Collection de Monsieur X Exceptionnel ensemble des premières photographies réalisées de la Mecque au XIXe siècle, Arabie Saoudite 27 épreuves, dont 4 panoramas Muhammad SADIQ BEY (1832-1902) Arabie Saoudite, la Mecque, c. 1880-1881 4 panoramas : - Vue générale sur le Haram sacré et la Kaabah, la Mecque, 1880 : panorama composé de 3 épreuves jointes, signé et daté en arabe et en français : 17 x 57 cm (24,8 x 64 cm) - Vue générale sur le Haram sacré et la Kaabah, la Mecque, 1880 : panorama composé de 2 épreuves jointes, signé et daté en arabe : 15 x 39 cm (25 x 50 cm) [a (p. 25), b (p. 18/19), c (p. 56)] - « Campement de pèlerins pendant la fête du Sacrifice à Mina », 1880 : panorama composé de 2 épreuves jointes, signé et daté en arabe et en français : 15,4 x 42 cm (25 x 50 cm) [a (p. 35), b (p. 27/28), c (p. 68)] - « Médine et la place des Pèlerins », 1880 : panorama composé de 2 épreuves jointes, signé et daté en arabe et en français : 14,1 x 38,9 cm (25 x 50 cm) [b (p. 24/25)] Tirages albuminés, montés sur cartons, indications manuscrites à l’encre en arabe et en français sur les montages 9 épreuves : - La Kaabah, la Mecque, 1880, signé et daté en arabe - « Rite du tawaf, autour de la Kaabah », signé en arabe, [a (p. 27), b (p. 23), c (p. 59)] - « Bab-as-Safa, une des portes centrales du Haram sacré à la Mecque, 1881 », signé en français, [a (p. 31), b (p. 10), c (p. 24)] - « Camps de pèlerins au mont Arafat », 1880, signé en arabe et signé et daté en français [a (p. 31), b (p. 24)] - « Cimetière d’al-Ma’la à la Mecque, tombeaux de la mère du Prophète », 1880, signé et daté en arabe [a (p. 29)] - « Portrait de Sharif Shawkat Pasha, gardien de la Sainte Mosquée du Prophète à Médine et trois aghas de la houdjra abritant le tombeau du Prophète et ceux des deux premiers califes », 1880, signé en arabe et français [a (p. 7), b (p. 32)] - « Portrait de Sharif Shawkat Pasha, gardien de la Sainte Mosquée du Prophète à Médine et deux aghas de la houdjra abritant le tombeau du Prophète et ceux des deux premiers califes », 1880, signé en arabe et français [a (p. 30)] - « La Sainte Mosquée du Prophète à Médine », 1881, signé et daté en arabe et français [a (p. 28), b (p. 29)] - Vue générale de Médine, Bab el-shami, porte de Damas, signé en arabe et français Tirages albuminés montés sur carton, indications manuscrites à l’encre en arabe et en français sur les montages Env. 16,5 x 22,5 cm et inf. (24,5 x 28 cm) Abd al-GHAFFAR - Christiaan SNOUCK HURGRONJE (1857-1936) Arabie Saoudite, la Mecque Vue générale de la Mecque, Vue sur le Haram sacré [c (p. 99)], Pèlerins autour de la Kaaba [c (p. 98)], Campement de pèlerins (3) à Arafat et à Mina, Cimetière d’al-Ma’la à la Mecque, tombeaux de la mère du Prophète, Cour intérieure de mosquée, reproduction de gravure de tombeau, c. 1885 9 tirages albuminés montés sur carton, indications en arabe dans l’image, légendes manuscrites en français à l’encre au dos Env. 20 x 25,5 cm et inf. (27 x 35 cm) Bibliographie : [a] « Photographies anciennes de la Mecque et de Médine, 1880-1947 », Badr El-Hage et Mona Khazindar, catalogue d’exposition, Institut du Monde Arabe/Bibliothèque du Roi Abdulaziz Ryad, 2005 [b] « Saudi Arabia, Caught In Time 1861-1939 », Badr. El-Hage, 1997 [c] “The Illustrated Atlas of Makkah and the Holy Environs” (From the 11th Century to the present day) de Meraj Nawab Mirza & Abdullah Saleh Auteur non-identifié Vue générale de la Mecque, Vue générale de la Mecque et du Haram sacré, Vue de la Kaaba, Vue générale de Taïf (Hedjaz), Campement de pèlerins au mont Arafat, c. 1885-1890 5 tirages albuminés montés sur cartons, indications en arabe dans l’image Env. 20 x 25,5 cm et inf. (27 x 35 cm) An exceptional collection of 29 photographs of Saudi Arabia, circa 1880-1890’s, some signed SADIQ BEY and Abd al-Ghaffar Ch. Snouck Hurgronje, the earliest photographs of the Holy place of Islam. These extraordinary images record the Hajj, showing, often for the first time, some of the Holy sites around Mecca and Medina. MUHAMMAD SADIQ BEY (1832-1902) THE HOLY CITIES OF MECCA AND MEDINA [CIRCA 1880-81] 4 panoramas albumen prints and 9 albumen prints The views comprising: Album of Panoramas (1-4); 1. Mecca. View of the Court of the Great Mosque and Ka'ba during prayers, three albumen prints mounted as a panorama 2. Mecca. View of the Court of the Great Mosque with the Ka'ba, two albumen prints mounted as a panorama 3. Mecca. The Pilgrims encampment during the Feast of the Sacrifices at Muna, two albumen prints mounted as a panorama 4. Medina. View from Outside the Walls showing the area of pilgrim encampment, two albumen prints mounted as a panorama Smaller Album (5-13); 5. Mecca. The Kaaba, albumen print, signed and dated in Arabic 6. Mecca.The Tawaf round the Ka'ba seen, albumen print, signed in Arabic 7. Mecca. The Safa Gate, albumen print, signed in French. 8. Pilgrim Camp at Mount Arafat, albumen print, signed and dated in French and signed in Arabic. 9. Mecca. Mualla Cemetery, albumen print, signed in Arabic 10. Medina. A portrait of the Ra'is of the Mosque of the Prophet with three servants, signed in French and Arabic 11. Medina. Portrait of the Ra'is (keeper) of the Mosque of the Prophet, and his Servants, albumen print, signed in French and Arabic. 12. Medina. the Prophet's Mosque, albumen print, signed and dated in French and Arabic. 13. Medina. General View of Medina, Bab al-Shaùi, Damas gate, albumen print, signed in French and Arabic. ABD AL-GHAFFAR – CHRISTIAN SNOUCK HURGRONJE (1857-1936) 9 albumen prints T he photographs comprise 15. Mecca. General View of Mecca 16. Mecca. View of the Ka’bah 17. Pilgrims circling the Ka'bah”. 18. The Pilgrims’camp at Arafat 19. Mecca. Al-Ma’la Cimetery 20. the Prophet’s mother grave 21. Interior of the Mosque’s court 22. Engravings on graves. UNKNOWN AUTHOR 5 albumen prints : View of the Ka’bah. General view of Mecca, View of the Ka’bah, General View of Taïf, Pilgrim encampment atMount Arafat Sadiq bey is born in Cairo in 1832, he trained as a military engineer after completing his studies in Cairo and at the École Polytechnique in Paris. It is not known when, or from whom, Sadiq Bey learned to take photographs but it was most probably through one of the resident photographers in Egypt. In 1861, prompted by the need to carry out more extensive military land surveys of the area between Wajh and Medina, Sadiq Bey made his first journey to Arabia. He took a camera along with his surveying equipment, and took his first photographs of views at Medina. Sadly however, none of the photographs from this first journey are known to have survived. Sadiq Bey published various accounts of his travels in Arabia in military journals and through the Emiry Grand Press in Cairo but the 1880/81 series of photographs appear to have been issued separately for a wider distribution through the Société Khédiviale de Géographie. The society's secretary, Dr Frederic Bonola, advertised sets of the photographs for sale. In January and April 1880 Sadiq Bey gave a talk and report to the society on his earlier 1861 expedition, and on 20 May 1881 he presented a report on his recent journey to Mecca; detailed accounts were published in the society's bulletins, numbers 9/10 and 12. Abd al-Ghaffar was a doctor practicing in Mecca who was taught photography by Christian Snouck Hurgronje (1857-1936), a Dutch scholar who assumed the name Abd al-Ghaffar when he converted to Islam. Snouck Hurgronje stayed in Mecca from February 21 to July 5, 1885 and for some of his stay lived as a guest in the doctor’s house, during which time he taught photography to his host. Snouck Hurgronje had travelled to Mecca in 1885 intending to participate in the Hajj and had taken a camera and equipment with him and made a number of photographs, but had to leave suddenly before the pilgrimage season due. Snouck Hurgronje left many of his possessions behind, including his camera and equipment, with Al-Sayyid Abd al-Ghaffar. After Snouck Hurgronje had returned to Leiden, he asked the doctor to take photographs for him at sites including the pilgrims’ camp by Mount Arafat and in the Mina Valley, as well as views of the city of Mecca and portraits of pilgrims and residents.