horns of wilmington's cow

By anth

Marblicious

I am endlessly fascinated by the Craigentinny Marbles - a huge, hulking mausoleum in Edinburgh, surrounded by 1930s bungalows.

So much so that my TV debut in a shortlived 'career' had them as the subject at my suggestion: Craigentinny Marbles for STV Edinburgh

I've blipped the structure 4 times since April 2010 (though this night shot from 2012 is my favourite), but never, for some reason, focused on the friezes. The main image above was completed in 1863, created by Alfred Gatley, a renowned sculptor of the day. This is on the south side, and depicts Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. It's perhaps less dramatic than the north side frieze (in the extras, and of which more shortly), but the detail on the fabric is astounding.

The north side frieze was finished 2 years earlier (though both were added to the mausoleum in 1866), and was displayed at the 1862 International Exhibition in London. It shows the destruction  of Ramesses II's army.

And all of this tucked away off one of the main roads into the city, towering over the houses around it.

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