Hi, my dear friends. I must apologize for my failures in the last post, as I noticed them in the night in bed!! Anyway, I have a serious situation this time as I have to work and coordinate my household; my wife is a woman of the world. Just let’s begin.
As I mentioned in the first part, it’s not easy to be born and grow up by sensible parents; a writer as a father with a lot of wishes and dreams and a bookworm as a mother whose biggest wish was to be left alone in a room fulfil with books and glass water and a loaf of bread would be enough for her!
Mother in everlasting position, Dreaming.
Here, man can say that God saves the soul! And yes, my childhood was based on a lot of trauma. Especially after my father died, it became much more complicated, but the very beginning;
It is, of course, not so much to explain; I have written there about in my some memories a time of love, happiness, a time of also, strike, strife, discord and again love and forgiveness.
You might read my post, “A CHARACTERISTIC LOVE STORY.” There, I have described the crazy beginning of this family’s foundation, which can result in mostly chaotic high-spiritual tensions in our lives.
Let’s begin after the father’s death because I can remember better. I don’t know why; maybe because I had to work on this. My father died the night after we returned from a wedding ceremony very late at night, and both “Al and I” knew nothing about what happened. In the morning, Mother told us he had travelled (He did travel often, but surely not after a party where he was almost drunk!). This wrong announcement was acceptable to me, but for Al, it wasn’t enough. He was a thinker even 9 at age ( I was 7 when my father left this Earth.), but of course, we both took it as a fact and, according to the mother’s order, went to the uncle’s house with a pool a big garden and so on and on. It was an offer which no child could refuse.
Those were the days, I’d bet! 😉
The main tension began after this time because Al was almost sure there was something wrong with this and me, the bloody child; I might have mentioned something but surely wanted rather ignore it! Therefore, it began a funny, and it might be better to say a tragic play between us three: Mother, Al and Me, and it was and still remains a trauma, which I will try to tell you about next. Thank you to all who read this, and forgive me for my failure. Take care and be safe. 🙏💖🙏
To pay homage to a broken destiny, to hope of shattered greatness, you have to go to the quarries of Aswan, about 2 km south of the city, near the Fatimid cemetery…
In this place lies the one that could have been the highest obelisk in Egypt,… Wearing its sparkling pyramidion, it would then proudly bear the name and the cartouches of the pharaoh who ordered its execution…
But, “in Antiquity, at the time of the extraction, the team in charge of the operation discovered cracks on the block and tried several times to reduce its size. These attempts were unsuccessful and the monument was abandoned “(Nessim Henry Henein – BIFAO 109).
Cracks on the block of the unfinished obelisk in one of Aswan granite quarries, about 2 km south of the city, near the Fatimid cemetery
Florence Maruéjol reminds us of all the symbolism of the obelisks: “Like most elements of religious architecture, they are loaded with symbols. They materialize the Benben, the sacred stone venerated in antiquity in the temple of Heliopolis. They also embody the primordial hill on which the sun landed at the beginning of the world. They are also assimilated to petrified sunbeams “.
Giving up all hope of embodying this, he remained forever “fused” connected by one side to this stone bench of Syene, name of the ancient city of Aswan.
Overview of the Aswan granite quarry, located approximately 2 km south of the city near the Fatimid cemetery
Clot Bey informs us about the mineralogical and geological composition which gave it its name: “Around Aswan, there are these varieties of granite, so famous in antiquity, known as syenite. We find in this mineralogical bench syenites pink, porphyritic, pink and yellow, grey, white and black, grey and pink, veined and black; porphyritic gneiss, white and quartz granites. Most of the huge monoliths left to us by the Egyptians, the obelisks, the colossi, are red syenite; we also see many statues and emblematic monuments of a smaller volume in black or grey syenite “.
Unfinished Obelisk is one of Aswan granite quarries, about 2 km south of the city, near the Fatimid cemetery Photo dated 1890 Aswan, half of the year obelisk in quarry – circa 1890
Jean-Jacques Ampère, in his “Travel and Research in Egypt and Nubia” published in 1848 describes his visit thus:
We wandered curiously in the quarries of Syene. These quarries are a plain of granite cut in the open air for the needs of Egyptian architecture and especially sculpture. Egypt offers, in fact, very few monuments built in granite, but all the obelisks, many statues and sphinxes are of granite and of this pink granite peculiar to Syene, from where it took the name of syenite. It is from here that these famous monoliths came out, which, after decorating Thebes or Heliopolis, now embellish the squares of Rome and Paris. We understand how these masses could be detached. Holes that can still be seen arranged along with a horizontal slit show how large pieces of granite were separated from the rock. In these holes, the corners were used to break the rock.
We even see in Syene’s quarry an obelisk which has not been entirely detached; it is there lying on the ground, to which still holds by one side. By contemplating this living testimony of a work which has stopped for so many centuries, it seems that we are witnessing this work and that we see it being interrupted. One can believe that the workers, after taking their nap, will come back and finish their work; the unfinished work still seems to last. “
For many years this notion of the use of “corners” persisted, even Marcelle Baud in his Blue Guide will echo it: “They (the old quarries) show the process used by the Egyptians for the extraction of These notches, which delimited the surface to be extracted, received wooden wedges which were then wet. The swelling wood caused the block to burst in the delimited places and this obtained roughly smooth surfaces ready for polishing”…
In the 1920’s, Reginald – Rex – Engelbach, Egyptologist English, devoted several seasons to study the unfinished obelisk Aswan and restore its findings in three reference books
But the truth about the exact technique used will emerge from 1920 – 1921, thanks to Pierre Lacau, then head of the Antiquities Service, which entrusted the study of the unfinished obelisk to Réginald Engelbach.
In his Report on the works carried out during the winter of 1920-21, he made the following observation:
“In Aswan, all the tourists knew the unfinished obelisk which still lies in place in the granite quarry. The sand had invaded it and it had to be cleared again. I took the opportunity to try to clear it in a complete way, in order to examine closely the technical procedures of the Egyptian quarrymen. M. Engelbach, the chief inspector for Upper Egypt, was charged with the work and he was pleasantly surprised to see the enormous needle stretch out in a disproportionate way; the part currently cleared of the debris which covered it is already 36 meters long, and the work is not finished. It is therefore already the largest of the known obelisks (we have one of thirty and one meters only). One cannot help but think of the well-known text by Deir el Bahari which tells us about obelisks of fifty-two meters; this surprising figure is much less likely now to be only an exaggeration. “
Rex Engelbach, an English Egyptologist of Alsatian origin, remembers: “Although its existence has been known for centuries, the unfinished obelisk had never been cleared until the end of this winter of 1922 when my department allocated the sum of LE 75 to do it. In this work, I was assisted by Mahmûd Eff. Mohamed and Mustafa Eff. Hassan of the department of antiquities who supervised the workers”.
He initially trained as an engineer and finds there a very interesting subject of study: he seeks to understand why this immense long-form mass carved in granite, this monument of more than 1100 tonnes was abandoned there in the New Empire.
Unfinished Obelisk in one of Aswan granite quarries at about 2 km south of the city, near the Fatimid cemetery Partially quarried “Unfinished Obelisk”; 18th Dynasty 1539-1292 BC gold. (Underwood & Underwood Co .; entre pictures taken in 1900 and 1920). These photos show the obelisk as it was when Engelbach began to study
He senses that what in antiquity might have appeared as a catastrophe, a waste of time for workers and sponsors, contains a wealth of information, a source of knowledge and understanding of the work and extraction of these materials. monoliths from the Pharaonic eras.
He devotes several seasons to exploring the site, he excavates, clears, clears the pit that surrounds the obelisk, drawing information, remarks and conclusions which he will reproduce in three works.
In “The Aswân Obelisk”, “he provides a complete and detailed description of the obelisk. Far from being limited to a description of the boulder, the trenches surrounding it, the wells and certain details which struck it on the site, he develops hypotheses and tries to elucidate the way in which the various operations relating to obelisks were to be conducted, from the marking on the surface of the granite hill of the quarry to their erection in front of the pylons of the temples. “
Dolerite balls made near the obelisk incomplete in one of Aswan granite quarries about 2 km south of the city, near the Fatimid cemetery
In “The Problem of the Obelisks”, “he explains the stages in the production of the obelisk in four points: – equalization of the upper layer of the block obtained by thermal shock; – use of Dolerite balls to equalize the surfaces; – drawing of the contours of the obelisk traced on the upper surface after levelling; – realization of the trench which surrounds it “.
He came to this staggering observation in particular: “We used neither scissors nor wedges to detach the obelisk from the quarry; the dolerite balls were the only tools used. In other words, the obelisk was not cut but excavated … Not only the sides but also the underside of the obelisk were detached by percussion. “
And finally, in “The Wonder of the Obelisk”, he summarizes all the knowledge acquired during his excavations.
If this obelisk did not illuminate a temple with its presence, it served many other functions. Thanks to Engelbach, he shed light on the “making” of his fellows. He also brought to our attention the excellent level of technicality enjoyed by tailors, and he always recalls the almost philosopher’s relationship that the ancient Egyptians had with stone…
I’ve written little new of late. Be it posting blogs full of words penned long ago or dabbling in newborn fictional tales of this, that and the other, a uselessness prevails. A tarnished body and brain in unison tend to have that effect. Be it from quill to keyboard my storytelling is in limbo. So instead, I research, and as all writers of historical fiction will understand research is all. Most fact-finding, inevitably, is of a bland yet on occasion useful, bygone timeline of events, yet sometimes, just sometimes one stumbles upon a golden nugget in the form of an eye witness account from days of yore.
Herewith the translated words of one Franz Mawick, a humble man working with the Swiss ‘Red Cross’ mission as a driver speaking of an event that unfolded before his eyes in Nazi occupied Warsaw back in 1942. His account relates to the seizing…
He had always won though rather mentally and not physically! (in the background; cousin, and mother wash the dishes).
Yes, I dare! You, I mean some of you my friends here, who intensive were interested in me as an individual person, were much interested in my life story somehow, but to put it bluntly, as I am, somewhat, a humble person, it was very difficult for me to write about it, though, I have a memorial note with the same title on work.
But, what else!, I thought I begin here with you all (who interested of course) to tell my story;
A big head but remains raw for too long!
I have begun the story with the picture of me and my brother Al, no chance without him. He is a part or better to say; a huge part of my life… no doubt.
Okay, let’s begin with a daisy lazy vision in front of my tired old eyes and dig into my memory; I can see into a foggy scene a large yard and a big house in there we’re both born or may re-born.
I see at first, a gate for driving in and a veranda for parking lot and after you walked into the yard and passed a pool which rests between two big rose garden with some trees of peach and apples, you’d reach the main door to enter into the house.
I regret not to have a pic of my birthplace, I had it surely but it’s out of hand!
It sounds all big and great, of course, it was because of my father’s lucky goal after his success in publishing a book in which he had not only made a difference between Persians and Arabs way in their religion but also he put an old costume called Sufi’s with his translation or better to say a gathering of the quotes by the first Imam in Shiites; Ali. It was more a sanctify about Ali as an Imam, he made him as a legendary.
Therefore, he became famous in a night (I think it is a wish of every writer) though I am sure that he was not even religious; he was all in his life against mullahs and their teachings in the Mosque, he was never welcome there! that was his chance to hit the goal and did it.
Therefore, we were born in a big house with a big garden a great yard and rich building without any religious influences.
It is not easy to be born in a family with so many sensibilities, as an artist can have, I tell you, the children take it most!
I must end this part and look for the next, hopefully you too 😊 Be safe and have a nice WE🙏💖🙏
First I must say; Yes, I am at home! Because I have not a full-time job anymore but am a short-time worker. 😁
The reason why is that everything is in a still-stand or interruption modus as you’ve surely known it.
Anyway, today at nine o’clock the Spring has begun and in old Persian, it was and still is, the beginning of a new year, but I have put a question mark after the word “happy” that I think it might be really under a question while in these days it is hard to be.
Nevertheless, I gave the title also the Persian words; (translated) “New Year be Succeed” that is much fitter than” be happy” and could be a wish for the new one.
Then let me say;
Happy New Year to all #Persian allover Earth. Though it’d not be so happy as it’d be! somebody might say last years; what could be worse than this?! Now we see it can be worse!! But anyhow, stay strong and together (with distance😁 ) as we know; this too shall pass 😏Hoping for a better year 💖🙏
سال نو مبارک به همه #پارسیان روی کره زمین. گرچه آنقدر مبارک نمیتواند بود! ممکن است کسی سالهای گذشته بگفت؛ چی ممکنه بدتر از این پیش بیاد! حالا می بینیم که می تواند بدتر شود !! اما به هر حال ، قوی و در کنار هم باشید (با فاصله 😁). همانطور که می دانیم این نیز بگذرد 😏به امید سالی بهتر
Oooooh, my little pathogen, my pathogen! Don’t be givin’ me germs, #Corona Ooh, you make me petrified, me petrified! Got it coming off o’ the flight from #China My, my, my, aye-aye, whoa! M-m-m-my #coronavirus
Did you sing it to “My Sharona” by The Knack? The original lyrics are actually scarier/creepier… Pandemic, more like Pant-demic, am I right?
I thought we all deserved a break from the propaganda of pandemic shopping (what’s with the obsession with toilet paper? Will t.p. be our future currency? Will people years from now be telling their grandchildren, “I was there for the T.P. Wars of 2020, it was ugly, a real sh*tshow!”. Do people not understand COVID-19 is a respiratory virus, this is not the Crappocalypse…Every time someone says toilet paper I think of “Seinfeld”, “No, I don’t have a square to spare. I can’t spare a square.” Really folks…
It's like living in a submarine
Torpedoed in quarantine.
Bacillus becomes a biometric
A wake-up call going ballistic.
Defying mother nature's laws
Showcasing our human flaws.
Binge buying panicky stockpiling
All in all, my appetite is dying.
Eating right, fighting fit
Our system needs a health permit.
Looks like an apocalyptic virus
Giving man the price of being lifeless.
A pandemic becoming a tragedy
Epiphany for man's fragility.
Oooooh, my little pathogen,
lampmagician 
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