Mecca - Medina -
New,
The Yildiz Albums of Sultan Abdulhamid II,
*[A4+] Large 'Felt Covered' Hardback - 140 pages,
by Mehmet Bahadir Dorduncu,
Edited by Resit Haylamaz,
Transl. into English by Hakan Yesilova,
Published by The Light Foundation, Turkey.
Description :
This book contains some of the most exquisite memories of Ottoman history which are brought back to life with an album of photographs from the Yildiz Collection. In the 1880s upon an order of Sultan Abdulhamid II, Mecca and Medina, the two holy and noble sanctuaries of Islam, were photographed and catalogued, together with thousands of other frames that portrayed the Ottoman lands.
There are over 80 photographs in the album showing us what these holy cities looked like in the 19th century and what they have lost over the course of time. Includes pictures of the Ka'bah and the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the Prophet's, ﷺ, Mosque in Medina, cemeteries of Jannat al-Mualla and Jannat al-Baqi, tombs of Khadija and Hamza, may Allah be pleased with them, the Ajyad fortress and Ottoman barracks, Mina, Mount Arafat, the Beirut Port and the cities of Lebanon. The book has velvet cover similar to the original Yildiz albums of Sultan Abdulhamid II.
There are only a few traces of the Ottomans left in Mecca and Medina today, therefore this album holds a special significance as a record of the four centuries of Ottoman service to the region.
Review :
" This
is an excellent collection of historical photographs of sites many of
which no longer survive. The collection is from official photographers
to the Ottoman Sultans and document the pilgrimage route to Mecca. The
book gives a fine introduction to the subject and why the photographs
were compiled and then leads on to some wonderful photographs of
historical Beirut (a traditional stop off point on the pilgrim route) .
The book then moves on to photos of Mecca which include the guest houses
built by the Ottomans for pilgrims, some of the hospitals, and
government buildings. The book then shows photos of Mecca showing the
original posts where the Hanafi, Shafi, Maliki and Hanbali Imams used to
stand (abolished by the Saudis). It also shows the clock tower the Ottomans constructed
and the library one of the Sultans donated thousands of books to.
The
second significant part of the book is Medina. The Mosque of the
Prophet Muhammad, ﷺ, is shown in some detail including an illustration that's
an exact replica of an original photo. The garden within the Mosque,
the fact the Ottomans forbid any building to be constructed higher than
the Prophet's, ﷺ, Mosque in Medina out of respect for him. There is also a
number of photos of pilgrims, the graves of the Prophet's, ﷺ, Companions.
The elaborate mausoleums built for them in honour of these Companions is
also shown in some detail.
Of course the photos served two
means. One as a historical document and secondly to show the prestige
of the Ottomans to the world as "Defenders of Islam" This is a very
large book, very well presented and could certainly be given as a gift.
Its hard back and really well presented in every way, shape and form."
Mehmet Bahadir Dorduncu studied history at Ataturk University, Erzurum. He worked as a history teacher at various secondary schools and undertook administrative positions. Much of his writing and articles have been published in Turkish magazines. He is currently a staff writer and editor for Kaynak Publishing Group in Istanbul.
His special area of interest and expertise is the development of photography during the Ottoman period. He is presently working on compiling the best samples of photography catalogued by the Ottomans that portray how the people and the cities were at the time.
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*Dimensions : 32.7 x 27.3cm.
*Off-Mint.