A spectacular new show at the Grand Mosque
Hajj exhibition features 182 pieces that explain the history and evolution of the pilgrimage, finds John Dennehy
Given that today people can travel in a jetliner across the world in a matter of hours, it seems hard to grasp that only a few generations ago pilgrims from the UAE took four months to reach Makkah – on a camel.
But that is why the Hajj is known as the greatest journey on Earth.
Now a major exhibition in Abu Dhabi, Hajj: Memories of a Journey, seeks to tell this epic story through photographs, multimedia and contemporary installations and artefacts – some of which have never been displayed before.
Launched at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi yesterday, the exhibition explores the history of Makkah, the rituals of Hajj and the experiences of Emirati pilgrims through the ages.
More than 182 artefacts from 15 institutions are on display, including pieces from collections held in Kuwait and Greece. Eighteen objects from the permanent collection of the Zayed National Museum, which will be built on Saadiyat Island, are also included.
“We are committed to maintaining valuable principles and acting as a beacon for Islamic civilisation,” said Yousif Al Obaidli, director general of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre.
“In doing so we sustain a platform for cultural dialogue among all peoples, regardless of their differences.”
The exhibition is being run by the centre and the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority. Divided into six sections, it traces the history of Hajj from the arrival of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula right up to the souvenirs bought by Hajj pilgrims in the bazaars around Makkah and Madinah.
Some of these are on display, including postcards, prayer beads and a retro 3D viewer where you can scan through images from Madinah.
Artefacts seen for the first time include friezes and panels excavated from a 7th Century Christian monastery on Sir Bani Yas Island. Their grape clusters, floral motifs and crosses are considered to be some of the finest examples of moulded plasterwork yet found in the Arabian Gulf.
“This has never been exhibited anywhere since it left the excavation site,” says the co-curator of the exhibition, Noora Al Mubarak.
The largest section of the exhibition is titled Journeys, which looks at the evolution of Hajj routes. Large maps of their roads to Makkah hang from the wall, photographs show the arduous nature of the journey, and the advent of the Hejaz Railway in 1908 is also explored.
Central to this part of the exhibition is the Hajj made by the Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed, in 1979. Colour television and mass media had reached the country by that stage and daily updates were carried on TV and radio back home.
A 45-minute video documentary of Sheikh Zayed’s trip plays on one screen. A report from Al Ittihad newspaper on November 4, 1979 can be seen and photographs of that historic trip are on view.
The film includes an interview with Sheikh Zayed where he talks about tolerance, the importance of Islam and how Muslims must work together to solve the problems of the time.
“The film documents the minute he left Abu Dhabi until he came back – who he met, who was there,” Ms Al Mubarak said. “The president of Sudan and the king of Jordan were also there.”
Also in the Journeys section is a striking set of photographs from Dutch photographer Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje. He travelled to Jeddah and Makkah in 1884 and captured scenes of everyday life.
Another highlight is the “mahmal” room. Before people went on Hajj, a mahmal, or decorated unoccupied palanquin, would tour the country in a procession telling people that the Hajj was going to start.
“That helps people to really get motivated and excited about the journey,” Ms Al Mubarak said.
Mahmals were sent from Cairo, Damascus and Yemen, and the exhibition includes a documentary of a mahmal convoy in Cairo heading to Makkah in 1938.
Contemporary artwork closes off the exhibition, including photographs from Emirati artist Mohammad Kazem showing the Kaaba and surrounding buildings.
“The exhibition provides tangible evidence of the diversity of the Islamic faith, while reinforcing solidarity and a wider cultural dialogue,” the tourism authority’s director general, Saif Ghobash, said at the launch.
The exhibition includes talks, workshops and film screenings and coincides with the 10-year anniversary of the mosque’s opening.
It has become a place of worship and a major tourist attraction visited by five million people a year.
Hajj: Memories of a Journey runs at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque from September 20 to March 19 and is free of charge. For more information visit www. szgmc.ae
We are committed to maintaining principles and acting as a beacon for Islamic civilisation YOUSIF AL OBAIDLI Director general of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre