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Lot Essay
AN IMPORTANT UNRECORDED COMPLETE SET OF SOME OF THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF MECCA AND MEDINA, ONE OF FOUR KNOWN SETS.
These extraordinary images record the Hajj, showing, often for the first time, some of the Holy sites around Mecca and Medina. The Hajj, the Pilgrimage to the two holy places, Mecca, the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad, and Medina, where Muhammad lived for much of his life, is a duty of all Muslims. The exclusion of all non-muslims has created over the centuries a special fascination for European travellers. Although written accounts of the Holy Places by travellers such as Ibn Battuta, Burckhardt and others survive, and diagrams of the holy sites are known from arabic manuscripts, SADIQ BEY'S PHOTOGRAPHS PROVIDE THE FIRST ACCURATE VISUAL RECORD OF THE ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONS OF MECCA AND MEDINA IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY.
The photographs as they appear in the albums are as follows:
Album of Panoramas (1-4);
1. Mecca. View of the Court of the Great Mosque with the Ka'ba, two albumen prints mounted as a panorama, 5¾ x 15 1/8in. (14.6 x 38.4cm.), each plate signed in French and one plate signed in Arabic in the negative.
2. Mecca. View of the Court of the Great Mosque and Ka'ba during prayers, three albumen prints mounted as a panorama, 6¾ x 22 1/8in. (17.1 x 56.2cm.), each plate signed in French and two signed in Arabic in the negatives.
3. Mecca. The Pilgrims encampment during the Feast of the Sacrifices at Muna, two albumen prints mounted as a panorama, 6 x 15½in. (15.2 x 39.4cm.), each plate signed in French and Arabic in the negatives.
4. Medina. View from Outside the Walls showing the area of pilgrim encampment, two albumen prints mounted as a panorama, 6 1/8 x 15 1/8in. (15.6 x 38.4cm.), one plate signed in French and the other in Arabic in the negative.
Smaller Album (5-13);
5. Mecca. The Tawaf round the Ka'ba seen from the North-West, albumen print, 6½ x 8¼in. (16.5 x 21cm.), signed in Arabic in the negative.
6. Mecca. Prayers around the Ka'ba seen from the North-East, albumen print, 6½ x 8 3/8in. (16.5 x 22.2cm.), signed in French and Arabic in the negative.
7. Mecca. The Safa Gate, albumen print, 6½ x 7in. (16.5 x 17.8cm.), signed in French in the negative.
8. Mecca. Mualla Cemetery, albumen print, 6 1/8 x 8¼in. (15.6 x 21cm.), signed in French and Arabic in the negative.
9. Pilgrim Camp at Mount Arafat, albumen print, 5 5/8 x 8 1/8in. (14.3 x 20.6cm.), signed and dated in French and signed in Arabic in the negative.
10. Medina. View from the North into the Prophet's Mosque, albumen print, 5¾ x 7 7/8in. (14.6 x 19.8cm.), signed in French and Arabic in the negative.
11. Medina. Interior View of the Mosque of the Prophet, albumen print, 7 7/8 x 6¾in. (19.8 x 17.1cm.), signed in French and Arabic in the negative.
12. Medina. Portrait of the Ra'is (keeper) of the Mosque of the Prophet, Sheikh 'Umar Al-Shaiby, and his Servants, albumen print, 7 3/8 x 6 1/8in. (18.7 x 15.6cm.), signed in French and Arabic in the negative.
13. Medina. A variant portrait of the Ra'is of the Mosque of the Prophet with three servants, albumen print, 7 x 6 1/8in. (17.8 x 15.6cm.), signed in French and Arabic in the negative.
Born in Cairo in 1832, Sadiq Bey 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, however it is most likely that it was 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 brought with him, along with his surveying equipment, a camera, taking various views of Medina. In a series of articles published in the Egyptian Military Gazette in 1877, he refers to his early photography at Medina describing the use of a 'photographia'. Sadly however, none of the photographs from this first journey are known to have survived. For his photographs of Medina he won an award from the Philadelphia anniversary exhibition of 1876.
In 1880 he was appointed the treasurer of the Mahmal (the ornate cloth to cover the Ka'ba) brought each year on a special litter to Mecca. In his capacity as treasurer he accompanied the Mahmal to Medina and Mecca from September 1880 until January 1881. Again equipped with his camera, he succeeded in producing the series of photographs which are offered here and which are now considered to be some of the earliest known surviving photographs of the region, those of the Ka'ba taken under great secrecy. For this series he was awarded the Gold Medal at the Venice exhibition in 1881. A descriptive account of this journey was published in [The Mahmal's Torch on its Pilgrimage Journey by Land], Cairo, 1881.
In 1884, Sadiq made a third pilgrimage, again accompanying the Mahmal as treasurer. A detailed account of this journey can be found in The Star of the Hajj for the Mahmal's Journey by Sea and Land, published in Cairo in 1884. In 1902 Sadiq Bey was appointed governor of Arish but died later that year.
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 again on 20th 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. It is likely that his photographs would have been presented to the patrons of the society. This copy was owned by the 19th century traveller and explorer, Prince Borghese, an honorary patron of the society along with other European explorers such as Burton, Schweinfurth and Stanley. However, unlike two of the other complete sets, this example has arabic annotations on several of the images, presumably by Sadiq Bey, to give a clearer understanding of the various views. The photographs were exhibited at the Exposition Internationale de Géographie in Venice in September 1881, item 71, in the Concours de L'Egypte organised by the Society. Despite obvious publicity and indeed international recognition, it seems Sadiq Bey was remarkably unsuccessful in selling his photographs. The surviving sets are to be found in the Institut de France, Paris and in private collections.
Literature: B. El-Hage, Caught in Time: Saudi Arabia 1861-1939 [translated from the Arabic by Nadia Mourad], pp. 7-10, 13-35 (ten illustrations); Perez, Nissan N., Focus East Early Photography in the Near East (1839-1885), pp. 72-73, 78 and 215 (two illustrations).
These extraordinary images record the Hajj, showing, often for the first time, some of the Holy sites around Mecca and Medina. The Hajj, the Pilgrimage to the two holy places, Mecca, the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad, and Medina, where Muhammad lived for much of his life, is a duty of all Muslims. The exclusion of all non-muslims has created over the centuries a special fascination for European travellers. Although written accounts of the Holy Places by travellers such as Ibn Battuta, Burckhardt and others survive, and diagrams of the holy sites are known from arabic manuscripts, SADIQ BEY'S PHOTOGRAPHS PROVIDE THE FIRST ACCURATE VISUAL RECORD OF THE ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONS OF MECCA AND MEDINA IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY.
The photographs as they appear in the albums are as follows:
Album of Panoramas (1-4);
1. Mecca. View of the Court of the Great Mosque with the Ka'ba, two albumen prints mounted as a panorama, 5¾ x 15 1/8in. (14.6 x 38.4cm.), each plate signed in French and one plate signed in Arabic in the negative.
2. Mecca. View of the Court of the Great Mosque and Ka'ba during prayers, three albumen prints mounted as a panorama, 6¾ x 22 1/8in. (17.1 x 56.2cm.), each plate signed in French and two signed in Arabic in the negatives.
3. Mecca. The Pilgrims encampment during the Feast of the Sacrifices at Muna, two albumen prints mounted as a panorama, 6 x 15½in. (15.2 x 39.4cm.), each plate signed in French and Arabic in the negatives.
4. Medina. View from Outside the Walls showing the area of pilgrim encampment, two albumen prints mounted as a panorama, 6 1/8 x 15 1/8in. (15.6 x 38.4cm.), one plate signed in French and the other in Arabic in the negative.
Smaller Album (5-13);
5. Mecca. The Tawaf round the Ka'ba seen from the North-West, albumen print, 6½ x 8¼in. (16.5 x 21cm.), signed in Arabic in the negative.
6. Mecca. Prayers around the Ka'ba seen from the North-East, albumen print, 6½ x 8 3/8in. (16.5 x 22.2cm.), signed in French and Arabic in the negative.
7. Mecca. The Safa Gate, albumen print, 6½ x 7in. (16.5 x 17.8cm.), signed in French in the negative.
8. Mecca. Mualla Cemetery, albumen print, 6 1/8 x 8¼in. (15.6 x 21cm.), signed in French and Arabic in the negative.
9. Pilgrim Camp at Mount Arafat, albumen print, 5 5/8 x 8 1/8in. (14.3 x 20.6cm.), signed and dated in French and signed in Arabic in the negative.
10. Medina. View from the North into the Prophet's Mosque, albumen print, 5¾ x 7 7/8in. (14.6 x 19.8cm.), signed in French and Arabic in the negative.
11. Medina. Interior View of the Mosque of the Prophet, albumen print, 7 7/8 x 6¾in. (19.8 x 17.1cm.), signed in French and Arabic in the negative.
12. Medina. Portrait of the Ra'is (keeper) of the Mosque of the Prophet, Sheikh 'Umar Al-Shaiby, and his Servants, albumen print, 7 3/8 x 6 1/8in. (18.7 x 15.6cm.), signed in French and Arabic in the negative.
13. Medina. A variant portrait of the Ra'is of the Mosque of the Prophet with three servants, albumen print, 7 x 6 1/8in. (17.8 x 15.6cm.), signed in French and Arabic in the negative.
Born in Cairo in 1832, Sadiq Bey 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, however it is most likely that it was 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 brought with him, along with his surveying equipment, a camera, taking various views of Medina. In a series of articles published in the Egyptian Military Gazette in 1877, he refers to his early photography at Medina describing the use of a 'photographia'. Sadly however, none of the photographs from this first journey are known to have survived. For his photographs of Medina he won an award from the Philadelphia anniversary exhibition of 1876.
In 1880 he was appointed the treasurer of the Mahmal (the ornate cloth to cover the Ka'ba) brought each year on a special litter to Mecca. In his capacity as treasurer he accompanied the Mahmal to Medina and Mecca from September 1880 until January 1881. Again equipped with his camera, he succeeded in producing the series of photographs which are offered here and which are now considered to be some of the earliest known surviving photographs of the region, those of the Ka'ba taken under great secrecy. For this series he was awarded the Gold Medal at the Venice exhibition in 1881. A descriptive account of this journey was published in [The Mahmal's Torch on its Pilgrimage Journey by Land], Cairo, 1881.
In 1884, Sadiq made a third pilgrimage, again accompanying the Mahmal as treasurer. A detailed account of this journey can be found in The Star of the Hajj for the Mahmal's Journey by Sea and Land, published in Cairo in 1884. In 1902 Sadiq Bey was appointed governor of Arish but died later that year.
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 again on 20th 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. It is likely that his photographs would have been presented to the patrons of the society. This copy was owned by the 19th century traveller and explorer, Prince Borghese, an honorary patron of the society along with other European explorers such as Burton, Schweinfurth and Stanley. However, unlike two of the other complete sets, this example has arabic annotations on several of the images, presumably by Sadiq Bey, to give a clearer understanding of the various views. The photographs were exhibited at the Exposition Internationale de Géographie in Venice in September 1881, item 71, in the Concours de L'Egypte organised by the Society. Despite obvious publicity and indeed international recognition, it seems Sadiq Bey was remarkably unsuccessful in selling his photographs. The surviving sets are to be found in the Institut de France, Paris and in private collections.
Literature: B. El-Hage, Caught in Time: Saudi Arabia 1861-1939 [translated from the Arabic by Nadia Mourad], pp. 7-10, 13-35 (ten illustrations); Perez, Nissan N., Focus East Early Photography in the Near East (1839-1885), pp. 72-73, 78 and 215 (two illustrations).