Featured as part of Encountering Religions in Asian Art
Historical Period(s)
19th century
Medium
Color and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 22.4 x 28.7 cm (8 13/16 x 11 5/16 in)
Geography
India
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1907.246
Title: View in Mecca[MEK-uh]Makka or Makkah [MAK-kuh] – the holiest site in Islam, located in the Hijaz region in the western part of present-day Saudi Arabia. The Ka’ba is located in Mecca.: the Ka’ba and the Great Mosque, from the north
Type: Painting
Associated Religious Tradition: Islam
Origins
Geography: India
Date: Late 19th century
Physical Properties
Material: Color and gold on paper
Dimensions: H × W: 22.4 × 28.7 cm (8 13/16 × 11 5/16 in)
Crediting Information
Collection: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Credit Line: Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number: F1907.246
Located in the Arabian Peninsula and in today’s Saudi Arabia, the city of Mecca[MEK-uh]Makka or Makkah [MAK-kuh] – the holiest site in Islam, located in the Hijaz region in the western part of present-day Saudi Arabia. The Ka’ba is located in Mecca. (Makka), which is only open to Muslims, is the holiest site in Islam and the birthplace of the prophetan intermediary who speaks to humanity on behalf of God. Muhammad. Prior to the seventh century, the city was an active trading community with a pagan sanctuary, which attracted many pilgrims, especially during annual fairs. At the center of the open-air shrine still stands a structure known as the Ka’ba (“cube,” in Arabic), originally an open rectangle. It was walled and roofed in the early seventh century by the Quraysh[koo-RAYSH]name of a confederation of Arab tribes that controlled Mecca and were guardians of the Ka’ba. tribe, who were its custodians. In 683, the Ka’ba structure that existed during the Prophet Muhammad’s lifetime was damaged, but it has been rebuilt and repaired many times over the centuries, maintaining its basic shape.
When Muhammad entered Mecca in 629–30, he destroyed the idols in the Ka’ba and transformed it into a Muslim sanctuary. According to Muslim belief, by doing so, Muhammad restored the structure’s original role, a monument to monotheismthe belief in one God. The three major monotheistic religions are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam., because it was believed that the prophet Abraham (Ibrahim[ib-RAH-heem]Arabic name for the prophet Abraham.) and his son Ishmael (Ismail) were the original builders. Muslims also maintain that Abraham was responsible for setting the Black Stone—a meteoritea solid piece of debris from a comet or another body in outer space, which survives traveling through the atmosphere to reach the earth. allegedly given to him by the Angel Gabriel—into the eastern corner of the Ka’ba. After 624, the direction of prayer for all Muslims changed from Jerusalem to Mecca, and the city also became the site of pilgrimage (hajj[HAJ]pilgrimage to Mecca at a specific time of the year; one of the five pillars of Islam.) for Muslims. According to one of the five principles, or pillars, of Islam, all Muslims are required to undertake this pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime should they have the financial means to perform it.
The hajj consists of specific rituals believed to date back to the time of the Prophet. It takes place over five days in the last month of the Islamic calendar and begins with walking seven times clockwise around the Ka’ba. Another form of pilgrimage is called the umrah[OOM-rah]pilgrimage to Mecca any time of the year., which is of less significance and can be undertaken any time of the year.
Executed in opaque watercolors and gold on paper, this late nineteenth-century painting from India depicts the Ka’ba and its surroundings. The Ka’ba is draped in black cloth with a gold band across the top, known as the kiswa[KIS-wuh]black cloth draped over the Ka’ba.. It is inscribed with Qur’anic verses that are embroidered with gold silk threads into the cloth. Every year before the beginning of the hajj[HAJ]pilgrimage to Mecca at a specific time of the year; one of the five pillars of Islam., the custodians of Mecca[MEK-uh]Makka or Makkah [MAK-kuh] – the holiest site in Islam, located in the Hijaz region in the western part of present-day Saudi Arabia. The Ka’ba is located in Mecca. (currently, the Saudi royal family) donate a new cloth to cover and protect the Ka’ba. The old one is usually cut up and distributed among dignitaries as it is believed to carry a special blessing (baraka[bah-RA-kah]a blessing.).
Over the centuries, the sanctuary has undergone many changes and has been frequently rebuilt and expanded. To accommodate the growing number of pilgrims in the mid-seventh century, the area around the Ka’ba was enlarged, and a colonnaded mosque (masjid-haram) was built around it (visible in the image). As the Arabian Peninsula came under the control of different dynasties, their respective rulers, who served as guardians of the site, continued to renovate, add, expand, and further embellish the sanctuary. Most of the structures in this painting were destroyed over the course of the twentieth century to provide even more space for pilgrims, making such depictions even more valuable as visual records of the site’s history and transformation.
The carefully painted watercolor may have been based on a photograph and, like similar images, allowed Muslims in different parts of the world to “see” and visualize Mecca. This opportunity was particularly important for those who were unable to make the pilgrimage. After the nineteenth century, such depictions became an important visual reminder of Islam’s holiest site, which unites Muslims as a community.
The watercolor captures a scene of the Great Mosque in the early nineteenth century. From the first Umayyad rulers (reigned 661–749) to the last Ottomans in 1918, the different custodians of Mecca[MEK-uh]Makka or Makkah [MAK-kuh] – the holiest site in Islam, located in the Hijaz region in the western part of present-day Saudi Arabia. The Ka’ba is located in Mecca. contributed significantly to its development as a pilgrimage site. The built landscape surrounding the Great Mosque, however, changed most significantly in the second half of the twentieth century, largely to accommodate the exponential growth in pilgrims. The increased number of Muslims to Mecca was affected in part by the rise of commercial air travel after World War II.
The government of Saudi Arabia, the current custodians of Mecca, has invested in the city’s hotels, transportation network, and the Great Mosque itself to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims. In 2019, prior to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, 2.5 million Muslims traveled to Mecca for the pilgrimage.
What do you see as you look at this watercolor painting? How many different buildings do you notice? What do you notice about the colors? What materials were used to make the artwork?
What details from this painting tell you that this place is a holy site? What details tell you that this is a place of pilgrimage?
How does practicing the pilgrimage create a sense of belonging and community among Muslims from around the world despite the cultural and regional diversity that exists within the global Muslim population?
Have you ever traveled to a place that was meaningful to you, your family, or friends? Describe the journey. What did you learn on this journey? What made the travel memorable?
How do you imagine places you don’t know? How do you remember places that are important to you?
