Desert of Pharan

Book by Ahmed Mater

Lars Müller Publishers (softcover, 632 pages)

For a brief period each year, during the annual pilgrimage of Hajj, the population of Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, swells by upwards of three million. Currently undergoing a major expansion that began in 2005, this ancient metropolis has been indelibly altered. Historic architecture has been reduced to rubble to make way for modern infrastructure and amenities to accommodate these visitors. Physicianturned-artist Ahmed Mater spent nearly a decade photographing the exclusive city (which is inaccessible to non-believers), documenting the transformation of the devotional site during the nearconstant demolition of ancient mosques, mansions and bridges, and rapid-fire construction of luxury hotels, high-end malls and Starbucks. In Desert of Pharan, Mater reveals, through more than 600 images (and few words), a city in flux. Juxtaposing the gritty slums and overcrowded immigrant labour camps against opulent developments, these pages expose the changing face of a sacred journey only a select few million will take.