Exhibition of rare photos of Holy Mecca held in Holland

By: Anjum Kermani

LIEDEN, Holland: An exhibition of rare photos of the holy city of Mecca was held by the famous Lieden University here to mark the holy month of Ramadan.

These photos were taken between 1885 and 1935, and highlight the Hajj season as it was during that period.

director of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the university Keis van Omen said that for a number of years now when Ramadan comes an exhibition is organized to highlight one aspect or another of the Islamic world, and this year the presentation of photographs of the holy city of Mecca that were taken during the closing months of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th is the main theme.

One of the photos depicts pilgrims standing on Mount Arafat, and was taken by Haj Abdul Ghaffar. Another panoramic picture shows the pilgrims in Mina, while several other photos were taken in various localities of Holy Mecca, showing how simple life in the holy city was then, in contrast to the changes that have taken place since then.

Other photographs portray the luminaries of Holy Mecca, including one of a famous Dutch Orientalist.

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