Name of Object:

Departure of a Caravan to Mecca from Bab el-Nasr Gate, Cairo

Location:

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (Sharjah)

Holding Institution:

Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Authority

 About Sharjah Museums Authority, Sharjah

Date of Object:

Late 19th / early 20th century

Author:

Robert Murdoch Wright (1858-1926)

Inventory Number:

SM 2006 - 23

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Watercolour

Dimensions:

235 mm x 502 mm

Provenance:

Undetermined

Description:

Traditionally, most Muslim pilgrims went to Makkah on foot as part of a caravan. Cairo was one of the most important starting points for pilgrim caravans, particularly as it dispatched the ceremonial Mahmal, an ornamental litter containing a Qur’an manuscript and ritual hangings for the Holy Places. Traditionally, the Hajj caravan left the city from the Bab al Nasr gate. In order to ensure the caravan's smooth progression, the Amir al-Hajj organised each section and allocated it its correct place within the sequence. The caravan was headed up by bedouin guides, followed by water carriers and important officials. Next came the treasury and precious gifts intended for the Holy Places, carefully shielded by the ruler's special guards and soldiers. Another, well-protected treasury section - this one intended for the upkeep of the caravan itself - followed and, behind it, a numerous array of traders and merchants. The rest of the caravan was made up of the actual pilgrims from all over the region.

Type of Object

Painting

Citation of this web page:

Ulrike al-Khamis "Departure of a Caravan to Mecca from Bab el-Nasr Gate, Cairo" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2026.
https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;AWE;ua;14;en;en

Prepared by: Ulrike Al-Khamis

MWNF Working Number: UA 014