Video with commentary

I wouldn't really say it's excellent or a must play, but it's certainly fun. The difficulty is very good in my opinion, not super hardcore but not too easy. One thing I noticed is that a lot of the arenas are rather flat though. However, the architecture is beautiful and it's the first level to use the awesome IKBlue texture set. It's worth playing.

It's hard to realise now what an impact the ikblue texture set must have made back in 1997, when everything looked like ID levels. Sadly at this in the series the gameplay doesn't match the looks, being rather repetitive and mechanical, and over-symmetrical.

It's difficult for me to put into words the effect this map had on me when I first played it back in the early 2000s. The dark, mystical and foreboding Arabic atmosphere was completely unexpected but it works so well. Thinking about it now this map has probably been responsible, to a large degree, for the style of Middle Eastern music I now create with a distant, ethereal feel. Inspiring.

I don't have the luxury of fond memories as until a few months ago, the only custom Quake maps I ever played were in the 2 mission packs and the Aftershock CD-Rom. So as impressive as it surely was back then, it has to be said that despite the gorgeousness of the texture set, the architecture has not aged well and now looks blocky and undetailed. Combat is tough but fair and the only secret is so easy I wouldn't have counted it as one.

@MikeTaylor Well it's supposed to be a temple and symmetry usually is a characteristic of temples, so you can't really hold it against the map.

@Lysander What's your artist name? Do you have a Bandcamp or Soundcloud? I'd like to listen to your stuff.

Recommended for the texture set mostly, the gameplay could use lots of work.

bfg666 - sorry for the late reply. Sahn on Bandcamp, to answer your question.

i love this map. absolutely splendid map from 97.

this is my run of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vum4dBWIwyY