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Open-call for the submission of souvenirs from Mecca in the Exhibition extended
Abu Dhabi - The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center (SZGMC) extends the open-call for submissions of souvenirs from Mecca by the community of Abu Dhabi in the upcoming exhibition, Hajj: Memories of a Journey. The exhibition, organised by the Center in cooperation with Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), will include a gallery dedicated to the vital keepsakes and sentiments tied to the stories and memories created by the millions throughout the Muslim world, by showcasing live souvenirs and gifts that people have collected during their own Hajj journeys, or that they were gifted by family and friends upon their arrival from Mecca. Submission of souvenirs to be exhibited as part of Hajj: Memories of a Journey is open until the 17th of August, 2017. For those wishing to participate in Hajj: Memories of a Journey, please contact opencall@tcaabudhabi.ae, or call Maitha Al Mansoori from TCA Abu Dhabi on +971 2 599 5267. Deadline for submission of souvenirs is 3rd August, 2017.
Many pilgrims bring home a souvenir from Hajj to commemorate their journey, and buy gifts for friends and family from Mecca and Medina’s many markets and shops, where these objects often take pride of place in the recipients’ homes and are among the most precious objects that a Muslim owns. Correspondingly, the Hajj exhibition seeks to capture this sentiment through displaying live souvenirs from pilgrims, and accentuate a gallery dedicated to this enduring tradition.
Opening on the 20th of September, 2017, Hajj: Memories of a Journey will be held on the grounds of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the most prominent and leading landmarks of cultural and intellectual exchange in the UAE. Coinciding with SZGMC’s 10th anniversary, the exhibition will reflect on the first prayer congregation held at the Mosque in 2007, the Eid al-Adha prayer, which in turn highlights the association of the fifth pillar of Islam with the memory of its establishment, as a true testament of what this great edifice signifies.
Telling the story of Mecca, and the rituals of Hajj as one of the five fundamental pillars and practices in Islam, Hajj: Memories of a Journey will bring to life the history of the sacred city and will depict the profound significance of the practices performed within it, whilst underlining the evident attributes of tolerance, equality and the vast diversity to be found in Islam.
These attributes have inspired the open call for the public to participate in Hajj: Memories of a Journey, by contributing their personal souvenirs and the accompanying memories, which will further enrich the exhibition and add a new dimension to the importance of Hajj and its impact on every Muslim’s life around the world.
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© Press Release 2017
