A journey through the memories of Haj
Rare collection of Quranic pages, artefacts illustrating the Haj rituals, astrolabes used by Muslims to determine the correct prayer times and the direction of Makkah, old pictures showing routes used by pilgrims from around the globe and the problems they encountered on their way to Makkah, are some of the ancient things at the Haj exhibition in Abu Dhabi.
The major exhibition, Hajj: Memories of a journey, seeks to tell the story of the important Islamic pillar through photographs, multi-media displays, contemporary installations and unique artefacts, opened to the public on Wednesday and will go on until March 19, 2018.
The exhibition, at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, explores the history of Makkah, the rituals of Haj and the experiences of Emirati pilgrims through the years.
It traces the history of Haj from the arrival of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula up to the souvenirs bought by Haj pilgrims in the bazaars around Makkah and Madinah. More than 180 artefacts from institutions across the world are on display.
Items being exhibited
Among the items on display for visitors in the six sections of the exhibition is the rare collection of Quranic pages including a blue-painted leather print with gold, silver and other coloured ink from 900 AD.
There is rare page of the Holy Quran from Hijaz — present-day Saudi Arabia. This page is a rare survival from the early period of Holy Quran production dating around 650 or early 700s CE and it usually features red ink for diacritical dots and chapter headings.
Also, on display is the Holy Quran from central Asia — a manuscript of the work of the most outstanding Holy Quran scribe active in Central Asia in the late 1500s called Abd Al Qadr ibn Abd Al Wahhab. The Quran features a sequence of decorated pages at the beginning and end, such as the frontispiece on display.
Anis Al Hujjaj (The Pilgrim Companion) has pages from a collection of Islamic art in which Safi bin Wali gives a detailed description of the Haj rituals including illustrations showing the rituals at Mina and Muzdalifa.
Other items on display is the Mahmal, a ceremonial palanquin made of embroidered textiles and sent to Makkah from Cairo and Damascus as the centerpiece of the Haj caravan, Sitara for the Kaaba — the curtain made to cover the door of the Kaaba in Makkah and was produced in a factory in Cairo, and a brass candlestick inlaid with silver that was dedicated to the mosque of the prophet in Madina by the Mamluk Sultan Qaytbay.
The exhibition also features oral histories and some of the earliest photographs and archival materials, illustrating the old routes and paths taken by pilgrims from the UAE and the rest of the world to the UAE, as well as the many challenges they faced during their travels.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com