'Das Grab der Mèjmūnah und die nächste Umgebung'. Photographer: al-Sayyid ʻAbd al-Ghaffār [‎9r-b] (1/1)

Content

Genre/Subject Matter:

This landscape view shows the ‘the grave of our lady Maymūna [the last of nine wives married to the prophet Mohammed] and surrounding area’ at a place near Mecca called Sarif (Saref or ‘èn-Nawwārijjeh’, according to Snouck Hurgronje). Snouck Hurgonje, in the second volume of his publication Mekka describes the place, as well as the festival of ‘Sittanā Mèjmūnah’ in detail.

The white-washed low-lying wall – broken only by an arched entryway in the middle – forms an enclosure with two white-washed buildings facing one another. This small cluster of structures is the building visible from afar in X463/7. Both buildings are flat-roofed with rounded crenellations. The building on the right features a low, white-washed onion-dome. Tradition relates that Maymūna requested to be buried at this location, where she married Mohammed.

In the left of the foreground rows of awnings cover a long stall beside which people are seated, in the shade. Tents, animals, people and bundles occupy the rest of the foreground as well as the background. Five rocky outcrops are visible in the background along the horizon.

Inscriptions:

Above image, on the right, in ink: ‘IXb’

Temporal Context:

According to Durkje van der Wal in his publication Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje: The First Western Photographer in Mecca, 1884-1885 (Amsterdam : Manfred & Hanna Heiting Fund, Rijksmuseum, 2011, pp. 43-51), the photographs in this publication that pertain to the hadj (this image included) likely date to August 1888 since this was the period of the last hadj before February 1889, the date Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje received the final consignment of images.

Extent and format

1 collotype print

Physical characteristics

Dimensions:

103 x 145 mm

Format:

Collotype print, pasted into volume

Condition:

The print is in good condition with minor surface dirt and light abrasions throughout.

Foliation:

‘IXb’

Process:

Collotype

Written in

Arabic in Arabic script

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