The ongoing Two Holy Mosques Exhibition is quite unique, showcasing architectural and historical features of the Two Holy Mosques of the ancient days.
The exhibition, covering an area of 1,200 sq m in a building close to the Kiswah Factory at Umm Joud in Makkah, is designed to suit visitors who are curious to learn about the chronological developments in the history of the Two Holy Mosques.
The exhibition, which opened in 1999, is divided into seven halls. The reception hall, where visitors first enter, is decorated with a replica of the Grand Mosque accompanied by both old and recent photos.
The Grand Mosque hall showcases a Kaaba ladder dating back to 1824. The Kaaba hall showcases models of its kiswah wrapping of the ancient days in addition to its old doors and a pillar, which is believed to have been removed around the 65th year of Hijra.
Another hall houses rare photos including the photos of Makkah and Madinah donated by the late Prince Sultan, former crown prince.
The photos were taken in 1879 and 1890 by Egyptian photographer Sadeq Bek. Another fascinating section of the exhibition is the Manuscripts hall, which showcases a copy of the Othmani Mushaf, which was prepared during the time of the third Caliph Uthman bin Affan, (peace be upon him). The hall also houses some other rare manuscripts of the Holy Qur’an, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The attractions at the Prophet’s Mosques hall includes a door of the Othmani pulpit dating back to 1589, and other interesting pieces of furniture. The Zamzam hall contains parts of an old top of the Zamzam well, replicas of the well and supplies details about the well.
Another attraction in this hall is a sun dial from 1614, and the first clock installed in the Grand Mosque during the reign of King Abdul Aziz in 1933.
Visitors can view the exhibition in both morning and evening sessions.
Makkah exhibition features historical aspects of Two Holy Mosques
Makkah exhibition features historical aspects of Two Holy Mosques
Writers boycott Adelaide Festival after Randa Abdel-Fattah is dropped
DUBAI: A wave of writers have withdrawn from the Adelaide Festival’s Writers’ Week, prompting organizers to take down a section of the event’s website as the backlash continues over the removal of Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah from the 2026 program.
The festival confirmed on Friday that it had temporarily removed the online schedule listing authors, journalists, academics and commentators after participants began pulling out in protest of the board’s decision, which cited “cultural sensitivity” concerns following the Bondi terror attack.
In a statement posted online, the festival said the listings had been unpublished while changes were made to reflect the growing number of withdrawals.
By Friday afternoon, 47 speakers had already exited the program, with more believed to be coordinating their departures with fellow writers.
High-profile figures stepping away include Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper, Sarah Krasnostein, Miles Franklin Prize winner Michelle de Kretser, Drusilla Modjeska, Melissa Lucashenko and Stella Prize-winning poet Evelyn Araluen.
Best-selling novelist Trent Dalton also withdrew from the event. He had been scheduled to deliver a paid keynote at Adelaide Town Hall, one of the few Writers’ Week sessions requiring a ticket.
