'Many a dusty desert, long a wilderness across whose hot stones the thirsty camels hasten,
Have I crossed, passing from the unknown to the known
on the back of a fine she-camel, moving swiftly
even when through the darkest nights'

Mutammim Bin Nuwayra Al-Yarbuee, (Poet, 667 AD)

This beautiful book showcases the spectacular desert portraits of the photographer, Gloria Kifayeh, whose images of the Empty Quarter in Arabia have received widespread acclaim.

Accompanying the illustrations is a selection of quotations from the work of the great pre-Islamic Arab poets or the oral tradition. These insights into the desert way of life as captured by the early bards of the Arabian peninsula serve to highlight the cultural heritage of the desert landscape; a view through the eyes of its Bedouin inhabitants to accompany the stark portrayal through the photographic lens.

A book of real beauty, a celebration of the Arabian desert.