When you come face to face with images of an immense desert, like the desert of Algeria, that covers more than four fifths of the country that covers 2, 381, 741 km2, the idea of immensity and mystery go hand in hand. The ancient rock formations of the Tassili n' Ahaggar present themselves like the decor of a giant theatre, and the sense of mystery announces itself like the protagonist of a drama by Aeschylus. Nature photographer Kurt Lolo of Lolo Pics shared the continuation of his photos taken during his trip to the Algerian desert in December 2018. His photo of today, February 3rd 2019, is a mesmerizing example of the sense of mystery that the hypnotizing space of the desert is capable of creating, and that has seduced the imagination for thousands of years. The photo of Kurt Lolo presents a line - up of geometric rocks in the shape of pyramids, in and of itself already a captivating image. What adds to the exotic ambiance of the photo, is that the pyramidal shapes of the mysterious rocks give the impression of being barely disguised faces, as if the rocks contained the ancient spirits of the guardians of the history and secrets of the Tassili n' Ahaggar. This line -up of mysterious rocks give the impression of sphinx. The mythology of the sphinx is very intriguing, so is its definition that is indicative of its power : the sphinx is a creature that has the head of a human, and the body of a lion. In Greek tradition, the sphinx has the head of a human, the body of a lion and the wings of a bird. The sphinx is considered treacherous and merciless. In order to be allowed access to his temple, his territory, the sphinx gives a riddle to the novice who seeks permission for entrance to his sacred sites, and if the novice is unable to solve the enigma, the sphinx kills and eats the would be intruder. The mystery of the sphinx remains intact this way, and its savage power remains without witnesses. The idea of sphinx who guard the secrets of the immense desert of the Tassili merits meditation. The world right now has cities of monstrous proportions, with the biggest metropolises having populations with numbers difficult to embrace : Tokyo, 38 million inhabitants; New Delphi, 25 million inhabitants; Shanghai, 23 million inhabitants. The emptiness of the desert seems a very sane alternative. The sphinx of the desert know this and keep their secrets patiently until the moment these huge cities will become unlivable. The world will seek refuge in the mountains, they too the guardians of ancient secrets, and it will seek refuge in the desert, where the sphinx will ask for the answer to one of the most troubling enigmas of our time : " How will you heal the earth and its nature, of who you have poisoned its water, its plants, its air, its animals, how will you save the future of its children, who by the way, are your children?" It is in our best interest to start looking for the answer to this question, if not the entrance to the desert will be denied to us. The desert is very patient, has a lot of timeless beauty that its spirits share with generosity, like the immensity of its space. In the mythology of the desert of ancient Egypt, the goddess of the desert, Seth, has a lot of power, the power over storms, violence and chaos. To be allowed entry into the desert is in that sense a spiritual experience, the desert admits us, and changes us, purifies us, redirects us. The desert for those who know it often wakes up a passionate love towards it. It is not an entity that tolerates disrespect. This respect and love towards the desert is evident in the photography of Chamy Tout Court, and in the series of photos that Kurt Lolo shares of the Tassili n' Ahaggar, as his photograph today that finds us under the spell of the sphinx of the largest and most fabulous desert in the world.
Trudi Ralston
The research on the mythology of the sphinx and the desert, courtesy of Wikipedia.
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