Golconda - The Qutab Shahi Tombs

www.goldenford.co.uk or http://www.ireneblack.co.uk/

'She stood mesmerised ... the blackened limestone domes of these colossal, square edifices testified to the passing of centuries, and despite the harmony of the architecture, they purveyed a sense of emptiness and desolation, which mirrored their purpose in a way that shocked.'

'She wandered along sandy paths under bougainvillaea-covered pergolas ...'

'...admiring the cold perfection of Islamic arches and elaborate stone balustrades.'

'...stopping for a moment to watch a couple of workmen high up on a domed roof, as confident as crows, no safety devices to hold them in place.'

'Inside they were empty except for a black basalt sarcophagus...'

Photos and Text © Irene Black

IMPORTANT - READ BEFORE OPENING THE NEXT FILE

Hi, I’m Hannah, one of the characters in Irene Black’s novel, The Moon’s Complexion. Most of the action takes place in India and in Sri Lanka, and I thought you might like to see some of the locations I snapped in my role as a photojournalist, accompanied by some quotes from the book. Of course I have not included anything that might give away any parts of the plot.

However, before you turn to the first file (Hyderabad), please consider very carefully whether you really want to do this. Have you read the book? If so, are you sure you don’t want it to stay in the world of your imagination? Or are you strong enough to be able to weather this without letting it take over?

If you haven’t read the book and would like to read it first, you can purchase it from http://www.goldenford.co.uk/ , or from http://www.ireneblack.co.uk/ or from http://www.amazon.co.uk/ or as an eBook from http://www.virtualtales.com/ You can also read Irene's blog on http://www.thisthatfromireneblack.blogspot.com/

The Moon’s Complexion is now in its third edition with a smart new cover.

If you’re the sort of person, who doesn’t mind watching the film before buying the book, you’ll be fine looking at the photos before you read it.

Do keep revisiting each file as I might add other photos as I find them again. It’s been a long time…

I’ll build up the files over several weeks. Hyderabad is the first, simply because it was my first stop in India. Even now, the memory of what happened there sends a few shudders down the old spine.

Photos and Text © Irene Black