bucket list #46
Graham Rollins Lighting Design International What
Experience the sunrise from the top of a mountain.
Where
Mount Sinai, Egypt looking out over the Sinai Peninsula.
How
A dark, Bedouin guided, fairly challenging and steep 3,750 step hike, taking around two to three hours to complete pre-dawn. Alternatively there is a longer, more gradual path that can be taken by camel.
When
Mount Sinai can be visited year-round, but I would imagine the hike could be incredibly hot in the summer. The best time to visit would be during the Spring or Autumn, when temperatures are a bit kinder. My visit was at the start of December 2008, when I captured this photo. During my trip it was fairly chilly at the summit waiting for the sunrise, so at that time of year I would recommend taking a fleece or buying a Bedouin poncho as I did.
Why
After the hike, and wait, the first rays of light are a breathtaking spectacle painting the rugged landscape in warm golden hues and rendering the layers of rock and desert with ever changing natural light, colours and shadow definition. For me, the experience was an impressive reminder of the power and beauty of natural light in all its hues and intensities as nighttime turned to daytime. For others it may be more religiously moving, as the location is believed to be where Moses received the Ten Commandments. www.lightingdesigninternational.com
Image: Graham Rollins
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curated by
“Light is not so much something that reveals, as it is itself the revelation.” James Turrell