The Prince of Wales has hailed a new exhibition about the Haj to Makkah as “remarkable”. Prince Charles was welcomed to the collection at the British Museum in central London by Prince Mohammed Bin Nawaf, the Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom. He was then given a 20-minute tour of some of the key exhibits, which include one of the oldest-known copies of the Qura'n, dating from the eighth century. The collection of both historic and contemporary objects and artwork explores the pilgrimage's importance for Muslims and looks at how it has evolved throughout history. Prince Charles described one particular exhibit, an intricately embroidered “mahmal” – a cover traditionally carried on a camel during the journey to Makkah from Africa – as “beautiful”. After touring the exhibition, Charles gave a short speech describing it as a “remarkable collection of treasures”. He said: “I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is to have been asked to open this splendid exhibition celebrating the Haj, one of the five Pillars of Islam and thus of the greatest possible significance to the spiritual and temporal lives of Muslim people across the entire world.”
