tapetes estarem ali no chão, mesmo à frente da parede. Quanto ao personagem da foto, até dá a ideia de que ele estava a matutar na razão que te levou a tirar a foto. "Mais outro turista" - deve ter pensado.
António

paura (38222) 2008-11-22 7:00

Ricardo,
Estou aqui imaginando o que o cidadão alí estava pensando nessa hora. A imagem é muito interessante mas mais do que a imagem ela transmite um certo ar de procura de entendimento ou sei lá o que parecido com isso.

Abração

Paulo

Kielia (8373) 2008-11-22 11:09

Hi Ricardo,
excellent note to accompany an equally excellent capture of the graffiti. I like the interesting details and I like this man studying the signs. I wonder what he is thinking. A photo that really tells a story. TFS!
Warm regards
Harriet

gildasjan (23637) 2008-11-22 11:43

Bonsoir Ricardo
Excellent cadrage de cette image,le personnage est idéalement placé dans cette composition et l'orientation de son regard donne une large place à la réflexion.Du très bon photographique.
Bonne soirée et bon dimanche
Amicalement
Gildas

vascao (190) 2008-11-22 17:46

Olá, Ricardo
Bela captura desta cena cotidiana, bem no espírito do TE. A variação de cores é adorável aqui.
[]'s
Sergio

danos (32170) 2008-11-22 23:37

Good morning Ricardo,
nice the graffiti on the wall that tell us indeed a story from somebody that dream or want to travel and as i see,he has used all the conveyances.The decisive moment taking the photo is the native that sitting on the ground.Complementary elements and the two WS.

HAve a nice day,Danos

hatti52 (12654) 2008-11-23 6:26

Ola Ricardo,
wonderful composition with very nice graffity
well seen and done
have a nice sunday

Emile (19881) 2008-11-23 7:43

Hola Ricardo.
A different type of graffiti of what we see here in my country or what we have seen in the USA. Yours are more artistic and colorful. Colors, sharpness and frame are very good. The two WS are very interesting and well captured.
Well done.
Best wishes.

Angshu (33533) 2008-11-24 19:56

Ola Ricardo
Very strange the wall art, almost a depiction of daily life. I had no idea about Abu Simbel being a small town...so some more learning for me today. Excellent composition here of the man sitting looking at the paintings & perhaps also wondering! Interesting as well are the Workshops, especially the distant view of the town. A very good presentation my friend!
Best Regards
Angshu

bantonbuju (48490) 2008-11-24 21:58 [Comment]

Show Comment +

AiresSantos (41820) 2008-11-26 0:48

Ola Ricardo,
A foto esta optima ! O fotografo esta cansado ou em fase de reflexao ?
Excelentes cores e enquadramento
Um abraco Amigo
Aires

kensimage (8539) 2008-11-27 11:39

It's like a modern-day cave painting, a petroglyph on stucco. Primitive, but with a definite charm. I like how you put the man low in the corner of the frame, so he's dominated by the artwork.

When I went to Abu Simbel, in 1991, it was one of those day trips from Aswan that you mention. I wish I had been able to see the town, and some Nubian culture!

Regards, Ken.

stego (22350) 2008-11-29 7:26

Olá Ricardo,

Muito bem apanhada! Estes graffiti das casas do Sul do Egipto dão pano para mangas, mas como é teu hábito, a presença humana torna esta ainda mais interessante. Dá vontade de meter conversa com o homem e ficar ali na cavaqueira um bocado, sentado no tapete verde... Está muito bem enquadrada e a pose natural do homem não podia ser melhor. Há ainda dois pormenores curiosos e deliciosos: as lâmpadas coloridas e os óculos modernaços.

Tb. gosto imenso dos WS's. O #1 é excelente como documentário do aspecto das ruas, das casas e tem imensa vida, além de ter umas cores fabulosas. O #2 faz-me lembrar imenso o Baixo Alentejo, tipo a zona de Mértola com menos relevo.

Um abraço, José.

CLODO (4078) 2008-11-29 7:38

Good snap!
I was thinking that it was the painter waiting for some money for his work!
CLODO

Bluejeans (31993) 2008-12-02 14:19

Oi Ricardo ,
Ora aqui esta uma foto muito bem aproveitada , ficou lindo o homem sentado com estes desenhos pintados na parede é uma bela situação ,tiveste bom olho ,parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

manatee (4279) 2008-12-02 17:08

Ricardo mio amigo:

Muchas gracias por tus deseos y tus buenos deseos para conmigo. En verdad que parece que adivinas mi pensamiento en muchosaspectos, eres genial. Si efectivemnete parece una maquina de escribir :)) tienes roda a razon.

Con respecto a esta foto la escogi por que en verdad que tienes mucho de la escencia de esos pueblos, m gusta mucho el color, el contraste de la pared y lo colores fuertes de los dibujo y grafitis, ademas de el contraste de el con su ropa blanca y para terminar tenemos a las alfombras verde que le da aun mas realce a la foto, todo contrasta y a la vez todo secombina perfectamente bien.

Un abrazo grande amigo y cuidate

Elias

adores (15459) 2008-12-06 12:42

Olá Ricardo!
Mais uma foto bem original do Egipto! Gosto muito dos grafitti e do homem gordito sentado com as chávenas de chá o lado.Uma óptima composição!

xuaxo (5683) 2008-12-22 7:25

Olá Ricardo,
Acho que está muito engraçado (podia ir para a categoria de humor) e mostra-nos algo desta parte do mundo, como é o objectivo do TE.
Também gosto dos WS (mas o segundo tem uma mancha no céu, ao meio).
Francisco.
PS - Nunca vi uma imagem como esta em Reykjavik ;-)

brevbrev14 (372) 2008-12-27 7:55

Hi Ricardo, very well composed this image
the man is perfectly placed in the compo
the wall is really graphic!
good one
I wish you Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2009!
ciao!
Valeria

Photo Information

Copyright: Ricardo Lopes (riclopes) (32951)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-04-21
Categories: Daily Life
Camera: Samsung Pro815
Exposure: f/4, 1/80 seconds
More Photo Info: view
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Languages*Sprachen*Línguas*#1, Dans les dessins de la ville [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-11-21 0:57