RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh is hosting an exhibition of historical documents and artifacts related to Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques. The exhibition also explores the significance of the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah and the most important sites of the Hajj pilgrimage, including the Kaaba to Mina and Mount Arafat. Manuscripts, rare books, pictures, coins, and miniatures from the library’s holdings are also on display. The exhibition includes a collection of manuscripts, rare books, pictures, coins, and miniatures from the library’s holdings that deal with the rituals of Hajj or pilgrimage. (SPA) The exhibition aims to present important aspects of Hajj culture in Arab and Islamic heritage and will be open for a month. The library owns an extensive archive of 8,100 rare photographs taken by famous photographers of the East, Arab, and Islamic world since 1740. Forty rare pictures document renowned travelers who visited the Kingdom before and after its foundation. The photographs include those of Major General Mohammed Sadiq Pasha and Indian pilgrim Ahmed Mirza, which date back 115 years. The exhibition includes a collection of manuscripts, rare books, pictures, coins, and miniatures from the library’s holdings that deal with the rituals of Hajj or pilgrimage. (SPA) Other photographs document various scenes captured by the Egyptian Hajj mission in 1936. The library also holds rare manuscripts from 1505 written by Egyptian Imam Al-Suyuti, which boast the sanctity of the holy cities. In addition to the exhibition, the General President for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais inaugurated 20 field and digital exhibitions to enrich the experience of the pilgrims this hajj season. Some of these exhibitions will be held inside the Grand Mosque, others will be mobile touring the holy sites in Makkah and Jeddah. It will provide the largest possible number of visitors and pilgrims the opportunity to learn about the history of the Two Holy Mosques and their stages of development.