Rare exhibits and artifacts of the annual pilgrimage of Hajj opened recently at the King Abdulaziz Public Library

Recently, the King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh hosted the opening of a specialised exhibition that featured uncommon exhibits and artefacts relating to the annual Hajj trip and Islam's holiest site, the Holy Kaaba, the Grand Mosque in Makkah, and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah.

The displays feature a variety of manuscripts, rare books, artwork, coins, and miniatures from the library's collection that focus on the Hajj ceremonies and the Two Holy Mosques. The exhibition, which lasts for one month, also provides insights inside the holy cities of Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah, as well as the customs of standing at Arafat, stoning Jamarat, and performing tawaf around the Holy Kaaba.

40 unique photographs of the Hajj season and the Two Holy Mosques, shot by the most well-known visitors to the Kingdom before and after the establishment of modern Saudi Arabia, are on exhibit at the King Abdulaziz Public Library. Maj. Gen. Mohammed Sadiq Pasha contributed a number of them, along with images from 115 years ago of the Indian pilgrim Ahmed Mirza and 365 images from the world-renowned photographer Ahmed Pasha Helmy. A gallery of images depicting various moments from the Hajj of 1936 is also shown.

Additionally, there are photographs taken by the Egyptian Hajj mission in 1936, including images of the Holy Kaaba in that year, pilgrims ascending Mount Arafat and travelling to Muzdalifah, another image of pilgrims in Mina, photographs of the Egyptian Hajj mission's members in 1936, images of one of the Grand Mosque's doors, and other images.

The library is home to the largest collection of pictures in the world, with 8100 images shot by some of the most well-known photographers in the Middle East, the Arab world, and the Islamic world since 1740.

The library's collection of manuscripts includes "Qurat al-Ain in the descriptions of the Two Holy Mosques;" The book, "The Book of Anecdotes and Explanation of the 30 Issues;" Along with a collection of copies of the Holy Qur'an manuscripts created in the Two Holy Mosques, the "Farm of Good Deeds," "Explanation of Guides of Virtues," and other similar projects. A rare manuscript book called "Sajiat Al-Haram" and other works by Imam Al-Suyuti are also on exhibit at the library.

It is notable that the King Abdulaziz Public Library recently staged a number of high-caliber exhibitions, including the Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition, the Arab and Islamic Coins Exhibition Through the Ages, the Rare Qur'an Exhibition, and other exhibitions that feature samples of the rare artefacts. The library also strives to comprehensively link readers, researchers, and those interested in our Arab and Islamic history of all centuries.