Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, the great Mosque of Madinah containing the tomb of the Prophet himself, is one of the two holiest sites in the Islamic world. Since the Prophet’s death thirteen centuries ago, the mosque has spread outwards from the core of the holy city. At night, it radiates a powerful light. The tomb itself within the Prophet’s Chamber is a point of pilgrimage for visitors who come in their millions every year from across the globe.
Moath Alofi, who was born and raised in the city, has witnessed this devotion to the Prophet all his life. It is natural that Nabawi should become the title and subject of his first photographic book. From that holy axis, he has travelled into the greater space of Madinah Province and has photographed both the desert culture and the vanishing fabric of the city and its surrounding neighbourhoods. Madinah, like its holy counterpart, Mecca, is a city in a constant state of transition. The role of the photographer as an observer of change becomes all the more important as the pace of transition inevitably escalates.
This book, Nabawi, is a record of the daily life of one of the great holy sites, and a study in humanity. All manner of expression and experience are found in the faces of the pilgrims - the old and young men, women and children - who are touched by the spirit of the place and by the devotion they have so faithfully expressed.