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HERITAGE PHOTOGRAPHY
JOURNAL of the ARCHAEOLOGY & HERITAGE GROUP
Symbolic temple roof ornaments in Lhasa , Tibet See pages 4-5 Nicola J. Bolton
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The cathedral of Agia Sofia now the largest mosque in Nicosia See From cathedral to mosque in Cyprus, R. Keith Evans FRPS
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SPRING 2013
ARPS
Archaeology & Heritage Group Chairman R. Keith Evans FRPS 7 Grassy Lane Sevenoaks KentTN131PN Tel 01732 743943
Secretary Rodney Thring LRPS 27 College Ride Camberley Surrey GU15 4JP Treasurer Jim Tonks ARPS Earlton 174 Chairborough Road High Wycombe Bucks HP12 3HW Committee Eric Houlder LRPS (Archaeology Editor) Martin Fletcher Ken Keen FRPS Gwil Owen ARPS Dr Mike Sasse (Webmaster)
PERSPECTIVE Welcome to the first edition of Heritage Photography devoted entirely to overseas topics - covering a wide area from Gibraltar , via Egypt and Cyprus, to Tibet, and I hope encouraging more such contributions for future issues. (Already in hand are features on Etruscan tombs and on the architectural treasures of Cuba). Our 2013 season of events started with a successful visit to Winchester Cathedral on a cold but sunny day in mid-March. Nineteen members took part; ~he cathedral staff welcomed us and our cameras and tripods, and some excellent pictures resulted. The Norman cathedral with its magnificent nave was begun in 1079, and its twin transepts remain largely original todaythough two medieval chapels were later added to that on the south. Fine chantries in the nave and retro-choir date from the 15th century, and notable too are the 12th century black marble font showing the legends of St Nicholas , carved medieval misericords, and the library and flooded crypt. After lunch in the cathedral refectory, members continued on to the Norman church and almshouses of St Cross, or to other nearby attractions such as Mottisfont House and one-time priory. Additions to the printed Programme of Events mailed with our Autumn 2012 issue ensure that some Group function occurs every month from March to October. In July we look forward to a day photographing or travelling on the restored Mid-Hants steam railway between Alton and Alresford the 'Watercress Line', with a varied collection of locomotives and rolling stock; on 15 August we visit the National Trust property of Hinton Ampner House; and in September the Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre near Arundel in Sussex . Dedicated to the industrial history of the south-east, exhibits here include a narrow-gauge railway and a wide variety of traditional crafts such as printing and glassmaking. Full details of each of these visits will appear on our website. Don't forget , too, what is just as important an event in our annual programme - the Annual General Meeting on 11 May. This is your opportunity to elect the officers and committee of your choice, and to discuss and influence all aspects of the Group 's activities such as its annual programme and the contents and appearance of Heritage Photography -your journal and for many of you perhaps your principal link with the Group. The annual Print Day follows the AGM , so remember also to bring some of your prints for everyone to see and enjoy. Even if you are unable to attend the AGM , I look forward to meeting you on other occasions during the year.
R. Keith Evans, Chairman.
Published by the Archaeology & Heritage Group of The Royal Photographic Society , April 2013 Copyright in all text and photographs is held by the credited authors , or as otherwise stated . No part of this publication may be reproduced , transmitted or stored in any form without prior written permission of the Publisher. ISSN No . 0-904495-00 -0
Carvingat the entranceto the temple at Abu Simbel in UpperEgypt, showing conqueredpeople roped and in procession on their knees. Š George Backshall LR.PS (see artic}e opposite).
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The Nile's treasures remain secure Egypt's many iconic monuments from the days of the Pharaohs stretch southwards along the river Nile, from the pyramids at Giza to the temple at Abu Simbel. Despite the country's political tensions they are still worth visiting, as George Backshall LRPS found last October.
The inner courtyard of the temple of Philae, with its impressivebas-relief carvings. Below: alabaster Sphinx in Memphis. South from Giza and mostly buried under a small dusty town and the desert sands lies Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt. Nearby and on higher ground on the edge of the desert is Saqqara and its Stepped Pyramid , the final resting _place of the Pharaohs from Memphis. In Memphis itself are visible symbols of the Pharaoh's power during his lifetime: a monumental footless statue of Ramses II lies horizontal in a protective building, while outside are another statue of Ramses II and an alab_aster Sphinx. At Philae temple, south of Aswan and sacred to the goddess Isis, is the site where the annual miracle of the flooding of the Nile was thought to take place . The carvings h re display the might and power of the Pharaoh, and life with the gods. The temple was
HERITAGE PHOTOGRAPHY
repositioned to its present site on an island and above the waters of the lake when the Aswan High Dam was built between 1964 and 1972. The temple of Abu Simbel, further south still and on the then frontier of Upper Egypt, was built by Ramses II as a reminder and visible symbol of his power over the vanquished local people, even though he was far away to the north . Here and at Medinet Habu near the Valley of the Kings the bas reliefs show the fate of conquered tribes, hands cut off or roped together and on their knees - clear warning not to rise up against the all-powerful Pharaoh. These and the many other antiquities of ancient Egypt along the Nile have survived recent political unrest and are still cared for, even if tourists are scarce.
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The rich heritage of Tibet has great historical significance: its heritage ranges from ancient monasteries and burial gro¡unds to well-trodden paths over the 'roof of the earth' marked by prayer flags, and to rural ways of life which seem not to have changed for centuries.
Text and pictures by Nicola J. Bolton ARPS
Richly decoratedgold idol; (below):prayer room in the Jokhang temple.
On their arrival in Tibet, many people first visit the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the capital, while acclimatising to the 11,500ft altitude. Named after a holy mountain in India (Tibetans are Buddhists and Buddhism took root in India), the original Dalai Lamas' Palace was built in the 7th century; the current structure, a thirteen-story complex of 1,000 rooms, dates from 1645. You'll notice a red part and a white part: the Red Palace is devoted to religious study and Buddhist prayer, while the White Palace made up the living quarters of the Dalai Lama and his government. The Red Palace contains many chapels and shrines of past Dalai Lamas, and is full of rich paintings, jewelled work and precious metals, and typical of the religious idolatry that can be found in temples throughout Tibet. For me, a far more atmospheric place is the contemporary Jokhang Temple in the heart of the old town. Outside the heavy temple doors, which retain some seventh-century ornaments, pilgrims prostrate themselves, and inside the air is thick with the smoke and smell of hundreds of yak butter candles. Pilgrims walk round with tins of this butter and heap it into burning dishes in the many prayer rooms and shrines. In the main halls, chanting monks sit in rows on the floor, surrounded by colourful prayer flags and thangkas (embroidered religious paintings on silk), and in the chapels they sit reading from prayer books, banging on drums and cymbals at key moments . A hive of activity The Jokhang sits in the middle of the Barkhor, a circular route around the outside of the temple, which fizzes with religious and commercial activity: monks, Tibetan tribesmen
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.hasa, capital of Tibet
in from the country, Han Chinese immigrants selling goods, and a thankfully small number of tourists. Pilgrim men and women in local costumes walk the route clockwise, chanting and rotating their personal prayer wheels or stands of prayer wheels around the route.
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The construction of these temples is unusual. The walls slope inwards, interrupted by straight rows of windows (notice the curtains on the outside!) and flat roofs at various levels, while the entablature is made from end-on sticks. In between the temples are large courtyards . Dhvajas of beaten copper - 'victory banners' symbolic of Buddha's power over defilements - and other ornaments appear on the roofs of temples. And the sky really is deep blue at that altitude!
Temple window with exterior curtain.
Solar kettle heated by reflected sunlight.
The monasteries are like small towns , full of nooks and crannies as well as open spaces in which pilgrims rest and picnic. Because of the altitude, Tibetans have adapted their way of life , including ingenious solar-powered kettles which you get used to seeing in random locations. One of my favourite places was the kitchen at Drepung Monastery on the outskirts of Lhasa. We were there in the morning, and while three monks were sitting outside preparing cauliflowers, of all things, we were allowed to wander around the kitchen with its huge cooking vats , and walls hung with copper pans. Out in the countryside, local stone-built houses are painted white with black borders near the roofs . Life by our standards is hard and primitive, and you often see tents on the side of roads or of lakes in the middle of nowhere: you wonder how their occup ants ended up in such locations a truly nomadic people.
HERITAGE PHOTOGRAPHY
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Gibraltar's medieval Moorish castle The Moorish castle on the flanks of Gibraltar evolved in design and purpose over more than eight c~nturies. Victor M. Hermida recounts its long history.
The castle's23m tower seenfrom the west.
Easternface of the tower, lookingacross the harbour towardsAlgeciras and the Spanish coast.
All photos by VictorHermida.
In the year 711 the Berber General Tariq ibn Ziyad crosses the Straits from North Africa and heads towards the northern Pillar of Hercules; with 7,000 men he spearheads the Islamic conquest of Visigothic Hispania . By 714 Muslim armies occupy virtually all of the Iberian peninsula and Hispania becomes Al-Andaluz. The Muslim occupation, which in terms of English history spans from late Anglo-Saxon through Norman Britain to the early years of the Tudor dynasty, comes to an end in 1492 with the Christian 'Reconquista'. It leaves behind an impressive architectural and cultural legacy, to be followed by the gradual unification of Catholic Spain. For over a millennium Jah-bahl Tariq, or Tariq 's Mountain, endures Muslim, Spanish and British conquest and reconquest, suffering the effects of 14 sieges and two World Wars. It is within this historical framework of constantly warring dynasties, kingdoms and nations that Gibraltar, and its castle, evolve.
A history of defence ... Though Gibraltar would have been fortified from very early times, it was not done in earnest until 1160. The Moors took advantage of the natural topography, positioning their defensive walls in such a manner that successive Spanish and British conquerors chose to build their own upon them. The 6
The castle's north wall, with the Grand Battery in theforeground.
Moorish Castle is purely functional, no frills; at its highest point stands a rectangular Tower of Homage, a structure within a structure since after successive destructive sieges the remnants of the old were built upon and strengthened. The Tower, with a 320m 2 footprint sitting 100m above sea level and standing 23m tall, was rebuilt by the Merinid dynasty , making it unique and the largest in Al-Andaluz. Below it are the inner and outer Keeps , beyond which stood a large kasbah and beyond this the port. The walls facing the Spanish mainland were built en cremaillereand included the 'Gate of Granada ' , the town 's entry point. Its bottom section is now the 18th century Grand Battery . The south-east wall has four flanking towers , one being en bee in shape , and a Gate House, another immensely solid structure older than the Tower we see today. To the west the wall formed part of the port and housed a further 'Sea Gate ' . As siege tactics and weaponry advanced , tall Moorish towers were shortened, walls made taller and thicker and merlons with arrow slits were replaced by ¡ musket slots and canon embrasures. Alterations and impact-damage repairs still offer a glimpse into past materials and construction methods.
... and of building techniques Building techniques vari~d . The Moors made extensive use of tapia , a mixture of lime and red sand forming a pink
HERITAGE PHOTOGRAPHY
View of the interiorgives a good impression of the tower's materials and construction.
mortar . It was used to bond coursed and uncoursed rubble walling , regularly levelled off with clay briquette courses. Some Muslim dynasties opted for the greater use of brickwork , but the 'Tapial' method of construction is widely used locally; timber shuttering is filled with a tapia mortar and coarse aggregate mix to form medieval mass concrete . Walls were often tapia rendered and in some cases white lime mortar was used to form false extruded joints . Spanish construction technique is similar to Moorish, using brickwork and rubble walling. The Tower was white-washed with lime during this time and referred to as 'TorreBlanca' - the White Tower. Finally, the British made their contribution in the form of Georgian architecture and included finely jointed coursed ashlar using local, almost white , limestone . The Tower , however, has seen relatively little change since the last Muslim reconstruction, unlike the walls and the castle space within. Space in Gibraltar is at a premium: the castle now contains a 'modem' kasbah and until 2010 both keeps held the civil prison! The Gibraltar Museum is working towards the removal of some of the newer prison structures and the restoration of surrounding areas . Even though Gibraltar as a whole became a fortress , it is its medieval Islamic Tower of Homage that remains the iconic Keep.
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From Cathedral to Mosque in Cyprus The Mediterranean island of Cyprus has been fought over for more than 3,000 years, by Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and Ottoman Turks: it remains a magnet for archaeologists from around the world. But some of its other treasures are equally worth seeking out ... A mosque since the 1570s, the former Lusignan St Nicholas cathedral in Famagusta.
Guy de Lusignan, King of Jerusalem, and his Catholic successors in Cyprus in the 13th - 15th centuries built a number of opulent churches and cathedrals; under subsequent Ottoman rule many were converted into mosques. Two are especially notable. Famagusta, in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, is home to the onetime cathedral of St Nicholas, completed in 1326. French in style, this magnificent building has three frontal porticoes with a fine rose window above; one of its twin towers was partly demolished during the tenmonth Turkish siege of 1571. (The adjacent sycamore fig tree, reputed to date from the building of the cathedral, is still there today). The unmistakeably Gothic cathedral is now the Lala Mustafa Pasa mosque, its undamaged tower converted into a minaret. The walls and pillars within are painted an unadorned white; the window-glass is plain, and prayer mats cover the tombstones set into the floor. The nearby l 3th-century church of St Peter and St Paul was similarly converted, becoming the Sinan Pasa mosque; today it is the Town Hall, and under Turkish occupation Famagusta itself is known as Gazimagusa.
Below left: the soaring minarets of Nicosia's Agia Sofia; its interior appears on our front cover. Right: view east along the south aisle of St Nicholas cathedral
in Famagusta.
Divided city, convertedchurches Capital of Cyprus is Nicosia, or Lefkosa, a city divided by the UN noman's land - the 'Green Line' - but retaining several religious buildings similarly transformed. The Lusignan church of St Catherine, for example, is now an art gallery, and the 14th century church of St Nicholas (briefly used as the Orthodox cathedral) is a covered bazaar. Largest and most impressive is the cathedral of Agia Sofia, built between 1209 and 1326. Its design is clearly French, massive pillars supporting high vaulted arches, with a large rose window in the western facade. In 1570, like its counterpart in Famagusta, it became 'the Turks' principal mosque, with its two
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minarets now dominating the city skyline. _ Again, the interior was stripped of its statues and ornate decorations, and painted white with prayer mats covering the floor. It was in this cathedral that Lusignan princes were crowned Kings of Cyprus, before their coronation in Design and editorial: Media Management Services . Printed by Lakeside Printing Ltd , Tonbridge , Kent
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Famagusta as Kings of Jerusalem. Today - remarkably, in view of the seemingly few worshippers - large new mosques are under construction, most of them funded by money from . the oil-rich Middle East. Tl!J(t and pictures: R . K. Evans FRPS .