tripod restrictions in the mid east?

[caleb]

Hi all, I'm heading to Jordan, Egypt and the UAE at the end of the year to photograph and I wonder if anyone knows of any trouble using a tripod at any fo the usual sites like Petra, Giza, Dome of The Rock etc.... I'm taking my tech IV and using graphmatics. Have any of you had any problems recently using a view camera in this part of the world?
Also if any of you have any tips on getting around or have a guide service you particualrly like or have used I would like to hear that as well.
Thanks for any help.
-C

[Jim collum]

Hi all, I'm heading to Jordan, Egypt and the UAE at the end of the year to photograph and I wonder if anyone knows of any trouble using a tripod at any fo the usual sites like Petra, Giza, Dome of The Rock etc.... I'm taking my tech IV and using graphmatics. Have any of you had any problems recently using a view camera in this part of the world?
Also if any of you have any tips on getting around or have a guide service you particualrly like or have used I would like to hear that as well.
Thanks for any help.
-C

Was in Egypt in 2000. The only places I had problems with a tripod was where there was an entrance fee ( pretty much all of the tombs, museums, etc). A $300 professional fee was the typical price (good for one visit only). I didn't have problems at Giza though

[caleb]

thanks for the tip Jim, that sounds like it will get spendy real quick. I wonder if my faculty ID would help me with the "it's for academic research" plea...

[Jim collum]

I'm not sure how well that would work. Most of the guards i encountered ensuring compliance didn't speak english, very traditional, much older (60 yrs +). We went with a friend who's family lived in West Bank Luxor. He was Beduoin and native to the area. We had better luck with him bribing the guards.

[Eric Woodbury]

In Turkey (not what you asked about) it seemed that if a professional photographer was selling his pix of the site, then there was a problem. If not, then tripods were fine. I would be prepared with either a monopod or a bean bag. This is a little harder than a tripod, but can be done.

Unfortunately, if one has a large camera-- anything bigger than a happy-snapper -- then they are a professional. Can't win unless you speak the local language.

[r.e.]

caleb,

I can only speak for Jordan, Israel and northern Egypt from Taba to Sharm El Sheikh.

With one caveat, you should have no problem using a tripod. The caveat is to use common sense. Be aware of pedestrian traffic, confined spaces, places where it is pretty obvious that you should ask permission to set up a large format camera (such as religious buildings in the old city in Jerusalem) and militarily sensitive areas. Also, realize that some people, especially some Muslim people, object to being photographed. To be blunt, in some cases this is a religous issue, and in other cases it is a financial issue. Do not photograph a woman wearing a veil without permission. In Israel, do not take photographs in airports (you will be stopped) nor photographs of Israeli soldiers at places like check points.

In Jordan, I do not believe that you will have any problem at Jerash, Petra or Wadi Rum. Realize that Petra is a large site that you could spend four days exploring, and of course Wadi Rum runs all the way to the Saudi border. If you are carrying heavy/bulky camera gear, help carrying the gear is advisable unless you are in great shape. At Petra, which involves a good deal of uphill climbing and which is in some places quite rugged, you can get a donkey, and at Wadi Rum you have the option of a camel or a jeep. I suggest a jeep :) If you plan to go to Wadi Rum, it is worth watching the film Lawrence of Arabia first, because parts of it were filmed there, and maybe reading The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. As you probably know, Wadi Rum is where the Arab Revolt started.

There are some excellent Jordanian guides. The gentleman who we retained in Petra, and with whom we were so pleased that we arranged for him to be our guide in Wadi Rum, worked on one of the Indiana Jones films, and was a highly educated, fascinating man. Send me a PM and I'll give you more information on him. My experience with Jordanian guides is that they hate talking about their fee. I have had guides tell me, flat out, that the fee is up to me. If you run into this, you have to be persistent, maybe even elicit the opinion of other guides. You may find that the fee is on the low side, in which case a top-up is in order if you are happy. In Israel, you will not run into this issue; fees are quite up-front. As a general observation, I think that guides in the Middle East, if they are good, are worth their weight in gold. For example, the gentleman that we hired at Jerash greatly enhanced our experience. He showed us things about Roman architecture, and explained cultural and engineering issues, that we would never have understood, nor in many cases even have noticed, without his assistance.

Regarding the Dome of the Rock, unless Israeli Government policy has changed, you can't enter unless you are Muslim. From outside at a distance, it should not be a problem. There are great views of the old city, including the Dome, from the Mount of Olives, especially at sundown. You can drive up there and there is convenient parking.

If you are travelling independently, a car is essential and you have to rent a different car in each country. When you get to Amman, you might want to drop into a place called Books@Cafe. You can look it up on the internet.

I assume that you are aware of the issues regarding travel to Arab countries, apart from Jordan and Egypt, if you have been to Israel. If not, you should check this out. It is possible to ask that your passport not be stamped. For example, if you are crossing at the Allenby Bridge from Israel to Jordan, this means (again, if things have not changed recently) that you can ask, instead of having your passport stamped showing that you crossed at Allenby (which is tantamount to proof that you have been to Israel) for a slip of paper with a stamp on it. You must not lose this slip of paper, because you have to give it to the Jordanian authorities when you leave the country. If you have not already done so, you should also check out what visas you require.

Funny you should post this, I am probably going back to the area in early January. It's a great time of year to be there.

[r.e.]

Caleb,

I notice now that you say that you are going to Jordan, Egypt and the UAE, but that you don't mention Israel. In my response, I assumed, from your reference to the Dome of the Rock, which is in Jerusalem, that you are going there.

[mwr]

Hello,

I have visited both Egypt and Jordan within the last year. Tripods were no problem: Free at Petra and a SMALL fee at all Egyptian sites unless you are a professional.

I cannot remember the exact amount of the fee in Egypt but is was minor. When you buy your ticket to a site just tell the ticket seller that you also want a tripod ticket. Many tourists with video cameras purchase tripod tickets so it is not a great expense.

Have fun!

James