'Picture of the Mosque of Quba'. Photographer: H. A. Mirza & Sons

Content

Genre/Subject Matter

This photograph depicts the mosque at Quba, which is located about three miles south-southeast of the Masjid al-Nawabi 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 The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. :

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 The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. :

In pen, upper right corner:

‘I.O / 150

4th [?] [? 07?] [illegible]’

In pencil, upper right corner:

‘314’ ‘//’ ‘3’

Recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. :

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 The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. ):

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?]’

Extent and format

1 b&w photographic print held within a blue card window mount

It is part of

Album of 'Views of Mecca and Medina' by H. A. Mirza & Sons, Photographers

42 images

Ref: Photo 174

Physical characteristics

Dimensions

Mount (external): 348 x 445 mm

Mount (internal): 203 x 277 mm [landscape]

Format

Photographic print held within window mount in landscape format

Materials

Mottled blue-tinted window mount, card, gelatin silver The principal photographic process used for black and white photography from the 1870s. print, indigo ink (printed), red ink (hand-painted)

Condition

Mount is mildly bowed, with light staining along all edges lower corners in particular, and fading along left-hand edge. Staining and scuffing is also visible on the paper verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. backing, which is otherwise in good condition.

The print is slightly welled towards right and left edges, and shows some signs of toning.

Foliation

13 (150)

Process

Gelatin silver The principal photographic process used for black and white photography from the 1870s. print

Written in

Urdu and English in Arabic and Latin script

Type

Photograph

Access & Reference

Original held at

British Library: Visual Arts

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

Photo 174/13

Former British Library reference

150

History of this record

Date(s)

c 1907

Related material

Places

Medina MunawwarahMecca

Share this record

• Share on twitter
• Share on facebook

Cite this record in your research

'Picture of the Mosque of Quba'. Photographer: H. A. Mirza & Sons, British Library: Visual Arts, Photo 174/13, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023493445.0x00000d> [accessed 6 May 2024]

Link to this record

https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023493445.0x00000d

IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000007041.0x000001/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Copyright: How to use this content