The King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh recently opened a special exhibition featuring rare data-ex-objects and relics related to Islam’s holiest sites and rituals, such as the Holy Kaaba, the Great Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. Millions of pilgrims visit during the Hajj every year.
The exhibition includes manuscripts, rare books, pictures, coins and miniatures of the library related to the rituals of Hajj and the two holy mosques. The month-long exhibition also showcases the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Mustalifa, standing at Arafat and stoning Jamarat, and performing Tawaf around the Holy Kaaba.
Faisal Bin Muammar, General Supervisor of King Abdulaziz Public Library said: „The exhibition has been organized during the Hajj pilgrimage period to highlight the Hajj culture and this great ritual of the Islamic religion. In our Arabic and Islamic tradition. It showcases rare collections from the library that include manuscripts related to the rituals of Hajj, Mecca and Medina. There are many rare books and a collection of Saudi coins.
The King Abdulaziz Public Library displays 40 rare photographs of the Hajj period and the Two Holy Mosques taken by the most famous travelers who visited the Kingdom before and after the establishment of modern Saudi Arabia. It includes a group photo of Major General Mohammad Sadiq Pasha; A collection of 365 photographs taken 115 years ago by Indian pilgrim Ahmed Mirza and international photographer Ahmed Pasha Helmi.
It also displays a collection of photographs documenting various scenes of the 1936 Hajj. There are also pictures taken by the Egyptian Hajj mission in 1936, including a picture of the Holy Kaaba that year, a photo of pilgrims descending from Mount Arafat, and a caption. For Mustalifa, another picture of pilgrims at Mina, a 1936 picture of members of the Egyptian Hajj mission, a picture of one of the doors of the Great Mosque, and other pictures.
The library contains 8100 photographs taken by the most famous photographers of the East, the Arab region and the Islamic world since 1740, making it one of the rarest photographs in the world.
Among the manuscripts displayed by the library are „Qurat al-Ain on the Descriptions of the Two Holy Mosques;” „Book of Stories and Explanation of 30 Problems;” „Farm of Good Deeds;” „Explanation of the Guides of the Virtues;” As well as a collection of Holy Quran manuscripts produced in two holy mosques. A rare manuscript titled „Sajiyat al-Haram” written by Imam al-Suyudi and other manuscripts are on display in the library.
It is noteworthy that the King Abdulaziz Public Library recently organized several quality exhibitions, notably the Arabic Alphabet Exhibition; Exhibition of Arab and Islamic Coins through the Ages; Rare Quran Exhibition and other exhibitions offering samples of rare artefacts. The library works to connect readers, researchers and people of different ages interested in our Arabic and Islamic heritage in a comprehensive way.
Source: saudigazette.com