The British Museum in London opens its doors on
Thursday to the first major exhibition in the world on Hajj, the Islamic
pilgrimage to the heart of Islam.
Using priceless artefacts, video footage, personal audio recordings and
photographs, the show explores the history, journeys and experiences of
pilgrims who travel from around the world to reach the holy city of
Mecca.
Among the artefacts on display is a "Mahmal", one of the ceremonial
curtained transports in which the Sultans were carried from Cairo to
Mecca in what is now Saudi Arabia, and a Koran from the eighth century.
Also on show is "Milestone", one of the stone slabs once used by
pilgrims in Iraq to mark their route to Mecca, so they could find their
way home.
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"Magnetism", a minimalist piece of art by Saudi artist Ahmed Mater of
the Kaaba, the sacred site around which the pilgrims pray, adds a modern
touch.
The Hajj exhibition is the third by the British Museum in a series of
sacred spritual journeys that included "Treasures of Heaven" and "Book
of the Dead", and is intended to improve understanding of the pilgrimage
and Islam itself.
"We had to contact museums from all over the world to request if we
could borrow some of their artefacts, and if there were items that
related to the routes of Hajj," said curator Venetia Porter.
Many of the artefacts were donated by Nasser Khalili, one of the biggest
collectors of Islamic art in the world.
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"This exhibition is a journey that sends out a religious, spiritual,
ritual and cultural message that proves how harmonious Islam is,"
Khalili told AFP.
Muslims are obligated to try to make the Hajj to Mecca at least once in
their lives, during the last month of the Islamic year known as Dhu'l
Hijja.
"Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam" opens at the British Museum on
January 26, and runs until April 15.
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