MIR’AT AL-HARAMAIN (VIEW OF THE TWO HOLY SANCTUARIES) COMPLETE SET IN FOUR VOLUMES BY AYYUB SABRI, DATED 1306 AH/1888 AD

Four volumes, Ottoman Turkish text, Mir’at Mecca in volume, 1175pp., Mir’at Medina in two volumes, 1343pp., Mir’at Jazirat al-’Arab in one volume, 416pp.
‘The author Ayyub Sabri pasha, an Ottoman admiral, completed the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina as commander of the military escort of the Egyptian pilgrims and the high office of Commander of the Pilgrimage (Amir al-Hajj). In this position, he not only had the opportunity to assist at all the ceremonies of the holy month but also of acquiring an intimate knowledge of the administrative side of the pilgrimage and of the Arabian and Turkish politics in the Hijaz. At the same time, he was able to take many photographs and to illustrate his book with numerous photographs and plans. For a simple pilgrim, taking photographs would have been a very dangerous undertaking especially during the ceremonies of the holy month of Dhul Hajj.