Hajj: journey to the heart of Islam explores the pilgrimage that is so important to members of the Muslim faith. The exhibition is a joint venture between the British Museum and King Abdulaziz Public Library, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The partnership is grateful for the support given by HSBC Amanah.
The British Museum's installation is the first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the Hajj. The pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, takes place during Dhu’l Hijja, the last month of the Islamic year, and Muslims all over the world will try to make this journey at least once during their lifetime.
History and Cultural Importance of the Hajj Explained
The exhibition looks at what is involved in the mass migration that is the Hajj, asking how this has changed over the centuries. The display also looks at sacred rituals which have changed little since the time of the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th Century AD. Countless thousands have made this journey and the exhibition shows the reactions of pilgrims, and how the pilgrimage affected them.
Many beautiful artefacts are on display, including Qur'ans, manuscripts, textiles, Hajj certificates and exquisite artworks. Many are on loan from Saudi Arabia, supplemented by a considerable loan of some 45 items from the Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art.
Hajj: Journey to the heat of Islam aims to procure a greater understanding of the importance of the Hajj to members of the Muslim faith. Non-Muslims will be able to explore a side of Islam that they are not usually able to see for themselves.
Highlights of the Exhibition
The Ka'ba lies at the heart of the sanctuary at Mecca. Muslims believe the structure was erected by Abraham and his son Ishmael. It is the holiest site in Islam, and pilgrims walk round it seven times, in a counter-clockwise direction, before entering. The display features sitarah (curtains) made for the door of the Ka'ba. This beautiful item was commissioned by Sultan Abdülmejid I, Ottoman Egypt, Cairo. It is dated 1263 AH (1846-7 AD) and created on black silk, with coloured silk appliqués. Measuring 540 x 275 cm the curtain is richly embroidered in silver and silver-gilt wire over cotton and silk thread padding. The curtain has been loaned by Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art. The exhibition also includes handbooks issued to pilgrims as well as Qur'ans and other manuscripts together with examples of contemporary art such as Magnetism by Ahmed Mater (b. 1979).
One of the most significant items is this Panoramic View of Mecca created by the Delhi cartographer Muhammad 'Abdullah in 1845. The watercolour was commissioned by the Sharif of Mecca and depicts a detailed plan of the city. Views like this one are often printed on Hajj certificates issued to successful pilgrims.
The exhibition also features views of the sanctuaries at Mecca and Medina. Both watercolours have been loaned by the Khalili Collection.
Exhibition Catalogue
The exhibition is supported by a full colour catalogue. Edited by curator Venetia Porter, the publication features essays by leading scholars including Karen Armstrong, Muhammad A S Abdel Haleem, Robert Irwin, Hugh Kennedy and Ziauddin Sardar. More than 200 colour illustrations provide a high-quality record of the exhibition. The book is offered in hardback (ISBN: 9780714111766), priced at £40, and paperback (ISBN: 9780714111759) priced at £25.
Hajj: journey to the heat of Islam will be on show from 26th January to 15th April 2012. Further details, and tickets, are available from the British Museum.
Jennie Gillions' article Hajj at the British Museum: The New Art of Religion looks at the exhibition in more detail.
Frances Spiegel - Frances Spiegel, B.A. Hons. (Open)., Dip.Eur.Hum., read Art History/European Modern History at the Open University.
