[caption id="attachment_1677" align="aligncenter" width="682" caption="running though time"]
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You know how when you are a child in school, only very few things resonate and remain with you despite all the efforts from your teachers to fill your head with information? For me, it was a chemistry teacher that I really loved because he demonstrated all his theories in a practical manner, a math teacher who was clearly in love with math, so he was able to infect me with that love, and then there was the magic of history. Not all of history, some of it was dead boring, but some stories just lived in me. One of these stories was the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh. It was all just too fantastic and too heroic and too hauntingly transporting to another place and another time. But can you imagine that the place spoken of was just an hour's drive away from my school? The incredible Epic of Gilgamesh takes place partly in the cedar forest of Lebanon, the same forest that was mentioned 75 times in the bible, the very same forest whose tree resin was used for the mummification of Ancient Egypt, whose wood was used for the temples of the pharaohs and their tombs, the very same trees used to construct the palaces of kings David and Salomon, as well as the famous temple of Salomon, and the list goes on...
And in this ancient forest now called 'the cedars of god', my daughter runs today bathing in the vibrations of ancient history...
[caption id="attachment_1678" align="aligncenter" width="1024" caption="cedrus libani~ the lebanese cedars"]
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You know how when you are a child in school, only very few things resonate and remain with you despite all the efforts from your teachers to fill your head with information? For me, it was a chemistry teacher that I really loved because he demonstrated all his theories in a practical manner, a math teacher who was clearly in love with math, so he was able to infect me with that love, and then there was the magic of history. Not all of history, some of it was dead boring, but some stories just lived in me. One of these stories was the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh. It was all just too fantastic and too heroic and too hauntingly transporting to another place and another time. But can you imagine that the place spoken of was just an hour's drive away from my school? The incredible Epic of Gilgamesh takes place partly in the cedar forest of Lebanon, the same forest that was mentioned 75 times in the bible, the very same forest whose tree resin was used for the mummification of Ancient Egypt, whose wood was used for the temples of the pharaohs and their tombs, the very same trees used to construct the palaces of kings David and Salomon, as well as the famous temple of Salomon, and the list goes on...
And in this ancient forest now called 'the cedars of god', my daughter runs today bathing in the vibrations of ancient history...
[caption id="attachment_1678" align="aligncenter" width="1024" caption="cedrus libani~ the lebanese cedars"]
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37 responses to “Day 12~ February 12th~ Lebanon”
the epic story of Gilgamesh was told in Uruk in actual south Iraq, between the Euphrates and Tigre Rivers…Unless, you have another version or new pieces of intelligence…
Yes, it is a Sumerian legend. However the cedars of Lebanon forest plays a major part in the story. This is where Gilgamesh fights his famous and winning battle with the monster. Maybe you like to have another read ? 🙂
a slight editing will do. Why the Cedars have been such a powerful symbol in epic stories in the Near East? Maybe because most of the feeing people from harsh powers ended up in the Mediterranean eastern shores?
It must be more than that. The significance of the cedars goes far beyond a place of shelter. They were sought by the Egyptians for a specific purpose, what was that all about?
And the same tree that so symbolically decorate the flag 😉
I have fallen in love with your stories and photography.
thank you more than you know.
it reminds me of my childhood in Bosnia
🙂 I look forward to reading more from your stories and experiences on your blog! Thank you for your encouraging comment!
thank you 🙂
i don’t have much wise things to say so i don’t post so often.
I post more on my photo blog but I try to let the photos do the talking since I can’t do the people justice with my words
you do that marvelously
Good post – and I absolutely love the “running through time” picture! The whole photo is great, but also very helped by the light on her hair! Adrian
Thank you Adrian!
I love this one! The light on the road makes it 🙂
Thanks 🙂 Yes, I love the light in this one on her hair and the road
Wow! Such a magical photo!
Thank you!
I love the shallow depth of field on that first shot, that really is top quality.
Thank yo Malcolm!
This is a truly a beautiful image! Thanks you for also providing the information on where this photo was taken. The image and your words filled me with a sense of awe.
Thank you! Very kind of you! I loved your blog!
This image of your daughter is stunning. Children can bring so much life into photography. Love that you were able to capture your daughter in this historic place.
so true, children are just so uninhibited and they certainly infuse the image with life! Thank you for your lovely comment!
My pleasure 🙂 Your blog is so inspiring. Keep up the good work!
So incredibly beautiful, haunting, transcendent! Thank you for sharing these.
Thank you so much Kevin! It is my pleasure!
Lovely magical shots.. for me it was my Drama teacher she loved language so much and forced the love into you by sheer willpower..
It is always that special teacher, isn’t it?
Simply lovely……..
( though the cynic in me wonders how many times you got your daughter to run down the path while you photographed her……..)
I’m joking…this really is a lovely, lovely shot.
Thank you and well Stuart, the beauty of children is that you never have to invite them to adventure, you just are lucky to follow them into one 🙂
I cannot imagine having to tell a child to rund down a path like this, they just simply are compelled to do it!
I know Mimo …She looks like she is having a wonderful time..
🙂
Beautiful pictures and story … .let alone the thought of the very long history in that land, which makes my US history a mere speck.
yes, it is mind boggling how far back it goes and that is only what we know of!
I agree, your words are haunting and also educating, i come from such a young country that living within such old places has a dream like quality to me.. c
I love you land and its own magic Cecilia. New Zealand still haunts me today since my visit with its natural mystery and wonder!
Absolutely fantastic…so beautiful
thank you so much!
Wonderful picture. I love it! Thank you to show it us 🙂
You are most welcome! Thanks for your visit!
You’re not only an incredible photographer but also an amazing author!
Thank you, you are too sweet 🙂