As males have their heads shaved at the passage from one stage of life to another, a bride to be will have her head shaved, and two rams will be slaughtered in honor of the occasion.
My first encounter with the Maasai was at a lodge which was located near the Ngorongoro Crater - a national reserve for wildlife animals and a World Heritage Site. Members of the tribe have a distinct look, their earlobes are elongated and pierced and they are wearing vivid blue or red garments. They were working at the lodge when I approached one to ask if I could create his portrait. One of the men spoke English which helped me make contact with the others. I only had a brief time as they were busy working and I was a member of the tour group focusing on wildlife photography. However, I immediately saw the potential to document this disappearing culture and seized every opportunity, early morning or late afternoon, to make contact with the local community and document them on every stop.
There were a few challenges creating this series. The main one was time. I only had brief opportunities to meet with the locals. We were either guided through a small village, departing early morning to the safari game driving or arriving back to camp late at night. I had to act fast and use every opportunity of available light to engage the Maasai.
The second challenge has to do with capturing details of their face. Their skin is dark black which does not reflect a lot of light. I had to pose them in such a way that ambient light will come from behind me without blinding them. The third challenge was being part of a group of photographers. It was important to me that the Maasai look straight at me so always waited for the right moment to step in and ask that they look at the camera without being distracted, being careful not to step on fellow photographers’ toes…
It was important to me to connect with a few of the younger generation Maasai who had smartphones with WhatsApp. After completing the series, I send them the link to the album and asked then to show it in the village. They were so proud and delighted with the outcome! They said that the album shows that I really love the people! It is so gratifying to see the collection and remember the moments. This is the true value of photography which brings back the memories and tell the story again.
I made it a point to ask people's permission and create rapport. I asked one of the guides to teach me how to say: “My name is Ilan. What is your name?” using the Maa language. I then repeated it aloud at least two dozen times so it will get into my head (the guide was really entertained with my memorising exercise). I then repeated that with every encounter and the Maasai opened up. I also made sure that I have some money to tip the people so they feel it is a win-win for both of us. Lastly, I learned the local symbol of saying “Thankyou” using a hand gesture. I would make a fist in my right hand, bang it softly against theirs, bring it back to touch my heart and then open it towards the sky!
D-Photo Magazine article on Travel Portrait Photography
The Maasai People slideshow Documentary Photography
D-Photo Magazine article PDF A Guide to Travel Photography
Form here to Africa exhibition page The Maasai people
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque is a major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The last of three church buildings to be successively erected on the site by the Eastern Roman Empire, it was completed in 537 AD. The site was an Eastern Orthodox church from 360 AD to 1204, when it was converted to a Catholic church following the Fourth Crusade. It was reclaimed in 1261 and remained Eastern Orthodox until the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. It served as a mosque until 1935, when it became a museum. In 2020, the site once again became a mosque.
The current structure was built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I as the Christian cathedral of Constantinople for the Byzantine Empire between 532 and 537, and was designed by the Greek geometers Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. It was formally called the Church of God’s Holy Wisdom and upon completion became the world’s largest interior space and among the first to employ a fully pendentive dome. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have “changed the history of architecture”. The present Justinianic building was the third church of the same name to occupy the site, as the prior one had been destroyed in the Nika riots. As the episcopal see of the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, it remained the world’s largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. Beginning with subsequent Byzantine architecture, Hagia Sophia became the paradigmatic Orthodox church form, and its architectural style was emulated by Ottoman mosques a thousand years later. It has been described as “holding a unique position in the Christian world” and as an architectural and cultural icon of Byzantine and Eastern Orthodox civilization.
The religious and spiritual centre of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly one thousand years, the church was dedicated to the Holy Wisdom. It was where the excommunication of Patriarch Michael I Cerularius was officially delivered by Humbert of Silva Candida, the envoy of Pope Leo IX in 1054, an act considered the start of the East–West Schism.
Mount Nemrut
Mount Nemrut mountain in southeastern Turkey, notable for the summit where a number of large statues are erected around what is assumed to be a royal tomb from the 1st century BC. It is one of the highest peaks in the east of the Taurus Mountains. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
In 62 BC, King Antiochus I of Commagene built on the mountain top a tomb-sanctuary flanked by huge statues 8–9-metre high of himself, two lions, two eagles, and various composite Greek and Iranian gods, such as Heracles-Artagnes-Ares, Zeus-Oromasdes, and Apollo-Mithras-Helios-Hermes. When constructing this pantheon, Antiochus drew heavily from Parthian and Armenian traditions in order to reinvigorate the religion of his ancestral dynasty. The statues were once seated, with names of each god inscribed on them. At some point the heads of the statues were removed from their bodies, and they are now scattered throughout the site.
The pattern of damage to the heads (notably to noses) suggests that they were deliberately damaged as a result of iconoclasm. The statues have not been restored to their original places. The site also preserves stone slabs with bas-relief figures that are thought to have formed a large frieze. These slabs, or stelae, depict Antiochus’ Greek and Persian ancestors.
The same statues and ancestors found throughout the site can also be found on the tumulus at the site, which is 49 metres tall and 152 m in diameter. It is possible that the tumulus of loose rock was devised to protect a tomb from robbers, since any excavation would quickly fill in. The statues appear to have Greek-style faces, but Persian clothing and hair-styling.
The western terrace contains a large slab with a lion, showing an arrangement of stars and the planets Jupiter, Mercury, and Mars. The composition was taken to be a chart of the sky on 7 July 62 BCE. This may be an indication of when construction began on this monument. The eastern portion is well preserved, being composed of several layers of rock, and a path following the base of the mountain is evidence of a walled passageway linking the eastern and western terraces. Possible uses for this site are thought to have included religious ceremonies, owing to the astronomical and religious nature of the monument.
The arrangement of such statues is known by the term hierothesion. Similar arrangements have been found at Arsameia on Nymphaios at the hierothesion of Antiochus’ father, Mithridates I Callinicus.
City of 1,001 Churches
Ani is a ruined medieval Armenian city now situated in Turkey’s province of Kars, next to the closed border with Armenia. Between 961 and 1045, it was the capital of the Bagratid Armenian kingdom that covered much of present-day Armenia and eastern Turkey. The iconic city was often referred to as the “City of 1,001 Churches,” though the number was significantly less. To date, 50 churches, 33 cave chapels and 20 chapels have been excavated by archaeologists and historians.
Ani stood on various trade routes and its many religious buildings, palaces, and sophisticated fortifications distinguished it from other contemporary urban centers in the Armenian kingdom.
Among its most notable buildings was the Cathedral of Ani, which is associated with early examples of Gothic architecture and that scholars argue influenced the great cathedrals of Europe in the early gothic and Romanesque styles; its ribbed vaulting would not be seen in European cathedrals for at least another two centuries later.
At its height, Ani was one of the world’s largest cities, with a population of well over 100,000, though this seems highly optimistic given its limited area. Renowned for its splendor, Ani was sacked by the Mongols in 1236.
Ani never recovered from a devastating 1319 earthquake and, more significantly, from the shifting of regional trade routes, and was abandoned by the 17th century.
Ani is a widely recognized cultural, religious, and national heritage symbol for Armenians According to Razmik Panossian, Ani is one of the most visible and ‘tangible’ symbols of past Armenian greatness and hence a source of pride. In 2016, it was added onto the UNESCO World Heritage List.The city is located on a triangular site, visually dramatic and naturally defensive, protected on its eastern side by the ravine of the Akhurian River and on its western side by the Bostanlar or Tzaghkotzadzor valley. The Akhurian is a branch of the Araks River and forms part of the currently closed border between Turkey and Armenia. The site is at an elevation of around 1,340 meters.
The Süleymaniye Mosque
The Süleymaniye Mosque was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent and designed by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan. An inscription specifies the foundation date as 1550 and the inauguration date as 1557. Behind the qibla wall of the mosque is an enclosure containing the separate octagonal mausoleums of Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Hurrem Sultan (Roxelana). For 462 years, the Süleymaniye Mosque was the largest mosque in the city, until it was surpassed by the Çamlıca Mosque in 2019. The Süleymaniye Mosque is one of the best-known sights of Istanbul, and from its location on the Third Hill, it commands an extensive view of the city around the Golden Horn.
Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent chose the architect Mimar Sinan to create a mosque in memory of his son Şehzade (Crown Prince) Mehmed. Suleyman was so impressed with the ensuing Şehzade Mosque that he asked Sinan to design a mosque for himself too. This mosque would represent the pre-eminence of the Ottoman Empire. In designing the Süleymaniye Mosque, Sinan took inspiration from the Hagia Sophia and the Bayezid II Mosque. The mosque was built on the site of the old palace of Topkapi which was still in use at the time and had to be demolished.
The Arabic inscription above the north portal of the mosque is carved in Thuluth script on three marble panels. It gives a foundation date of 1550 and an inauguration date of 1557. In reality the planning of the mosque began before 1550 and parts of the complex were not completed until after 1557.
The design of the Süleymaniye played on Süleyman’s self-conscious representation of himself as a ‘second Solomon.’ It referenced the Dome of the Rock, which was built on the site of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, as well as Justinian’s boast upon the completion of the Hagia Sophia: “Solomon, I have surpassed thee!”[5] The Süleymaniye asserted Süleyman’s historical importance although it was smaller in size than Hagia Sophia.
The Süleymaniye was damaged in the great fire of 1660 and was restored by Sultan Mehmed IV. Part of the dome collapsed during the earthquake of 1766.
Cappadocia’s Fairy Chimneys
Nestled in the heart of Turkey, Cappadocia is famous for its otherworldly landscapes, inviting viewers to explore its enchanting wonders.
We find ourselves in a mystical morning haze, where the soft light of dawn illuminates the silhouette of a captivating Fairy Chimney. Standing tall against the sky, prominent cracks and crevices tell the story of time’s gentle erosion, giving these ancient formations an intriguing sense of history and resilience.
The labyrinth of Fairy Chimneys reveal the vastness of Cappadocia’s geological secrets. In some photos, the structures appear as whimsical dwellings, inspiring visions of a hidden community of mythical creatures. In others, they seem like ancient sentinels, guarding the secrets buried within the region’s rocky embrace.
The changing seasons provide an ever-changing backdrop for these extraordinary rock formations. In one of the photographs, the Fairy Chimneys are adorned, as if nature herself has decided to paint the landscape . Snow-covered scenes also grace the series, with the Fairy Chimneys transforming into ethereal sculptures, shrouded in a white blanket.
Kaymakli Underground City
The cultural heritage of Cappadocia is Kaymakli Underground City. Carved out of the soft volcanic rock, this ancient underground city dates back more than 3,000 years and is an extraordinary testament to human ingenuity and endurance.
Stretching over several levels, Kaymakli Underground City is a maze of narrow passages, secret chambers, and interconnected tunnels that reaches an astonishing depth of approximately 85 meters. It is believed that the city was built and expanded upon by the early Christians as a sanctuary and shelter during times of persecution.
This subterranean marvel was specifically designed to accommodate a large population, estimated to be around 3,500 people, effectively turning it into an underground metropolis complete with living quarters, storage rooms, churches, wineries, and ventilation shafts. The city‘s sophisticated architectural features include intricate stone carvings, underground wells, and an ingenious labyrinthine design that allowed for easy defensibility. The sheer scale of the underground city, with its vast chambers and interconnecting tunnels, is awe-inspiring. The strategic placement of rooms and passageways demonstrates an advanced understanding of urban planning, highlighting the mastery and resourcefulness of the early inhabitants.
The documentary landscape series captures the intricate details and mesmerizing beauty of the place. From the softly lit corridors to the towering rock formations, each photograph highlights a different aspect of this architectural marvel. The play of light and shadow creates an ethereal atmosphere, accentuating the mystery and historical significance of this ancient underground world.
(c) Ilan Wittenberg
(c) Ilan WittenbergKibbutz Be’eri