Located in the Jeddah Park, the Al-Makkatain Museum highlights the history of the two holy cities, Makkah and Madinah, through historical drawings by both Muslim and non-Muslim artists over the past five centuries, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The museum also features the photographic history of the cities from the earliest known images taken in 1297 AH (1880 CE) to the present day to offer deep glimpses into both cities.
The Al-Makkatain Museum features three main halls:
- Before the Invention of the Camera (1550–1880)
- Early Photographers of Makkah and Madinah (1880–1920)
- The Golden Age of Photography (1920–Present)
Excitingly, the museum displays outstanding drawings that date back to the era before the invention of photography in 1839 and its widespread adoption in Europe.
At that time, travelers, Orientalists, as well as artists used to convey their perceptions of the Two Holy Mosques through illustrations. They etched them onto hard surfaces such as copper and metal.
Professional artists used to add some artistic touches to the original works to make them more appropriate for printing. As a result, the printed versions were a little bit or greatly different from the original illustrations.
In contrast, photographs provided an accurate visual record of what the photographers actually saw and checked. Accordingly, photographs serve as a documentary testimony of a specific era, place, and customs that have changed over time. In this way, they form a realistic visual memory for viewers.
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