Photo 174(13)

Genre/Subject Matter

This photograph depicts the mosque at Quba, which is located about three miles south-southeast of the Masjid al-Nabawi in the former outskirts of Medina.

Quba was the first place for public prayer founded by Mohammed during the hijra from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD. The surrounding text refers to the founding of the mosque as well as its relative importance, due to the association between the place and Qur’anic notions of piety.

The building itself does not take central place in the composition; rather, palm groves occupy the foreground and middleground, while the crenellated walls, lone minaret and four visible domes of the mosque occupy the central and left background. The text refers to the ‘green and fertile land’ surrounding the mosque. A lone Ottoman soldier is posed immediately left of the central foreground.

Inscriptions

Recto:

Upper centre: ‘Picture of the Mosque of Quba’

To the right and left of the title:

‘Come, have a look – this is that mosque of Quba which is the prayer place of “the essence of the beloved of Divine Grandeur” [the prophet Muhammad]

Look, the holy Qur'an praises it, for it has been built, since the beginning of creation for its piety.’

To the right and left of the image:

‘The road to it runs through green and fertile land. The Bedouins run alongside the road begging people for alms. The pilgrimage is performed at the mosque of Quba after a prayer of two cycles. This is the mosque whose praise is found in the holy Qur'an: “Indeed a mosque founded on the observance of piety from the first day is more deserving that you should stand in it. In it are men who love to purify themselves” [Qur’an 9:108] During the hijra, the Prophet stayed here initially for sixteen days, conferring honour upon it. After this he honoured Medina with an arrival that was bound to confer felicity.

Lower centre: ‘H. A. Mirza & Sons, Photographers, Chandni Chowk, Delhi’

Lower right corner, along right edge, in pencil: ‘13’ ‘150’

Verso:

In pen, upper right corner:

‘I.O / 150

4th [?] [? 07?] [illegible]’

In pencil, upper right corner:

‘314’ ‘//’ ‘3’

Recto:

In red ink in the upper left-hand corner of the image and – faintly – beneath lower left intersection of cruciform double-barred frame:

[superscript ط]

Labels

Labels (verso):

1 – Letterpress

‘150 H. A. Mirza and Sons, Photographers.

نقشه مسجید قبا (Naqsha-i-Masjid-i-Quba.

A photo. [sic] of the mosque named Quba, with a

brief description.) One sheet. Published

by the Photographers: Delhi. (Octr.

15, 1907.) 14 x 18º. Litho. Ist Edition.

Price, Re. I, A. 4.’

2 – Ink stamp

‘India Office

19 May 1909

Library.’

Other Notes

The image was formerly referred to as ‘[Quba mosque, Mecca or Medina?]’