http://arabnews.com/lifestyle/article199027.ece
A Dutch scholar's chronicle of 19th century Makkah Group portrait of sharif Yahya with camel slave and two lower sharifs. 1 of 3 By DALIA MATTAR, life.st...@arabnews.com Published: Nov 24, 2010 15:43 Updated: Nov 24, 2010 20:09 As you step into The Empty Quarter Gallery in Dubai's Financial Center, you are instantly greeted with Makkah's busy markets and streets and detailed vintage black and white photographs of the city and its inhabitants. Under the patronage of Princess Reem Al-Faisal, the gallery - in collaboration with Netherland's Leiden University Library and Hes & De Graaf Publishers - showcases an exquisite collection of the daily sights, sounds and lives of the Makkan society during the late 19th century. The exhibit, titled "Mecca - A Dangerous Adventure," features re-photographed and re-produced platinum prints of the works of renowned Dutch scholar, Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje (1857-1936). Hurgronje, a theology student at Lieden University, was born in Oosterhout, Netherlands in 1857. He later became a scholar in Oriental cultures and languages, and was consequently appointed as an adviser on the Native affairs of the colonial Netherlands East Indies. "He was fascinated with different kinds of religions, but was specifically interested in the teachings and belief system of Islam. He was also fluent in Arabic," said Elie Domit, Gallery Partner and Curator. In 1880, Hurgronje wrote his doctorate thesis titled "Het Mekkansche Feest" (The Festivities of Makkah), which described the Haj pilgrimage and its customs. During that time period, European governments started to notice the Muslim population's support of liberation efforts taking place in the Dutch and European colonies, and considered Makkah as a hub for Muslim fanatics. In 1884, through a partial funding from the Dutch government, Hurgronje was sent to Jeddah for the sole purpose of surveying the lives of these Makkan "fanatics." However, his personal interests in the Holy City and the religion engaged him with ulterior motives for the trip. As he couldn't enter the jurisdictions of Makkah, Hurgronje first landed in the port city of Jeddah and immediately began to socialize within the city's elite circles. In order to gain access into the Holy City, as well as the trust of citizens and government officials, he publicly converted to Islam and became known as Abd Al-Ghaffar. In Jan. 21 1885, he finally set forth on his much-anticipated journey. During his short but comprehensive seven-month stay in Makkah, he observed and chronicled the daily lives of the local society through photos, written memoirs, and sound recordings. These chronicles comprised much of the material for Bilder Aus Mekka (Makkah in the Latter Part of the 19th Century), which constitutes one of today's most important visual memoirs of the Holy City. "During that time, Makkah had one of the largest slave markets in the world, and Hurgronje was amazed with the humane way this trading was conducted. A slave was treated as a member of the family," said Domit. Hurgronje also thought highly of Makkan women; he thoroughly described their social standing, fashion sense and the abundance of liberties they had in comparison to women in Eastern cities at the time. His growing interest in Makkah heightened suspicions among European governments. Soon after, Hurgronje generally became known as a spy, imposter and undoubtedly one of the few Oriental scholars of that time. Shortly after his marriage to an Ethiopian woman, Hurgronje received a deportation order when the French government accused him of stealing the Taima stone. Consequently, he had to flee the country, quickly gathering his notes and photographs, while leaving his camera equipment to his friend and photography student, Al-Sayyid Abd Al-Ghaffar. Upon his arrival to the Netherlands, Hurgronje began writing articles on Makkan topics and was thereafter considered an authority on the subject. Hurgronje and Al-Sayyid Abd Al-Ghaffar were in constant correspondence, exchanging updated information and photographs of the Holy City. This led to the creation of Hurgronje's second album, which mostly contained portraitures of Haj pilgrims. Hurgronje's renowned support of the Saudi cause prompted Saudi princes to pay three state visits to Holland between 1926 and 1935. For a foreigner to take such deep interest in the Makkan culture, religion and its teachings prior to the wide availability of information through media and telecommunications, is what makes this collection even more unique. "This documentation was a testimony to what Islam is all about. He didn't document it from a biased perspective," said Domit. Hurgronje is to this date one of the few Europeans who has had a direct educational experience of the Holy City. The Haj pilgrimage is an appreciation of just that; a time where millions of Muslims from around the world come together to love, learn and live our Holy City, Makkah Al Mukarramah. For more information on The Empty Quarter gallery and this exhibit, visit www.theemptyquarter.com. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: prole...@egroups.com Subscribe : proletar-subscr...@egroups.com Unsubscribe : proletar-unsubscr...@egroups.com List owner : proletar-ow...@egroups.com Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! 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