Moonsighting
This is what I find so exciting about blogging. This morning I found a comment in my moderation stack from blogger Fahad (His blog is Salmiya) recommending a website Moonsighting, which has all kinds of wonderful photos made of the new Ramadan moon.
I had never known how very very thin this crescent is, and how difficult it can be to spot. In some of the photos, it takes a few seconds to find it at all – and you have to know what you are looking for.
Meanwhile – some of the photos are simply breathtaking.
There is also something that makes me LOL. There are a large number of topics at the top of the page, the last one says “Do Not Click.” I didn’t click it. I resisted. But I am also willing to bet that there are a lot of people who cannot resist. If you are one of them, come back and let me know what happens! LLOOLLLL!
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Wow, that’s a fantastic site! Thanks for sharing with us π
Oh great stuff there. The only reason I went was to check out the “Do not click” and after going in there π I really recommend you “d o n o t c l i c k” ;P LOL!
LOL! I kept clicking and clicking through those “do not click” links and I bet whoever made that was so bored but it was really funny. hehe
Wow that looks soo beautiful π
Zahra, truly my pleasure!
N. Hahahahahahahahahahahahha!
Mac (see above comment to N.)
Amu – Aren’t they? Some just take your breath away, they are so lovely.
Many of the photos on moonsighting.com had been made by Alireza Mehrani in Esfahan. For anybody who has never been there: Plan a visit. I am right now writing a larger article on Islamic tiles which you may find all over this wonderful city. Some of the patterns mark a cultural (and scientific) revolution in the 15th century.
Thanks for sharing… and nice pic, I love it
I noticed the Alireza name, Fahad. Have you seen the latest issue of National Geographic? I brought a copy back for my husband; it is all about Iran, including a fabulous National Geographic map. We would LOVE to go to Iran – but it probably isn’t a wise idea for us, they would probably think we are spies or something. I don’t want to end my days in an Iranian jail! π¦ But oh, AdventureMan seems willing to take that risk to visit some of the beautiful sites there. (I have a dear friend from Isfahan.)
I’m glad you like it, Ansam! π
Good morning intlxpatr!
I was always fascinated of Islamic tiling and then read this very exciting article in Science magazine last year about quasicrystalline patterns on medieval tiles in Esfahan and other places throughout the Middle East. When visiting Esfahan last year again, I had a copy of the article in my hand doing some kind of archeological sight-seeing in the old Dardasht (the Jewish) Quarter of Esfahan near the gorgeous Friday Mosque there. I found the quasicrystalline tiles from the late 15th century which have been described by Roger Penrose in the 1970s only without knowledge about earlier achievements of ingenious Iranians. When I recently saw more on my blown up pictures of the Friday Mosque, I contacted Peter Lu from Harvard, the first author of the Science article. He admitted that he did his research only on the basis if photographs! He (an American-Chinese) managed only later to travel to Iran and had (as I) difficulties finding the now rather famous Darb-e Emam shrine (you may find even a Wikipedia entry now). At the site, he wrote me, a guard now wanted to prevent him taking the first own pictures of ‘his’ discovery. I will later post something about it at Freelance.
It is such a pity that Americans now know the country mainly from satellite images taken from Esfahan’s and Natanz’ nuclear facilities. I have been in Natanz when Ahmadinejad had just been ‘elected’. It is such a lovely place. Abyaneh near-by is even nicer. If people go there and see and talk, maybe things will change. Talking with somebody is always better than talking about somebody.
I have already started responding to my bulk email with Ramadan wishes to my muslim friends who already had contacted me in response. It is a great pleasure doing that and seeing that people cordially appreciate even if it is coming from an ‘infidel’ ;-).
I don’t want to click it but OH MY GOD!… I clicked it.. click it clicki it again and again. Please stop me.
Fahad, thanks be to God, he takes pity on nerds like us, who get passionate about things like tiles! Last year, I read brief references to Iznik tiles in two different sources, and then had to find out what they were and why they were so special. I LOVE tiles, but I have absolutely no expertise whatsoever. I imagine that it fits in well with your profession, however. π I am guessing that ceramics have different and fascinating qualities?
Quartz countertops are THE countertops of choice right now in the US because of their anti-microbial properties. I wonder if their make up is in any way related to those tiles you study. Those ingenious ancient Iranians! π
Musa, LLOOLLLL – if it will keep your mind off food and drink this brutal first day of Ramadan, then go for it!
>>I imagine that it fits in well with your profession, however.<<
No really. It’s more about this:
As a periodontist, I am sometimes missing pure beauty.
And with regard to nerds and God’s pity: Actually, it is of course in praise of Him.
More about the tiles in a few days on Freelance (http://aliqapoo.wordpress.com/)
Fahad – as for nerds and God’s pity – and of course, nerdiness is a great blessing, thanks be to God.
The photo is a total WOW. My favorite tiles are blue and white, and intricate. That mosque – worth a trip in itself, isn’t it? Total wow. Thanks for posting.
[…] it turns out, it was a post written a month ago – Moonsighting, and yesterday, that post alone got 539 hits. 539 – it hasn’t been that long since I would […]