An exhibition of antiquities from GCC countries is being held at the National Museum in Riyadh, and it will continue till Feb. 23. There is no doubt that this region is the cradle of civilizations and rich in heritage. Not only is there an abundance of antiquities in Saudi Arabia, but a lot of the nation's historical treasure is in foreign lands – museums, and private, personal and corporate collections. Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), was reported as saying recently that the Kingdom has prepared a comprehensive plan to retrieve national antiquities from abroad. He said the new antiquities law would be very strict in dealing with the issue of smuggling historical artifacts. He said that the Commission deals with places of historic importance within the perspective of Shariah and with the intent of protecting them, and stressed an important aspect of historical Islamic sites. “We'll never allow such sites to be turned into shrines. We have to project this heritage in order to prove that the Gulf region is not only rich in oil, but also in culture and civilization.” If one takes just Saudi Arabia, he will find that, as the birthplace of Islam, the country abounds in historical sites. These are not only enriching, and enlivening, but also, “they help link generations,” as Dr. Sami Angawi, architect, who has a PhD in Islamic architecture from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, told Saudi Gazette in an interview.w There is hardly any account of a visit to Makkah, Madina and other parts of the country made by travelers of years gone by that does not mention one or more such sites. While some have no solid and conclusive historical proof as to whether they existed or not, there are others for which historical proof is available. Some are left abandoned for fear of ‘shirk' (associating anybody with Allah Almighty) and ‘bida'h' (innovations in Islam) especially when it comes to the sites associated with the life and times of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). “Some of them I have seen with my own eyes, and some of them I dug up, and investigated,” Angawi said. Islamic knowledge has spread through written books, and, in many ways, it has been transferred by word of mouth. He said that there are two houses related directly to the Prophet (pbuh). “In Makkah there is the birthplace of the Prophet (pbuh) and that is where the library is, and then there is the house he lived in with Sayyeda Khadeeja (may Allah be pleased with her). That is the house that is sometimes called the Sayyeda Khadeeja House, also called the birthplace of Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) because she was born in that house, and all his children were born in that house. The Prophet (pbuh) lived for 18 years in that house and received the wahi (revelation) in that house on many occasions. It is a very important place that has been passed on from one generation to the other, and has been mentioned in many history books,” he said. In his book Makkah: In the Latter Part of the 19th Century, C. Snouk Hurgronje mentions the house of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), the house where Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was born. He also mentions the “many yards long” grave of the Mother of Mankind. Hurgronje tells about the tomb of Maimunah (may Allah be pleased with her), a wife of the Prophet, as being “on the road to Madina, half a day's journey northwestward from Makkah.” Angawi, who received his master's degree in architecture from the University of Texas at Austin, and bachelor's from the University of Arlington, Texas, said that there are many houses where early Muslims used to gather, such as, Dar Ul Arkam, which “one could say was the first school in Islam.” There are also many mosques related to the Prophet (pbuh). And there are natural locations such as Mount Hira, Mount of Noor (Jabl Al-Noor), Mount of Mercy (Jabl Rahma). “Among many historical small buildings in the plain about El Medina is the Mosque of the Table, to eastward of the city. Here, say the fable-mongers, God sent down the table loaded with food to Jesus Christ (pbuh),” writes Eldon Rutter, the Englishman, in The Holy Cities of Arabia, which was published in 1928. “This incident is mentioned in the Qur'an, Chapter ‘The Table Spread' (Maida),” he says, and hastens to clarify “but no mention is made of El Medina; nor do the commentators and historians say that it occurred at El Medina.” Rutter, who visited the Kingdom in 1925 and met King Abdul Aziz Bin Saud, further notes that “in different parts of the Manakha there are several little mosques. These are cool silent places in the heat of the day. All are swept and garnished, and have grass mats on the floor. Some of them have small gardens beside them, and green branches and trees may be seen through the iron-barred windows by the sitters within. Among these mosques are Ghamama, Ali, Abu Bakr, Anas, and Umar mosques.” History of Makkah, History of Madina, two books prepared by a group of scholars under the supervision of Shaikh Saifur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, throw light on many sites. It was at Jabl Thawr that the Prophet (pbuh) and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) hid in a cave on their migration (Hijra) from Makkah to Madina. The mosque in Mina, Masjid-Al-Khaif, is a place where Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) prayed during the Haj. “All those and many, many sites – not less than 300 – were definitely, between Makkah and Madina. There were old mosques that were built on the old site, related to the Prophet (pbuh) or one of his companions,” Angawi said. He said that the Quba Mosque in Madina, the first mosque in the Holy City built by the Prophet (pbuh) after his migration there, in whose construction he himself took a leading part, had a garden. There was also a well related to the Prophet (pbuh). “There are many such places in the Kingdom, but the concentration is either in Makkah or Madina, or in-between,” he added. Angawi, who founded the Haj Research Center at his house with just two or three men, said he has studied Makkah and Madina and the pilgrims from all aspects. Now the center is called The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Haj Research. “I am much honored that something I did carry the name of the King. This is a great honor,” said Angawi, who as founder and director general of the center, conducted studies for nearly 14 years. One of the major aims of the center was to prepare a historical archive on Haj, and Madina and Makkah, with documents, photographs, films, and maps, and to preserve the Islamic and natural environment of the holy sites, Makkah and Madina. About the grave of the Mother of Mankind, Hawa in Jeddah, Angawi said it has not been proven. “Her grave is mentioned in some history books. I have not seen enough evidence, maybe it has been demolished,” he said.
