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Egyptian Hajj Paointings
by Sonny Stengle
One fifth of humankind shares a single aspiration: to
complete, at least once in a lifetime, the spiritual journey
called the Hajj.
 The hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, a central duty of
Islam whose origins date back to the Prophet Abraham, brings
together Muslims of all races and tongues for one of life's most
moving spiritual experiences. Since the 7th Century, the Hajj,
or Great Pilgrimage to Mecca, has been a lifelong goal of devout
Muslims throughout the world.
Muslims trace the recorded origins of the divinely
prescribed pilgrimage to the Prophet Abraham, or Ibrahim,
as he is called in Arabic.  According to the Qur'an, it was Abraham
who, together with Ishmael (Isma'il), built the Ka'bah, "the
House of God," the focal point toward which Muslims turn in
their worship five times each day. It was Abraham, too - known as
Khalil Allah, "the friend of God" - who established the
rituals of the hajj, which recall events or practices in his life
and that of Hagar (Hajar) and their son Ishmael.
The hajj to Mecca is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation upon male
and female adults whose health and finances permit it, or, in the
words of the Qur'an, upon "those who can make their way
there." It is not an obligation on children, though some
children do accompany their parents on this journey.
 When pilgrims undertake the hajj journey, they follow in the
footsteps of millions before them. Nowadays hundreds of thousands
of believers from over 70 nations arrive in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia by road, sea and air every year, completing a journey now
much shorter and in some ways less arduous than it often was in
the past.
Till the 19th century, travelling the long distance to Mecca
usually meant being part of a caravan. There were three main
caravans: the Egyptian one, which formed in Cairo; the Iraqi one,
which set out from Baghdad; and the Syrian, which, after 1453,
started at Istanbul, gathered pilgrims along the way, and
proceeded to Mecca from Damascus.
 As the hajj journey took months if all went well, pilgrims
carried with them the provisions they needed to sustain them on
their trip. The caravans were elaborately supplied with amenities
and security if the persons travelling were rich, but the poor
often ran out of provisions and had to interrupt their journey in
order to work, save up their earnings, and then go on their way.
This resulted in long journeys which, in some cases, spanned ten
years or more. Travel in earlier days was filled with adventure.
The roads were often unsafe due to bandit raids. The terrain the
pilgrims passed through was also dangerous, and natural hazards
and diseases often claimed many lives along the way. Thus, the
successful return of pilgrims to their families was the occasion
of joyous celebration and thanksgiving for their safe arrival.
 Egyptian Hajjis traditionally celebrate their sacred journey by
commissioning a local artist to depict their religious odyssey,
and even possible and not-so-possible adventures (like showing
lions to explain a "dangerous" travel to Mecca) on the
walls of their homes. Hajj Painting is the first visual record of
the richness and variety of this naïve art form, considered Egypt’s
most significant contribution to the contemporary international
folk art scene.
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