Leh लेह / གླེ་
—  city  —
The ruined Royal Palace at Leh
Leh Location of Leh in Jammu and Kashmir,India
Coordinates	34°08′43.43″N 77°34′03.41″E / 34.1453972°N 77.5676139°E / 34.1453972; 77.5676139Coordinates: 34°08′43.43″N 77°34′03.41″E / 34.1453972°N 77.5676139°E / 34.1453972; 77.5676139
Country	India
State	Jammu and Kashmir,India
District(s)	Leh
Population • Density	27,513 (2001[update]) • 1 /km2 (3 /sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	45,110 square kilometres (17,420 sq mi) • 3,500 metres (11,500 ft)
Website	www.leh.nic.in

Leh  pronunciation (help·info) (Tibetan alphabet: གླེ་, Wylie: Gle), was the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, now the Leh District in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Leh, with an area of 45,110 km², is the second largest district in the country (after Kutch, Gujarat) in terms of area.

The town is still dominated by the now ruined Leh Palace, former mansion of the royal family of Ladakh, built in the same style and about the same time as the Potala Palace. Leh is at an altitude of 3524 metres (11,562 ft), and connects via National Highway 1D connects it to Srinagar in the southwest and to Manali in the south via Leh-Manali Highway

History[link]

Leh was an important stopover on trade routes along the Indus Valley between Tibet to the east, Kashmir to the west and also between India and China for centuries. The main goods carried were salt, grain, pashm or cashmere wool, charas or cannabis resin from the Tarim Basin, indigo, silk yarn and Banaras brocade.

Although there are a few indications that the Chinese knew of a trade route through Ladakh to India as early as the Kushan period (1st to 3rd centuries AD),^[1] and certainly by Tang dynasty,^[2] little is actually known of the history of the region before the formation of the kingdom towards the end of the 10th century by the Tibetan prince, Skyid lde nyima gon (or Nyima gon), a grandson of the anti-Buddhist Tibetan king, Langdarma (r. c. 838 to 841). He conquered Western Tibet although his army originally numbered only 300 men. Several towns and castles are said to have been founded by Nyima gon and he apparently ordered the construction of the main sculptures at Shey. "In an inscription he says he had them made for the religious benefit of the Tsanpo (the dynastical name of his father and ancestors), and of all the people of Ngaris (Western Tibet). This shows that already in this generation Langdarma's opposition to Buddhism had disappeared."^[3] Shey, just 15 km east of modern Leh, was the ancient seat of the Ladakhi kings.

During the reign of Delegs Namgyal (1660–1685),^[4] the Nawab of Kashmir, which was then a province in the Mogul Empire, arranged for the Mongol army to (temporarily) leave Ladakh (though it returned later). As payment for assisting Delegs Namgyal, the Nawab made a number of onerous demands. One of the least was to build a large Sunni Muslim mosque in Leh at the upper end of the bazaar in Leh, below the Leh Palace. The mosque reflects a mixture of Islamic and Tibetan architecture and can accommodate more than 500 people. This was apparently not the first mosque in Leh; there are two smaller ones which are said to be older.^[5]

Several trade routes have traditionally converged on Leh, from all four directions. The most direct route was the one the modern highway follows from the Punjab via Mandi, the Kulu valley, over the Rohtang Pass, through Lahaul and on to the Indus Valley, and then down river to Leh. The route from Srinigar was roughly the same as the road that today crosses the Zoji La (pass) to Kargil, and then up the Indus Valley to Leh. From Baltistan there were two difficult routes: the main on ran up the Shyok Valley from the Indus, over a pass and then down the Hanu River to the Indus again below Khalsi (Khalatse). The other ran from Skardu straight up the Indus to Kargil and on to Leh. Then, there were both the summer and winter routes from Leh to Yarkand across the Karakorum. Finally, there were a couple of possible routes from Leh to Lhasa.^[6]

The first recorded royal residence in Ladakh, built at the top of the high Namgyal ('Victory') Peak overlooking the present palace and town, is the now-ruined fort and the gon-khang (Temple of the Guardian Divinities) built by King Tashi Namgyal. Tashi Namgyal is known to have ruled during the final quarter of the 16th century AD.^[7] The Namgyal (also called "Tsemo Gompa" = 'Red Gompa', or dGon-pa-so-ma = 'New Monastery'),^[8] a temple, is the main Buddhist centre in Leh.^[9] There are some older walls of fortifications behind it which Francke reported used to be known as the "Dard Castle." If it was indeed built by Dards, it must pre-date the establishment of Tibetan rulers in Ladakh over a thousand years ago.^[10]

Below this are the Chamba (Byams-pa, i.e., Maitreya) and Chenresi (sPyan-ras-gzigs, i.e. Avalokiteshvara) monasteries which are of uncertain date.^[8]

The royal palace, known as Leh Palace, was built by King Sengge Namgyal (1612–1642), presumably between the period when the Portuguese Jesuit priest, Francisco de Azevedo, visited Leh in 1631, and made no mention of it, and Sengge Namgyal's death in 1642.^[11]

The Leh Palace is nine storeys high; the upper floors accommodated the royal family, and the stables and store rooms are located on the lower floors. The palace was abandoned when Kashmiri forces besieged it in the mid-19th century. The royal family moved their premises south to their current home in Stok Palace on the southern bank of the Indus.

"As has already been mentioned, the original name of the town is not sLel, as it is now-a-days spelt, but sLes, which signifies an encampment of nomads. These [Tibetan] nomads were probably in the habit of visiting the Leh valley at a time when it had begun to be irrigated by Dard colonizers. Thus, the most ancient part of the ruins on the top of rNam-rgyal-rtse-mo hill at Leh are called 'aBrog-pal-mkhar (Dard castle) . . . ."^[12]

The city-square in 1909.

Administration[link]

Unlike other districts of the State, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) also governs the administration in Leh. The Deputy Commissioner, Leh also holds the power of Chief Executive Officer LAHDC.

LAHDC was constituted in 1995. The conception of the council was conceived so as to provide a transparent development in the area. It has 30 councilors, 4 nominated and 26 elected. The Chief Executive Councilor heads and chairs this council.

Coexistence with religions other than Buddhism[link]

Since the 8th century people belonging to different religions, particularly Buddhism and Islam, have been living in harmony in Leh. They coexisted from the time of early period of Namgyal dynasty and there has been no mention of any conflict between them. But with the opening of Ladakh to the outside world and politics creeping into peaceful Ladakhi society, the issue of religion has emerged and stained this long tradition of coexistence and co-evolution.

In recent times, relations between the Buddhist and Muslim communities soured due the petty conflicts motivated by political interest. With the visit of the Dalai Lama in August 2003 and his strong appeal to the masses regarding religious pluralism and peaceful coexistence, the situation has ameliorated and normalcy has been restored. Thus, Ladakh resumed its age-old tradition of cohesiveness.

Besides these two communities there are people living in the region who belong to other religions such as Christianity, Hinduism, and Sikhism, who too live in harmony and form a vital part of the society. The small Christian community in Leh are descendants of converts from Tibetan Buddhism by German Moravian missionaries who established a church at Keylong in Lahaul in the 1860s, and were allowed to open another mission in Leh in 1885 and had a sub branch in Khalatse. They stayed open until Indian Independence in 1947. In spite of their successful medical and educational activities, they made only a few converts.^[13]

Every year Sindhu Darshan Festival is held at Shey, 15 km away from town to promote religious harmony and glory of Indus (Sindhu) river. At this time, Leh is packed with thousands of tourist coming from all over India, as well foreign countries.^[14]

Threats to the Old Town of Leh[link]

The old town of Leh was added to the World Monuments Fund's list of 100 most endangered sites due to increased rainfall from climate change and other reasons.^[15] Neglect and changing settlement patterns within the old town have threatened the long-term preservation of this unique site.^[16]

Geography[link]

Mountains dominate the landscape around the Leh as it is at an altitude of 3,500m. The principal access roads include the 434 km Srinagar-Leh highway which connects Leh with Srinagar and the 473 km Leh-Manali Highway which connects Manali with Leh. Both roads are open only on a seasonal basis.^[17] Although the access roads from Srinagar and Manali are often blocked by snow in winter, the local roads in the Indus Valley usually remain open due to the low level of precipitation and snowfall.

Climate[link]

Leh has a cold desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWk) with long, harsh winters from October to early March, with minimum temperatures well below freezing for most of the winter. The city gets occasional snowfall during winter. The weather in the remaining months is generally fine and warm during the day. Average annual rainfall is only 90 mm (3½ inches). The temperature can range from −28 °C (-18.4°F) in winter to 33 °C (91.4°F) in summer.^[18] In 2010 the city experienced flash floods which killed more than 100 people.^[19]

Agriculture[link]

Leh is located at an average elevation of about 3500 metres, which means that only one crop a year can be grown there, while two can be grown at Khalatse. By the time crops are being sown at Leh in late May, they are already half-grown at Khalatse. The main crop is grim (naked barley - Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum Hook. f., which is an ancient form of domesticated barley with an easier to remove hull) - from which tsampa, the staple food in Ladakh, is made.^[21]

Demographics[link]

People of Leh

As of 2001 India census,^[22] Leh town had a population of 27,513. Males constitute 61% of the population and females 39%, due to a large presence of non-local labourers, traders and government employees. Leh has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 65%. In Leh, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Leh District, which comprises the whole of Indian-administered eastern Ladakh (but not Kargil nor Zanskar) has a total population of 117,000 people^[23] according to the 2001 census. Of that 45.3% is Buddhist,41.8 % Muslim, 8.2% Hindu and 0.8% others. The Muslim presence dates back to the annexation of Ladakh by Kashmir, after the Fifth Dalai Lama attempted to invade Ladakh from Tibet. Since then, there has been further migration from the Kashmir Valley due firstly to trade and latterly with the transfer of tourism from the Kashmir Valley to Ladakh.

Ladakh receives very large numbers of tourists for its size. In 2010, 77,800 tourists arrived in Leh. Numbers of visitors have swelled rapidly in recent years, increasing 77% in the 5 years to 2010. This growth is largely accounted for by larger numbers of trips by domestic Indian travelers.^[24]

Attractions[link]

1. Shanti Stupa.
2. Leh Palace.
3. Leh Trekking Trails.
4. War Museum.
5. Chamba Temple.
6. Jama Masjid.
7. Jo Khang Gompa.
8. Namgyal Tsemo Gompa.
9. Sankar Gompa.
10. Stok Palace.
11. The Victory Tower.
12. Zorawar Fort.

Transport[link]

• Road

Leh is connected to the rest of India by two high-altitude roads both of which are subject to landslides and neither of which are passable in winter when covered by deep snows. The National Highway 1D from Srinagar via Kargil is generally open longer. The Leh-Manali Highway can be troublesome due to very high passes and plateaus, and the lower but landslide-prone Rohtang Pass near Manali.

• National Highway 1D

The overland approach to Ladakh from the Kashmir valley via the 434-km. Srinagar-Leh road typically remains open for traffic from June to October/November. The most dramatic part of this road journey is the ascent up the 3,505 m (11,500 ft.) high Zoji-la, a tortuous pass in the Great Himalayan Wall. The Jammu & Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) operates regular Deluxe and Ordinary bus services between Srinagar and Leh on this route with an overnight halt at Kargil. Taxis (cars and jeeps) are also available at Srinagar for the journey.

• Leh-Manali Highway

Since 1989, the 473-km Manali-Leh road has been serving as the second land approach to Ladakh. Open for traffic from June to late October, this high road traverses the upland desert plateaux of Rupsho whose altitude ranges from 3,660 m to 4,570 m. There are a number of high passes en route among which the highest one, known as Tanglang La, is sometimes (but incorrectly) claimed to be the world’s second highest motorable pass at an altitude of 5,325 m. (17,469 feet). See the article on Khardung La for a discussion of the world's highest motorable passes.

• Air

Leh's Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport has flights to Delhi at least daily on Kingfisher, Jet Airways and/or Indian Airlines which also provides twice weekly services to Jammu and a weekly flight to Srinagar. Connect in Delhi for other destinations.

• Rail

There are no railways currently in Ladakh, however a railway is proposed. See Bilaspur-Mandi-Leh Railway for more information.

Pictures[link]

View of Leh   Leh, capital of Ladakh ca. 1857 Leh, capital of Ladakh ca. 1857   Shanti Stupa, constructed in 1983 by the Japanese   Leh Palace   Leh Mosque   Complete view of Leh as seen from Shanti Stupa   Leh in summer

See also[link]

• 2010 Leh floods
• Kargil town
• Skardu
• Sindhu Darshan Festival

Footnotes[link]

See also[link]

References[link]

• Janet Rizvi. Ladakh: Crossroads of High Asia. Second Edition. (1996). Oxford University Press, Delhi. ISBN 0-19-564546-4.
• Cunningham, Alexander. (1854). LADĀK: Physical, Statistical, and Historical with Notices of the Surrounding Countries. London. Reprint: Sagar Publications (1977).
• Francke, A. H. (1977). A History of Ladakh. (Originally published as, A History of Western Tibet, (1907)). 1977 Edition with critical introduction and annotations by S. S. Gergan & F. M. Hassnain. Sterling Publishers, New Delhi.
• Francke, A. H. (1914). Antiquities of Indian Tibet. Two Volumes. Calcutta. 1972 reprint: S. Chand, New Delhi.
• Hilary Keating (July/August 1993). "The Road to Leh". Saudi Aramco World (Houston, Texas: Aramco Services Company) 44 (4): 8–17. ISSN 1530-5821. http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199304/the.road.to.leh.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-29. 
• Hill, John E. (2009). Through the Jade Gate to Rome: A Study of the Silk Routes during the Later Han Dynasty, 1st to 2nd Centuries CE. BookSurge, Charleston, South Carolina. ISBN 978-1-4392-2134-1.

Further reading[link]

• Lonely Planet: Trekking in the Himalayas (Walking Guides)

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Leh

• Leh at Wikitravel
• Population Figures
• Leh City Guide
• City of Leh Thrives as Oasis of Peace in Kashmir

This article's citation style may be unclear. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking. (January 2011)

This article may be written from a fan's point of view, rather than a neutral point of view. Please clean it up to conform to a higher standard of quality, and to make it neutral in tone. (January 2011)

Abdel Halim Hafez
Abdel Halim Hafez
Background information
Birth name	Abdel Halim Ali Shabana
Born	(1929-06-21)June 21, 1929 Ash Sharqiyah Governorate Egypt
Origin	Ash Sharqiyah Governorate
Died	March 30, 1977(1977-03-30) King's College Hospital, London United Kingdom (aged 47)
Genres	Egyptian Opera Arabic
Years active	1952–1977
Labels	EMI Arabia
Associated acts	Umm Kulthum Fairuz Mohamed Abdel Wahab
Website	7alim.com

Abdel Halim Ali Shabana (Arabic: عبدالحليم علي شبانة) commonly known as Abdel Halim Hafez (Arabic: عبد الحليم حافظ‎) (June 21, 1929 – March 30, 1977), is among the most popular Egyptian and Arab singers and performers.^[1][2][3] In addition to singing, Halim was also an actor, conductor, business man, music teacher and movie producer.^{[1][4][5][6][7]} He is considered to be one of the Great Four of Arabic music (along with Umm Kulthum, Mohammed Abdel Wahab, and Farid Al Attrach).^[1][6][8] His name is sometimes written as 'Abd el-Halim Hafez. He is known as el-Andaleeb el-Asmar (The Great Dark-Skinned Nightingale, Arabic: العندليب الأسمر‎).^[3][9] He is also known as an icon in modern Arabic music.^[1][10] His music is still played daily throughout the Arab world.^{[4][11][12][13]}

However, some critics maintain that he is still alive. Much like the Arab Elvis.

Early life[link]

Born in El-Halawat, in Ash Sharqiyah Governorate, 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Cairo, Egypt as Abdel Halim Ali Shabana, he was the fourth child of Sheikh Ali Ismail Shabana. He had two brothers, Ismail and Mohammed, and one sister, Aliah. His mother died from labour complications three days after giving birth to him - something that made people around him believe that he is a "bad luck". His father died five months later leaving him and his siblings orphaned at a young age. He lived in a poor orphanage for a period of time.^[4] Later, He was raised by his aunt and uncle in Cairo. In these years Abdel Halim was extremely poor.^[14]

Abdel Halim's 'one-of-a-kind' musical abilities first became apparent while he was in primary school and his older brother Ismail Shabana was his first music teacher. At the age of 11 he joined the Arabic Music Institute in Cairo and became known for singing the songs of Mohammed Abdel Wahab. He graduated from the Higher Theatrical Music Institute as an oboe player ^[15][16]

Musical career[link]

While singing in clubs in Cairo, Abdel Halim was drafted as a last-minute substitute when the singer Karem Mahmoud was unable to sing a scheduled live radio performance in 1953.^[17] Abdel Halim's performance was heard by Mohammed Abdel Wahab, the supervisor of musical programming for Egyptian national radio. Abdel Halim took 'Hafez', Abdel Wahab's first name, as his stage-surname in recognition of his patronage.^[2]

In his early career's life, Abdel Halim was rejected by people for his new style of singing. However he persisted and was able to gain accolades later on.^[9] Then, he became a favorite singer among all generations.^[18][19] He also became Egypt's first romantic singer.^[20]

Abdel Halim's collaborated with composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab to produce many popular love songs such as Ahwak ("I love you"), Nebtedi Minen el Hekaya ("If we were to tell the story"), and Fatet Ganbina( "She came between us"). Hafez also worked with Egyptian poet Mohammed Hamza on songs including Zay el Hawa ("It feels like love"), Sawah ("The Wanderer"), Hawel Teftekerni ("Try to remember me"), Aye Damiet Hozn ("Any tear of sadness"), and Mawood ("Promised/ You're used to").

During his career, he was very popular and always performed in sold-out arenas and stadiums.^[21] Despite his popularity, he rarely released a studio album in his life as he was purely a live singer.^[8] He also played many different instruments very well including the oboe, drums, piano, oud, clarinet and guitar.^[4] He was involved in all aspects of the creation of his songs.^[1] Halim brought many new instruments to the Arab World.^[2] He was known for his deep passion in his songs and his highly unique and rare voice.^[1][8] He always sang from true and honest feelings deep inside.^[4] Halim did performances in almost every country in the Arabic world and some performances outside the Arabic world including several concerts in Europe.^[1] Also, he sung uplifting patriotic songs for not just Egypt, but many other countries in the Arab World such as Lebanon, Syria, Tunisa, Morroco and much more.^[22] He used to encourage and help many young artists and actors to become successful.^[23][24][25]

His Fame[link]

In the Arabic world, Halim is known as the "King of Arabic music", "The voice of the people", "The son of the revolution", and "King of emotions and feelings".^{[1][14][26][27][28]} His patriotic songs were the main and most frequent songs sung by the crowds during the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.^{[1][5][18][29]} One of the revolutionaries in the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 quoted "the nightingale's songs inspired us during the Janurary 25 revolution", he added "Although, he died 35 years ago, his songs will surely continue to inspire his fellow egyptains for many generations to come".^[30] His albums and CDs have sold more copies since his death than any other Arab artist ever.^[11] His way of singing, the popularity of his songs and his behavior made him a role model for almost every modern Arab singer.^{[25][31][32][33]} Egyptians and Arabs from all ages are fans of Halim.^[34] Halim is still remembered in the hearts of many people, even years after his death.^[35] He is widely considered among the most influential performers in the Arab World.^[14] The two composers Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Mohammed Al-Mougy both said, "Halim is the smartest person I ever knew".^{[citation needed]} Mohammed Al-Mougy also added, "Halim is very original in all of his work".^{[citation needed]}

Personal life[link]

At the age of 11, Abdel Halim contacted schistosomiasis^[4]—a rare parasitic water-borne disease^[9]—and was extremely periodically and painfully afflicted by it for most of his career. Despite this, he remained positive and never stopped creating and performing his songs.^[26] Nevertheless, he also was always there for his country despite the illness.^[26]

Abdel Halim never married, although rumors persist that he was secretly married to actress Soad Hosny for six years. This has never been proven by anyone. People who were close to both singers declined this rumor.^[36][37]

Halim often gave money and food to charity, and to the poor directly, all through his life.^[4] Halim frequently went to orphanages and hospitals all over the Middle East to donate money, teach music, and help the people there.^[4] In 1969 Halim built a hospital in Egypt to help people. He made the poor, the rich, and presidents all alike in the Arab world.^[26]

Abdel Halim established strong friendships with many contemporary presidents and kings of the Eastern world, including Gamel Abdul Nasser of Egypt, and King Hussan from Morocco.^[4][11] He also had very close friendships with most Egyptian poets.^[1]

Death[link]

Abdel Halim died of liver failure on March 30, 1977 (few months before his 48th birthday) while undergoing treatment for Bilharzia in King's College Hospital, London. His death brought sadness and shock waves to the entire Arab world as a result, His funeral (in Cairo) was attended by millions of people^[9] – more than any funeral in Middle East history other than that of President Gamal Abdel Nasser^[38] He had many more dreams and goals that he wanted to achieve and surpass and could have, but his early death stopped him.^[26] Also some people committed suicide once they heard Halim has died. It is reported that at least four women committed suicide by jumping off the balcony during his huge funeral march.^[4][9] He was buried in Al Rifa'i Mosque (مسجد الرفاعي) in Cairo.

Legacy[link]

Abdel Halim Hafez's song Khosara (خسارة) received notice in the Western world in 1999 when producer Timbaland used elements from it for Jay-Z's recording "Big Pimpin'." Two complete bars from "Khosara" were rerecorded, not sampled, and used without permission from the song's producer and copyright holder, Magdi el-Amroussi. Jay-Z's use of an interpolation, rather than an actual sample, may allow him to avoid paying royalties for the use of the song.^[39]

Over 300 of his songs were recorded and he starred in sixteen classic and successful films, including "Dalilah" (دليله), which was the Middle East's first color motion picture^[14]>^[40]

Along with Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Magdi el-Amroussi, Abdel Halim was one of the main founders of the famous Egyptian recording company Soutelphan,^[4][15] which continues to operate to this day as a subsidiary of EMI Arabia.^[1] The company was founded in 1961.^[4]

A feature film about his life, "Haleem", was released in 2006, starring Ahmad Zaki in the title role, produced by the Good News Group.^[41] In the same year a soap opera "Al-andaleeb hikayt shaab" ^[42] was produced in Egypt with Shadi Shamel starring as Abdel Halim. Shamel won the lead role in a televised competition.^[43]

Songs[link]

Abdel Halim was very successful in creating and leaving behind rich and meaningful Egyptian songs for the world.^[9]

Some of Halim's most popular songs are:

Ahwak (I love you), Ala Ad Al Shok (In return for the love), Ala Hesb Wedad (Depending on the Tenderness), Bitlimoni Leih (Why do you blame me?), El Masish (Christ), Fatet Ganbena (She came between us), Gabar (Strong), Sawwah (Wander), Mawood (Promised/you are used to it), and his last song Qariat Al Fingan (The coffee-cup reader).^[44]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Abdel Halim Hafez Photos
• Abdel Halim Hafez at the Internet Movie Database
• 7alim.com - Contains many songs, videos and lyrics for Abdel Halim Hafez.
• Abdel Halim Hafez at Findagrave.com. The truth of Halim in this website.
• Abdel Halim Hafez at krwetatnt.net
• Abdel Halim Hafez performs Ahwak

Leh Keen

Nationality	American
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Participating years	2010 -
Teams	Hankook Team Farnbacher
Best finish	12th (2010)
Class wins	0

Lehman McGrath Keen III (born July 22, 1983) is an American-born racecar driver born in Dublin, Georgia who currently competes in the Rolex Sports Car Series for Brumos Racing.

In 2004, Keen competed in three races towards the end of the season, accomplishing two podium finishes in the Autometric Motorsports' SGS-class Porsche

Keen drove for Autometrics for the 2005 season also. He started strong with a 6th place finish at Rolex 24 at Daytona and ended the year in 5th place in Rolex points.

Leh also raced in 2005 in the GT2 class of American Le Mans Series driving the #79 J3 Porsche GT3 RSR in the Petit Le Mans.

Keen drove the Shoes for Crews #80 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car with David Murry for Synergy Racing in the 2006 season. With a podium finish in Mexico City and another at Infineon Raceway for the season, over all Leh finished 6th in points for the GT Class.

In 2007 Leh drove the Farnbacher-Loles #85 Porsche GT3 sponsored by Shoes for Crews and Recaro. During the 2007 Rolex 24 hours at Daytona, Keen, one of four drivers to drive the number 85 car, led the GT class for the first 22.5 hours. However, they failed to finish the race due to engine trouble. At the second race of the year in Mexico City Leh finished second with co-driver Dominic Farnbacher.

He also competes in time attack racing. In 2007 Leh piloted GSC's Unlimited Class Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Modified class Toyota Supra in the Redline Time Attack Series and drove in Car & Driver One Lap of America competition driving GSC's Modified Class Toyota Supra.

2011 Rolex Sports Car

In 2009 Leh and his co-driver Dirk Werner clinched the Rolex Grand-Am GT championship with 359 points each. They finished the season out with a total of 7 podiums (4 wins, 1 second and 2 third).

For the 2010 season, Leh piloted the #41 Mazda RX-8 for Dempsey Racing with co-driver James Gue.

In 2011, Leh again changed teams as he is driving the #59 Porsche 911 GT3 for Brumos Racing with co-driver Andrew Davis. The pairing took their first win together at the 2011 Six Hours of Watkins Glen.

For 2012, Leh returns with Brumos Racing and co-driver Andrew Davis in the team's #59 Porsche 911 GT3.

24 Hours of Le Mans results[link]

Year	Class	No	Tyres	Car	Team	Co-Drivers	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
2010	GT2	89	H	Ferrari F430 GT2 Ferrari 4.0L V8	Hankook Team Farnbacher	Dominik Fanbacher Allan Simonsen	336	12th	2nd
2011	GTE Pro	89	H	Ferrari 458 Italia GTC Ferrari 4.5L V8	Hankook Team Farnbacher	Dominik Farnbacher Allan Simonsen	137	DNF	DNF

External links[link]

• Leh Keen official website

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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2011)

Stephen Knapp
Stephen Knapp assembling a lightpainting, 2006.
Birth name	Stephen Knapp
Born	(1947-10-15) October 15, 1947 (age 64) Worcester, Massachusetts
Nationality	American
Field	Architectural installation, mixed-media sculpture, photography, and ceramics
Training	Hamilton College
Movement	Lightpainting

Stephen Knapp (born 1947, Worcester, Massachusetts) is an American artist best known for his use of the medium of lightpainting He has gained an international reputation for large-scale works of art held in museums, public, corporate, and private collections, which are executed in media as diverse as light, kiln-formed glass, metal, stone, mosaic, and ceramic.

Knapp has written and lectured on architectural art glass, the collaborative process, and the integration of art and architecture. His work has appeared in many publications including Art and Antiques, Architectural Record, ARTnews, Ceramics Monthly, The Chicago Sun Times, Honoho Geijutsu, Identity, Interior Design, Interiors, The New York Times, Nikkei Architecture, Progressive Architecture, Sculpture (magazine), and 90+10.

Life and work[link]

Stephen Knapp was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1947, graduated from Worcester Academy in 1965, and received his B.A. from Hamilton College in 1969. For nearly a decade after graduating from college, he worked as a fine art photographer, selling his work to corporate and private collectors in the United States and abroad.^[1] During this early stage in his career Knapp worked closely with Polaroid Corporation on their 20x24 camera, creating large scale instant photographs.

Soon enough, though, photography was not enough. Knapp began to look more closely at permanent materials. Various types of ceramic, mosaic, metal, stone, and glass filled his studio as he developed the innovations for which he is known today—combining mediums and processing techniques and working craftsmen, fabricators, and manufacturers from around the world on an increasingly grand scale.

Stephen Knapp (right) at work on a ceramic mural in Shigaraki, Japan, 1985.

Research took Knapp to Japan in 1985 where he created some of the world’s largest glass-glaze ceramic murals. He had come upon a factory in Japan that made huge photo-ceramic murals, a technique used by Robert Rauschenberg in the early 1980s. Though the photo decal technique seemed tailor made for him, he became fascinated with a thick glass glaze—a crackle glaze—that had been developed for architecture. Changing surfaces to reflect the light was to become a major influence on later work.

The following year he used photo-transfer techniques to define the images to be etched and anodized in aluminum, creating one of the world’s largest etched-metal murals—a 14’ x 72’ piece for the Hamilton County Justice Complex in Cincinnati.

A pattern was now forming—Knapp used the research for one project to enhance the next. When it came time to create two large etched stainless-steel murals for McDonnell Douglas’s Douglas Center in California, he developed a new technique of mixing paints to change the look of the surface depending on the angle of light. The kinetic force of these murals lent a palpable energy to the work. A closer look at the murals reveals his interest in creating illusions of space, which he would later explore in his lightpaintings.

During the 1990s, his increasing fascination with light led Knapp to kiln-formed glass—the heating of glass to take on the shape of a form below, resulting over the decade in large installations across the United States. An acknowledged expert in his field, he frequently wrote and lectured on architectural art glass, the collaborative process, and the integration of art and architecture. In 1998 he authored The Art of Glass for Rockport Publishers.