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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Twenty Eight: Using symbols and metaphors to express meaning > Entrance, Royal Tomb, Rabat, Morocco, 2006
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14-DEC-2006

Entrance, Royal Tomb, Rabat, Morocco, 2006

Glittering spires of copper candelabras, and the national flag flank the steps to the tomb of King Mohammed V, Morocco's most important modern ruler (1927-1961). I found a vantage point that allowed me to layer the image, placing the spires in the foreground layer and the flag in the background layer. The spires on the candelabra reflect the sun, and symbolize royal authority. The Moroccan flag is a symbol as well – its green pentagram represents Solomon’s seal – it origin dates back to the Babylonian Empire. It symbolizes the link between God and the nation. Morocco is an Islamic country, and the King is regarded as a descendant of Mohammed. In fact, virtually all aspects of a tomb – its architecture and its decoration, are associated in one way or another with symbolism. As a photographer, I try to abstract and juxtapose such symbols to intensify meaning.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/400s f/7.1 at 32.8mm iso100 full exif

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Phil Douglis08-Mar-2007 15:17
You are right -- the history of Morocco, as any nation, bristles with violent death. The spikes, designed to hold candles, could have just as well been designed to pierce bodies. And red is the color of blood -- a common presence in the flags of many nations, including our own. You see this well. Thank you.
Guest 08-Mar-2007 08:49
This picture gives me the shivers. The spikes might be simply candelabras, but they look more like spears, glinting in the sun, the kind of weapons used most probably in the ancient past during the development of Morocca as a nation. The wind-whipped red flag stands out horizontally, almost aggressively -- I would suspect that "royal authority" brooked no dissenters, and that those who ran afoul of it were not dealt with nicely. A powerful picture in all. Inch Allah!
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