عرفة

Content
Genre/Subject Matter:

This landscape view shows the 'Mount‘Arafah, during the annual gathering of pilgrims [hadj] (as seen from the south)’ as well as the Plain of Arafat or ‘Arafah. Located 21km southeast of the Masjid al-Haram, the plain, which extends 6km from east to west and 12km from north to south, and the 70 metre high granite hill at the centre of it – visible here on the horizon at centre – are stations of the hadj. Mount Arafat is located northeast of the plain and is also known as Jabal al-Rahmah or Mount of Mercy.

On the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah , known as the Day of Arafat, just before noon, pilgrims gather on the plain to perform wuquf or ‘standing before God’, as can be seen in this image: this is a pillar of the hadj and must be undertaken in order the pilgrimage to be valid. In this image the background and middle ground are populated by pilgrims’ tents.

Most of the pilgrims visible here – male and female – are wearing the two piece garb, consisting of two white seamless sheets, associated with being in the state of ihram . The men have clearly shaved their heads as a part of the ritual cleansing ceremony undertaken at the beginning of the hadj in order to enter into the state of ihram .

In the foreground, two camels are couched at left, an awning or tent billows in the wind and a crouching man turns to face the camera, though most other figures face away from it.

The negative has had hand-work applied, creating a drawing-like quality throughout , where the original plate may have been over-exposed.

Arabic script written directly into the image has been erased subtly, but is visible upon close inspection in the lower centre of the image as well as in the central sky area of the image.

This is the first (central) of three photographs taken from the same vantage point, which form a panoramic view over the plain. The second and third are X463/15 and X463/16 respectively.

Inscriptions:

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

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:

193 x 245 mm

Format:

Collotype print, pasted into volume

Condition:

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

Foliation:

‘XIII’

Process:

Collotype

Written in
Arabic in Arabic script

Content
Genre/Subject Matter:

This landscape view shows ‘the east side of Mount [‘Arafah]’ as well as the Plain of Arafat or ‘Arafah. Located 21 km southeast of the Masjid al-Haram, the plain, which extends 6 km from east to west and 12 km from north to south, and the 70 metre high granite hill at the centre of it – visible here on the horizon at left – are stations of the hadj. Mount Arafat is located northeast of the plain and is also known as Jabal al-Rahmah or Mount of Mercy.

On the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah , known as the Day of Arafat, just before noon, pilgrims gather on the plain to perform wuquf or ‘standing before God’, as can be seen in this image: this is a pillar of the hadj and must be undertaken in order the pilgrimage to be valid. In this image the background and middle ground are populated by pilgrims and their tents.

Many of the pilgrims visible here – male and female – are wearing the two piece garb, consisting of two white seamless sheets, associated with being in the state of ihram . The men have clearly shaved their heads as a part of the ritual cleansing ceremony undertaken at the beginning of the hadj in order to enter into the state of ihram . A woman standing behind the tent in the foreground at left wears a headscarf and faces the camera.

In the foreground, an awning or tent (which is the same one visible in X463/14) billows in the wind, covering full sacks, firewood and other camping supplies.

The negative has had hand-work applied, creating a drawing-like quality throughout where the original plate may have been over-exposed and where the photographer wished to pick up some small details, such as the face of the man left of centre. Arabic script written directly into the image has been erased subtly, but is visible upon close inspection in the lower centre of the image as well as in the central sky area of the image.

This is the second (right-hand) of three photographs taken from the same vantage point, which form a panoramic view over the plain. The first and third are X463/14 and X463/16 respectively.

Inscriptions:

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

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:

185 x 240 mm

Format:

Collotype print, pasted into volume

Condition:

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

Foliation:

‘XIV’

Process:

Collotype

Written in
Arabic in Arabic script

الجهة الغربية لجبل عرفة

Content
Genre/Subject Matter:

This landscape view shows ‘the west side of the Mount [‘Arafah]’ as well as the Plain of Arafat or ‘Arafah. Located 21 km southeast of the Masjid al-Haram, the plain, which extends 6km from east to west and 12 km from north to south, and the 70 metre high granite hill at the centre of it are stations of the hadj. Mount Arafat is located northeast of the plain and is also known as Jabal al-Rahmah or Mount of Mercy.

On the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah , known as the Day of Arafat, just before noon, pilgrims gather on the plain to perform wuquf or ‘standing before God’, as can be seen in this image: this is a pillar of the hadj and must be undertaken in order the pilgrimage to be valid. In this image the background and middle ground are populated by pilgrims and their tents while in the left middle ground beasts of burden, including horses, camels and donkeys can be seen.

A boy standing by the tent in the foreground at left and facing the camera has a shaved head and wears the two piece garb, consisting of two white seamless sheets, associated with being in the state of ihram . At right a camel is couched; this is the same camel visible in X463/14.

The negative has had hand-work applied, creating a drawing-like quality throughout where the original plate may have been over-exposed and where the photographer wished to pick up some small details, such as the face of the boy at left.

Arabic script written directly into the image has been erased subtly, but is visible upon close inspection in the lower right of the image as well as in the central sky area of the image.

This is the third (left hand) of three photographs taken from the same vantage point, which form a panoramic view over the plain. The first and second are X463/14 and X463/15 respectively.

Inscriptions:

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

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:

190 x 243 mm

Format:

Collotype print, pasted into volume

Condition:

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

Foliation:

‘XV’

Process:

Collotype

Written in
Arabic in Arabic script

Content
Genre/Subject Matter:

This landscape view shows ‘[a] pilgrims’ camp in the Plain east of Mount ‘Arafah’. Located 21 km southeast of the Masjid al-Haram, the plain, which extends 6 km from east to west and 12 km from north to south, and the 70 metre high granite hill at the centre of it are stations of the hadj. Mount Arafat is located northeast of the plain and is also known as Jabal al-Rahmah or Mount of Mercy.

In this image the plain is populated by a wide variety of tents while in the foreground three camels are couched around one low-lying tent. A figure crouches alongside the camel at centre.

The negative has had hand-work applied, creating a drawing-like quality where the original plate may have been over-exposed, particularly in the right and along the horizon.

Arabic script written directly into the image has been erased subtly, but is visible upon close inspection in the lower right of the image as well as in the central sky area of the image.

Inscriptions:

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

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:

186 x 240 mm

Format:

Collotype print, pasted into volume

Condition:

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

Foliation:

‘XVI’

Process:

Collotype

Written in
Arabic in Arabic script

Content
Genre/Subject Matter:

This photograph shows four men and a camel standing in a flat, stony area. Behind them tall hills rise. The title suggests that one of the men is Sharif Yahya, ‘a son of Sharif Ahmed, whose father was the famous Grand-Sharif Abdulmutalib [bin Ghalib (1880–82)], who died in 1886’.

The camel’s reigns are held by Yahya’s slave; to his left, is Yahya himself, in his riding habit, while the two men on the far left are sharifs of a lower rank.

The sharif on the left wears a white thawb underneath a dark-coloured outer robe. At his waist a scimitar or long janbiya – the curved dagger that is traditionally worn at the waist in countries on the Arabian Peninsula – is held in place by a belt. The sharif second from left wears white trousers, a dark-coloured outer robe and striped shirt with a janbiya at his waist. Both men wear white keffiyehs held in place by dark-coloured agals and sandals. Each holds a stick in his right hand.

Yahya and his slave both also wear keffiyehs held in place by dark-coloured agals but while Yahya’s is dark, his slave’s is white. Both men wear belts held up at the torso by decorated neck halters. Yahya holds a stick in his left hand; his slave holds a long-barrelled rifle upright by the upper barrel.

The camel is shown bearing a ‘saddle cloth, richly embroidered with silver [thread], or batāt ’. Tassels hang from a decorative harness as well as from the saddle itself.

The negative has had hand-work applied, causing it to take on a drawing-like quality in places.

Inscriptions:

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

Extent and format
1 collotype print
Physical characteristics
Dimensions:

185 x 241 mm

Format:

Collotype print, pasted into volume

Condition:

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

Foliation:

‘XVII’

Process:

Collotype

Written in
Arabic in Arabic script

غرفة عروس مزخرفة، تجلس العروس البكر على الكرسي في ليلة الدخلة

Content
Genre/Subject Matter:

The image shows a richly ornamented interior scene in the bridal chamber. The virgin bride is placed onto the throne (seat) on the first night of marriage, laylat al-duk̲h̲la .

The interior consists of a roughly square space, with nine equally sized recesses on three walls. The bridal throne ( arīkah ) is located in the middle of the three recesses that are visible in the lower centre of the image. A close-up view of the throne and the left-hand recess alongside it can be seen in the second of two images – X463/20 – presented together.

An arched portico, around which detailed cloth or tile decoration can be seen, separates the camera from the bridal chamber. Although in each of the nine recesses glass lanterns hang, natural light illuminates the decoration visible around the arch, while a further lower ceiling – just visible in the upper part of the image – is shrouded in darkness.

A glass chandelier hangs low on a long cord in the space lit by natural light in the middle-ground.

This is the first of two related images.

Inscriptions:

Above the top image, on the right, in ink: ‘XVIIIa’

Extent and format
1 collotype print
Physical characteristics
Dimensions:

101 x 130 mm

Format:

Collotype print, pasted into volume

Condition:

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

Foliation:

‘XVIIIa’

Process:

Collotype

Written in
Arabic in Arabic script

صورة العريس جالس على الكرسي أو الأريكة

Content
Genre/Subject Matter:

The image shows a richly ornamented interior scene in the bridal chamber. The virgin bride is placed onto the throne (seat) on the first night of marriage, laylat al-duk̲h̲la ; in this image the bridegroom is seated in her place.

The bridal throne ( arīkah ) is located in the central of three recesses, two of which are visible in this image. A wider view of the bridal chamber can be seen in the first of two images – X463/19 – presented together.

The arch-surrounds are decorated with richly embroidered cloth. The arch in which the bridegroom sits is edged with a shiny, spherical balls. A large, tassel-edged, embroidered circular hanging is visible in the right-hand recess.

The bridegroom faces the camera with his hands on his knees. He wears a white turban, mid-coloured robe and a striped shawl tossed over his right shoulder.

A glass chandelier that is visible in the previous image (X463/19) is here out of focus in the upper part of the image. A further hanging light feature, directly above the bridegroom, is also out of focus, while two further chandelier-like features are affixed to the walls either side of the bridegroom. Further light is provided by the glass lanterns hanging directly in the centre of the two recesses visible.

This is the second of two related images.

Inscriptions:

Above the top image, on the right, in ink: ‘XVIIIa’

Extent and format
1 Collotype print
Physical characteristics
Dimensions:

156 x 110 mm

Format:

Collotype print, pasted into volume

Condition:

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

Foliation:

‘XVIIIb’

Process:

Collotype

Written in
Arabic in Arabic script