On Roofs

By Uri, December 18, 2015

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Seen from afar roofs in Israel appear to be dotted with white circular structures, oblong structures, which may also be white, and grayish diagonal structures.

Looking closer one may notice that the circles are small satellite dishes, and they all face south. Over the past couple of decades cable and satellite TV overtook the country. Occasionally an old style aerial may can be spotted on some roofs. Most of them were left over from the pre-cable/sat days and no one bothered to take them down.

 

 

 

 

 

The oblong shape are always accompanied by the diagonal structure, the latter being solar panels, and the former being the hot water tanks. We have sunny most year round and take advantage of the sun to heat water. The  solar panels also face south. Thus satellite dishes and solar panels, high end technology alongside heating devices, create fancy random patterns of shapes over entire residential area.

The dome of the Bahai temple is usually photographed from below, with the mountain as a backdrop, or from a viewpoint that shows the Bahai gardens. Here I felt that the decorated rooftops provide an interesting visual and functional contrast.