Pathways of Faith

Folk Art Hajj Paintings in Luxor, Egypt

About This Resource

Successfully completing the hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Any Muslim whose circumstances permit is required to make hajj at least once in a lifetime. In earlier centuries, it was a dangerous and lengthy journey, but in the past century, transportation improvements have increased the annual number of pilgrims to Mecca to between 3 and 4 million, according to the Chairman of the Central Hajj Committee in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2012. In upper Egypt and some other countries, it is traditional to commemorate this journey of a lifetime by painting the walls of the returning pilgrim’s house. These paintings show a cruiser and an airliner, in addition to scenes from Mecca, verses from the Qur’an and expressions of blessing on the hajji (pilgrim). These photographs were made in Luxor, Egypt, by an American living in the city.

Source

“Shari’s Chocolate Box: Wall Painting, Luxor, Egypt.” http://shari-chocolatebox.blogspot.com/search/label/Wall%20Painting, posted March 16-23, 2010. Photographs by Shari in Luxor, Egypt under Creative Commons License, 2010.

How to Cite This Page

"Muslim Journeys | Item #273: Folk Art Hajj Paintings in Luxor, Egypt", December 22, 2024 http://bridgingcultures-muslimjourneys.org/index.php/items/show/273.

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