what time is this place?

Labyrinth, George Square Gardens, University of Edinburgh

This labyrinth is based on the 12th century one on the floor of Chartres Cathedral, France. They were called 'chemin de jerusalem' or 'path to jerusalem'. It has a cross at its centre.

It's a form of walking meditation and its related to the 'Stations of the Cross' you find in many catholic churches.

Pilgrims used to walk this instead of making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem because you were either too poor, too busy and also because Jerusalem was under Islamic control....

When I was waiting to photograph this a woman and her young daughter were skipping, walking and dancing around the labyrinth, into its centre and out again, following each other as the nearby workmen prepared George Square Gardens for its annual 3 week spell as a festival venue.

If you follow the thread it takes you to the dancing floor and labyrinth of the Palace of Knossos in Crete, made for Princess Ariadne by Daedalus the artificer over 3,000 years ago.... linking Dionysian dance culture and chemin de jerusalem.

Hat tip to Kevin Lynch for 'What time is this place?' and Rebecca Solnit for 'Wanderlust'

Part of the Waybook series