4 PHOTOGRAPHS OF EGYPTIAN MAHMALS IN MECCA, OTTOMAN EMPIRE,...

Estimate

£200 - £400

4 PHOTOGRAPHS
OF EGYPTIAN MAHMALS IN MECCA, OTTOMAN EMPIRE, LATE 19TH CENTURY
Each depicting the mahmal with the tughra of Ottoman Sultan and the name of the Khedive of Egypt, carried on the back of camels, with officials, soldiers and crowds of people in the procession
largest 30 x 20cm
smallest 25 x 20cm
Mahmal, also known as , was central to the pilgrimage from Cairo to Mecca. They were crucial part of the Surre Regiment, also known as The Surre’i Humayun Alayi, a charity gift caravan that went from Istanbul and Cairo to Mecca. This group was responsible for delivering money and gifts (known as Surre) to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. It is also believd that sending the Kaa’ba cover (kiswah) along with the Surre, an old tradition, started in the Ottomans during the time of Suleyman the Magnificient. The new Kaaba cover was usually woven in Cairo and sent with the Surre procession. The old one was brought to Istanbul on the return of the Surre procession. Each year, a ceremony marked the official start of the Surre-i Humayun journey in the month of Recep. The Sultan himself would attend this ceremony before the regiment departed Istanbul on the 12th of Recep. Once they reached Damascus, a designated official (the Surre Emini) would hand over the valuables to the Governor of Damascus. The Governor then ensured safe transport and distribution of the Surre to Mecca. Following the distribution, the leader of Mecca (the Sharif) would send a message of gratitude back to the Sultan. This long-standing tradition came to an end after World War I. With the Ottoman defeat, the Surre was no longer sent to Damascus, and the practice ceased altogether