The Guardians

The Mosque in Madinah, which houses the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed himself, is second only to Mecca as the holiest point of pilgrimage in the Islamic world. The Prophet was born in Mecca and died in Madinah in the seventh century. The great Mosque has grown around his tomb and continues to spread at the heart of the city. For centuries the tomb has been watched over by a group of Guardians, brought originally from Abyssinia. The Guardians form their own closed society and exercise authority throughout the Mosque. They carry the keys to the tomb. The current generation of Guardians will be the last. They will have no successors and a tradition almost as old as Islam itself will be replaced by modern forms of administration. Adel Alquraishi, a Saudi photographer from Riyadh, began his extraordinary document by making portraits of the Guardians. These photographs, printed on a large scale, received acclaim outside Saudi Arabia as well as recognition within the kingdom. After making the portraits he was able to persuade the Guardians to allow him to photograph the keys. Finally, he was able to photograph through the enclosing iron grill into the chamber itself. This was unprecedented. The publication is of great historical significance.