Golkonda Fort design and architecture

These are images of some ancient Indian designs, more than ten centuries old. Architectural as well other types of carvings at the Golkonda or Golconda Fort on the outskirts Hyderabad, in Andhra Pradesh, India. Inside the fort are the ruins of bastions and cannons, gateways and drawbridges, royal apartments, temples and mosques. The Fort at Golkonda was built by the ruling kings of the Kakatiya dynasty which ruled this area in the twelfth century AD.

Here is one of the decorated arches in the fort complex. Intricate designs can be seen all around the arch and two lions are carved on to the top of the arched doorway. Underneath, just above the entrance, there are carvings of two peacocks. Animal figures were frequently used in ancient Indian Art.

A close up of one of the elaborately decorated walls of the fort. The turrets boast of a geometric design of circles, diamond shapes but also flowery designs like small flowers in the centre and elongated petals and leaves.

A small marble decoration on one of the inside walls of the Golkonda Fort, in the chambers.

A decorated pillar at the Golkonda Fort.

One of the arched passageways inside the Golkonda Fort.

Related Images: Golkonda Fort Pictures or Designs from the Red Fort Agra or Agra Fort
More images of ancient Indian forts: Daulatabad Fort near Aurangabad  or the Red Fort at Agra or the Agra Fort - Photographs or Ancient Doors in India

Wine Glasses

These are images of wine glasses of different shapes and sizes kept upside down on a glass shelf. Shiny large wine glasses against a darl red and gray background.

A close-up shiny transparent wine glasses with their legs up and face down. Some short, some long.

Two wine glasses set on a dining table with plates, napkins and a salt and pepper shakers. The lighting in the restaurant has a pinkish hue giving the image the pinkish tone.

Bonsai of Gular, Chilly and a Christmas Tree

Here are some photographs of bonsai. The first one is of the Gular, the bonsai of a tree commonly found tree in North India and Kashmir and of the same species as Banyan. In the background to the right is a bonsai of a tamarind tree.

A bonsai plant of a chillies tree. A single red chilly can be seen brightening up the picture.

A maxi-bonsai plant of a Christmas tree.

More pictures of bonsai plants: Bonsai of the Banyan tree or Bougainvillea Bonsai or a fancy Plaited Bonsai Plant or the Bonsai plant of Chapha the tropical flower, Plumeria in English

Clothes Lines

These are pictures of clothes hung out to dry in the sun, on the streets, on balconies, in the fields in rural Indian and on terraces of houses. Unlike developed countries hardly anyone in India uses dryers to dry their clothes. This might result in the uglification of buildings and the streets, but it saves the earth from green-house gases. And strangely enough, I found that there was something artistic about these clothes which were hung out to dry. Some type of random art.

This first one shows some trousers and shirts hanging out to dry on a fence. Slum dwellers who live under a flyover bridge have hung their clothes here.

This building looks ugly because of the tarpaulin (which protects the houses from the Mumbai monsoons) and also the clothes which are hanging out to dry on the small balconies and even the barred windows. These are very tiny apartments and have no other space to dry their clothes.

Clothes drying in a backyard in rural India.

People dry their clothes wherever they can, and that includes in a ditch near their hut and near some abandoned pipes. Possibly this is near a construction site.

A novel way to dry clothes, and that too in the shade! These clothes have been hung out to dry in a farmer's field, under an open water tank.

A ramshackle clothesline in rural India. A clothes line on thin wooden branches, a kind of makeshift clothes line. Clothes hanging in the open air dry quickly in Indian weather, even if it rains!

Related Images: Dhobi Ghat in Pune

Silhouettes of people skating

These are silhouettes of people skating - roller skating on the roads as well as ice skating.
The first image is a silhouette of a couple roller skating on a road side by side. They are all dressed up against the cold with jackets. They are also wearing knee pads. This is a Caucasian couple.

These are silhouettes of girls and women skating on an ice rink. The ice skating silhouettes are based on photos taken in Bangkok and are silhouettes of Asians.

This silhouette is of a young girl sliding along in a sitting position on the ice rink.

A silhouette of young girl gliding gracefully on an ice rink.

A silhouette of an Asian woman ice skating.

Silhouettes of activities: Travelers or men with bags
Silhouettes of old and elderly women from India: Old woman silhouettes
Or click the label "Silhouettes" for all types of silhouettes including those of monuments and places and people.

Car Wash

These are pictures of two types of car washes in Europe. One is an automatic car wash and the other has the facility of a water hose which one can use on payment. You enter into an open garage, park your car and use a strong hose to hose down your car. You have these in India too although there is always an attendant.

This one is an automatic car wash, with some felt-type of heavy-duty cleaning contraptions clean your car as you drive through it. Water is sprayed automatically on to the car.

Related Images: See all the images filed under Transport  and this includes photos of trucks, rickshaws, tankers and buses.

Designs and wall paintings from the Edfu Temple in Egypt

The Temple of Edfu is an ancient Egyptian temple located on the west bank of the Nile in the city of Edfu, built in between 237 and 57 BCE and dedicated to the falcon god Horus. This post has images of the sculptures, wall paintings and other forms of ancient Egyptian art and writings (hieroglyphics) found at the Edfu Temple. The walls writings are about ancient Egyptian myths and religion during the Greco-Roman period when this temle was built. In fact, some of the inscriptions on the temple walls write of  construction details! Scenes from the conflict between Horus and Seth are also on these walls.

The images on the temple walls range from fully armed warriors with weapons like bows or farmers working in the fields or women in different poses. There are also images of ancient Egyptian gods, kings, queens and princes, and musicians.

Both the men and the women are carrying a staff of some kind perhaps used in a religious ritual.

Women wearing a head-dress and jewelery.

This is part of a the bottom of an elaborated carved inner sanctum of the Edfu Temple. These inscriptions are writings of some sort.

The artistic skills of the ancient Egyptians are evident here. They decorated their temples and sacred places in great detail. Although the colours have faded over time the beauty of their art is visible. Whether it was statues, reliefs, paintings, pottery, sculptures or elaborated decorated coffins and tombs, the ancient Egyptians were a very highly evolved culture dedicated to art and beauty.

Here are some wall reliefs at the Edfu Temple.

The base of a carved wall at one of the entrances of a temple hall. The inscriptions are writings, and Egyptian written language is called hieroglyphics.The writing was beautifully pictures and an art form. Hieroglyphics were either drawn, carved or painted.

A sculpture of the falcon god in the Edfu temple complex.

Here you can see the delicate incriptions on the Edfu temple pillars that used to hold up the large halls.  Egyptians were great lovers of art.

Related Images: Some exterior images of the Edfu Temple in Egypt or  Temple and statues of Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt or Karnak Temple and Pillar Designs

For more pictures of Egyptian monuments and sketches/Silhouettes of Pyramids try the label "Egypt"

Edfu Temple in Egypt

The Temple of Edfu is an ancient Egyptian temple located on the west bank of the Nile in the city of Edfu. Some of it was destroyed by fundamentalist Christians as the temple was considered "unchristian." Some of the inner roofs and walls are blackened, as if by fire when Christians tried to destroy the beautiful art on the walls of the temple. The temple initially had 3 large halls, a barque sanctuary and has 9 chapels around it. It is a typical example of an ancient Egyptian temple.

The temple is dedicated to the falcon god Horus and was built in the Ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 BCE, the Graeco-Roman Period. It had been buried in the sand and the French re-discovered it. The Efu Temple lies near the banks of the river Nile.

This is a long shot of the temple as one goes towards it.

The pillars of the temple with a main wall behind it. A lot of it is in ruins today.

A close look at the ruins of the temple with the intricately carved pillars.

A closer look at the beautiful ancient art on the walls of the temple.

The inner courtyard of the temple which is milling with tourists.

Another view of the inside hall of the temple. The roof is gone.

And inner sanctum which houses a mummy and the falcon god guarding it.

You might also like Designs and wall paintings from the Edfu Temple in Egypt or check out photos of some other Egyptian Temples like the Temple and statues of Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt or Karnak Temple and Pillar Designs
Or you might like to see pictures of The River Nile
For more pictures of Egyptian monuments and sketches/Silhouettes of Pyramids try the label "Egypt" or for more ancient temples and monuments from the rest of the world try the label "Monuments."

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Chinese Architecture Sketches

Chinese architecture has its own unique style and is centuries old, as ancient as Chinese civilisation itself. It is a classThere is an emphasis on articulation and bilateral symmetry. Some of these pencil sketches have elaborate shading and are more like black and white illustrations. This brings out the elaborate decorations and artistic work on these buildings. The intricate carvings, and also hanging decorations that beautify these structures is shown.

Some are simple line drawings.

This is an illustration of a Chinese style building at Shanghai in a garden complex called Yu Garden. Note the turret like structures forming the roof which point upwards. They appear to be decorative. The balconies of this building are also well decorated and in fact the whole building looks adorned.

This is a sketch with simple lines without shading of the same building at Lu Gardens in Shanghai.

This elaborate dome-like structure is part of a temple complex. It is not the main building.  The roofs are built in a way to let the rain water flow away. Bamboo and wood is used. On the first floor of the structure you can see a small balcony going right around. Most of these balconies are very narrow and more for ventilation rather than anything else.

This is a sketch of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China. The bottom part of the dome was not included as it was just a mass of tourists. This one is very elaborately decorated as it is a temple. A detailed and high res image of these sketches are with me.

This is a sketch of one of the decorative arches of The Great Mosque of Xian, China. A large part of the structure is made of wood.

This building or buddhist temple sketch is part of a Buddha temple complex in China. The tall concrete or stone structure is tapering towards the top.

A building we saw on the way to the Great Wall of China. Not the sloping roofs built in a way to let rain water flow away.  Here the balcony is slightly larger.

A sketch of a chinese style building outside Beijing in China.

This is a sketch of a temple like structure in the Chinese style of architecture situated in a temple complex. Note the elaborately curved arches and decorated doors and windows, typical of sacred structures.

Related Viewing: More images of the Chinese style of architecture: Chinese style architecture sketches of the Forbidden City
Also check out more photographs and posts on China which have pictures of tourist attractions, Buddha temples, Chinese cities and the Chinese people.  There are also pictures and sketches of skylines of Chinese cities.
If you are interested in buildings then check out the label "Architecture"and here you will find sketches as well as photographs of ancient monuments, skyscrapers, high-rises and other types of buildings from different parts of the world. 

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