Today’s blog
Lynn Murphy Mark
The white rocks
On my desk there is a picture of Jan and me taken on Katie and Kemet’s mesa outside of Abiquiu, New Mexico. It was taken about 16 years ago and we definitely look younger. For me, though, the attraction in the picture is the background. We are featured standing in front of the massive rock formations near the mesa. New Mexico is known for its multicolored rock displays, usually red and orange and all hues in between. These rocks, however, are pure white. Well, as white as something exposed to all the elements can be.
The area is known as “Plaza Blanca”, the white place. It is not designated as a park or a formal visiting area. It has simply been there for eons to be discovered and admired. The white walls of a small canyon enclose a sandy wash area with plenty of stones and rocks to be aware of while strolling. The pale cliffs reflect New Mexico’s fabulous light as it changes throughout the day. The deep blue sky watches over this quiet, mystical place. On most days, we were the only people to be found there. It is not exactly located on a popular thoroughfare, although plenty of people go by there on their way to Ghost Ranch. This is Georgia O’Keefe country for sure.
These rocks are limestone, laid down from a sea bed millions of years ago. The white rock limestone forms in shallow tropical seas. As sea water evaporates, the dissolved calcium and carbon dioxide combine to drift down onto the sea bed. Thousands of years of the weight of water and compression of the weight of rock results in the formation of the limestone layers. When the climate changes and the sea disappears, the limestone is exposed to the workings of wind, rain, and ice. Gradually, the soft rock is shaped into tent-like formations and places like Plaza Blanca are created.
Millenia later, Georgia O’Keefe’s artist’s eyes were opened to a new place that would become a favorite of hers. She did not produce many paintings of this location but she considered it a holy place, unlike any other collection of stone in Northern New Mexico. In her day, it was open to anyone who could find it off the beaten trail. In the 1950’s she visited the spot, fascinated by the workings of sunlight on the pale rock faces.
Plaza Blanca is located on land privately owned by the Dar Al Islam Mosque and cultural center. It has been in existence since 1979. These days it is a spiritual and educational center, whose mission is to expand understanding of Islam and promote common values between Islam and other faiths. In August of 2022 the Mosque closed the area to the public, presumably to make it available to people on retreat, or students of Islam. There are now facilities to house up to 150 attendees of the various programs.
Their vision statement is: “Dar Al Islam envisions an America where its people are honored by the presence of Muslims as their neighbors, and where there is an awareness of the critical values between Islam and the foundation of America, common to both. We envision an America whose institutions recognize and value the contributions that Islam and Muslims can make to its society.”
It’s no accident that this spiritual community is located on hallowed ground. The white rocks have been honored as pure and holy by Native Americans along with many other faith traditions that have come in contact with this precious site. The work that is done by its current occupants is one that this country needs, badly. Although I can’t wander through the little canyon anymore I salute the philosophy that supports it now. And, I will always have the memories of past ventures.