Luxor

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Worldwide | Wednesday, August 25, 2010 | flickr photos

I am Joao, from Brazil. I am a graduate in Law and Journalism, with a masters in Social Development. Since youth I have been an amateur photographer interested in people and culture. In 2008 I resolved to quit my job and spend all my money in order to see, photograph and learn from the people of this planet. I have traveled through 83 countries. But, for as much as I have done, I still am an amateur photographer. This scholarship opportunity would be something of vital importance for me towards the start of a professional career.
These photos narrate a visit to the historical city of Luxor, in the Upper Egypt. Frequently called the world’s greatest open-air museum, it has much more to offer than its archeological treasures. To the curious and exploring eye, Luxor and its surrounding reveal themselves as a fascinating place in which five elements play a very important role. Water, Desert, People, Religion and History each have their influence in the soul of Luxor and, of course, in the soul of the people that visit the region.
Most tourists will only come for a few days and spend virtually all their time at the ruins of Karnak, Luxor and the West Bank Necropolis. They will listen to guides and read books about them, and in the end leave, thinking that they have absorbed all that Luxor could offer.
But it is the magic meeting of History, Water, Desert, People and Religion that make this place unique and magical. Most will not notice how People and History suffer the strong influence of religion, the harshness of the Sahara and the splendor and fertility of the Nile. How this relates to the historical buildings they come to visit is the real thing to see and experience in Luxor, and in all Egypt.