Lot 124: AN ILLUSTRATED AND ILLUMINATED HAJJ CERTIFICATE, 1185 AH, LATE 18TH CENTURY

This 18th-century illuminated manuscript is a formal Hajj certificate and devotional guide, titled on the opening folio as Mahajat al-Mubaraka al-Sharifa (The Blessed Noble Path). The text is executed in a neat Arabic Naskh script in black ink, with secondary headings in red and gold, set within red-ruled borders on cream paper. The volume is extensively decorated with vibrant polychrome and gold illumination, including ornate sarlowh (headpieces) with floral motifs, calligraphic roundels, and detailed bird’s-eye view topographical maps of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina. Specific illustrations depict the Kaaba, the stations of the four schools of law, and various architectural landmarks within the holy sanctuaries. The concluding text serves as an official pilgrimage certificate for Suleiman bin Ahmed bin Suleiman al-Mahasini Al-damashqi, recording the date 25 Dhu al-Hijjah 1185 AH (March 1772 AD). The document is witnessed by Abdul Wahab bin Mustafa ibn Suwar al-Dimashqi, Shakir bin Mustafa al-Umari al-Dimashqi al-Hanafi, and Ismail bin Ahmed al-Munini al-Dimashqi.

12 by 9.5cm