Lot 126: AN ILLUMINATED OTTOMAN HAJJ SCROLL (HAJJ NAMA), DATED 1237 AH (1821-1822 AD)

An illuminated manuscript scroll on paper, serving as a formal certificate (Hajj Nama) to document the successful completion of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. The scroll is mounted on a blue border and features a complex decorative program arranged in several horizontal registers. The upper section is dominated by a monumental basmala rendered in gold thuluth script, positioned below three stylised hanging lamps and decorative finials. A central architectural panel depicts the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, showcasing the Kaaba and its surrounding colonnades in a flattened perspective typical of the period. Below this, a circular medallion contains calligraphic inscriptions. A prominent register features the Nalayn Sharif (the Prophet’s sandal), with the interior filled with meticulous miniature naskh calligraphy containing devotional prayers. The lower testimonial register is written in black naskh script and identifies the pilgrim as Fatima bint Abdullah al-Hussainiya al-Hafiza, confirming her performance of the Hajj rites including the circumambulation of the Kaaba, the stay at Arafat, and the sa’y between Safa and Marwa. The scroll is executed in ink, gouache, and burnished gold leaf.