The Light of the Morning

Vestibule inside the Monastère de Tibhirine, outside Medea, Algeria. March 2023. Credit: Laurie Galbraith

I’m honored that one of my photos was recently selected for the annual exhibit hosted by the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Arizona. The exhibit, which is open to the public, also featured the work of photographer Mark Voss, whose work is breathtaking. His collection of monochromatic photographs taken in Iran is so captivating, it nearly spurs an existential crisis (in a good way) for me.

Anyway, in Arabic it's customary to greet someone with sabah al-kheer, meaning “the good of the morning.” One should always respond with something even better, and so one does, with sabah al-noor—“the light of the morning.” I've always loved this, and it was the first thought that came to me when I stepped into the quiet, empty vestibule.