Al-Aghawat (English Edition)
Cherished pages from the history of the old Prophet’s Mosque, in photographs
In this large-format green book, we open cherished pages from the history of the old Prophet’s Mosque. Through photographs, it records the mosque’s corners, its decorative details, ornamented tiles, and domes encircled by gilded Arabic calligraphy.
The book turns to the worshippers and captures them in their different moods: a boy glancing at the photographer with curiosity, and others entering the mosque like a wave rushing toward its goal. Page after page, the photographs open doors and windows into the old mosque. We step in through the Women’s Gate and stand before the Qibla and the muezzin’s platform (the mukabbiriyya), where the muezzin waits to raise the call to prayer.
The book is titled Al-Aghawat, which translates into English as “the Guardians”. It opens with portraits of one of them in his traditional dress. It reads like a visitor who asked the mosque’s guardians for permission to enter, recorded their presence and the rituals of their attire, then left them seated on their own platform and wandered around the place they know like the back of their hands.
What you will find inside
- Photographs of the old Prophet’s Mosque: its decorations, tiles, domes and gilded Arabic calligraphy.
- Photographs of worshippers in their different moods.
- A tour inside the mosque: the Women’s Gate, the Qibla, the mukabbiriyya and the muezzin’s place.
- A record of the Aghawat, the mosque’s guardians, in their traditional dress and on their special platform.
- A large-format green book, English edition.
Who is this book for? Lovers of the Prophet’s Mosque and its history, readers interested in documentary photography, and visitors and pilgrims who do not read Arabic. A distinctive keepsake.