Customer Reviews

Mecca, The Blessed, Medina, The Radiant: The Holiest Cities of Islam

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book has stunning and beautiful pictures of Islam's holy areas and pictures of Muslims in action. As a non-Muslim, I would never be able to see these things in person. This book gave me a lot of insight into such things, and I definately do not regret the purchase.

We get so little information from our media on the largest pilgrimage in the world, that this book is a revelation. Islam and the Hadj are an integral part of the history and culture of the Middle East, and by extension, our world.

The photography is nothing short of stunning, and there is little that is not covered, so that one gets a good sense of the topography, the rites, and of course, the pilgrims.

An essential book not only for Muslims, but perhaps even more for non-Muslims looking to understand one of the world's great faiths.

I will never, as a non-Muslim, be able to visit the holy cities, but this book was the next best thing. Flawless.

This is a beautiful photographic essay on the experience of the Hajj. It includes photos of Mecca and the Kaaba, the physical locus of prayer for Muslims around the world. It also includes photos of the City of Medina, the site of the tomb of the Prophet, Muhammad upon him be peace.

An introductory essay gives a brief description of the historical expansion of the buildings around the Kaaba and the Holy Tomb. Colorful views of the rituals of the pilgrimage provide Westerners with an insight into this essential ritual of Islam. I especially appreciate the photos of Muslims from around the world as they gather together in pilgrimage.

It is a book I have chosen to share with friends and family to increase their understanding of Islam.

Thank you Ali Kazuyoshi Nomachi, Seyyed Hossein, Aperture and to everyone who made possible, such a unique collection.

This book has 4 major sections. First is about history, geography, out skirts and some related information about Islam, Hajj and Arabia. Next 3 are covering Mecca, Medina and Arabia. The text, the history, the photographs, the geography, its not just insightful for Muslims but also for non-Muslims. Its a beautiful gift.

I dont agree with one of previous comment that "night exposure is disaster" because for me it doesnt matter that pictures were taken at night or at day, every picture has its mood and every picture is a master piece. Picture doesnt always have to be in daylight and this is very artistic that photographer captured those different times and moods. This book is like one from series of "a day in life of". Coverage was enough to make me sentimental.

In response to comment "two racist cities...", in short, non-muslims were allowed earlier but after the incident of 2 non-muslims digging tunnel underground to get the body of prophet Mohammad (PBUH) from his tomb in the time of ruler salahuddin ayyubi, its restricted now. In response to comment "Where blacks went for...", its true that that was slavery era, east west and everywhere else but mapping Islam with slavery is not right. As a matter of fact, releasing a slave from slavery was very much appretiated in Islam.

Mecca the Blessed, Medina the Radiant: The Holiest Cities of Islam is a stunning pictorial depiction of the hajj, the annual sacred pilgrimage to Mecca. Particular focus is paid to the specifics of the hajj, but it also succeeds in reminding readers of the extraordinary picture of humanity one obtains at the hajj as well as the powerful role that faith plays in the lives of the pilgrims

While another reviewer points out that sometimes lost is the intimate depictions of pilgrims, as a Muslim, the book is a powerful reminder of what is most important about the hajj: our shared devotion to Islam.

Other readers take pains to point things not within the ken of the book. In particular, one should remember that Mecca and Medina are sacred. One reader makes much of the exclusion of non-believers to the holy cities, but in every there are sacred spaces for which only believers are allowed and for which only believers can imbue it with the spiritual value it deserves. And in every religious tradition, believers inscribe the boundaries of the sacred and the profane. Indeed, Mecca is not the Vatican, it does not warehouse religious artifacts, Mecca and Medina serve as an earthly reminder of their ethereal beliefs on earth.

Unlike your typical "coffee table book," Nomachi's work can be reread and appreciated as a delicious portrait of what is to some a mysterious branch of humanity. I understand Hacibey's criticism and am not in a position to counter it, as I am not Muslim and have not made a hajj. I can only point out that the book is gorgeous, absorbing, and fascinating. I have been a scholar of comparative religions for some time and, despite the shallowness that some have assailed, I found the photographs to be very enlightening, even touching, as an earnest attempt to touch the soul of the hajji and hajjiyah as they endure their once-in-a-lifetime Meccan ordeals.

Several readers have reviewed MECCA THE BLESSED, MEDINA THE RADIANT based on their negative political views of Saudi Arabia as well as the religious prohibition preventing non-Muslims from entering Mecca and Medina. Although I share these views (see my review of HATRED'S KINGDOM by Dore Gold), this is not a political book but one of photography and my review is on that basis. And on that basis, the book is very good.

The photos are exceptional. Nomachi, a Japanese convert to Islam, is well known for his pictures of obscure locales and the reason for his reputation is evident here. The pictures are lush and colorful and take the reader inside these forbidden cities as well as a photographer could.

The reader is first taken to Mecca via the gateway in the form of a Koran held towards the sky that separates Jeddah from Mecca. In Mecca, we see several shots of the Grand Mosque as well as its centerpiece, the Kabah. Most of the other photographs are of the pilgrimage to Mecca, the hajj, required of all Muslims at least once in their lives and include other points of religious interest. These include shots of Mina, where pilgrims throw stones at pillars which symbolize the devil, and also the Mount of Mercy, where much of the Koran is alleged to have been revealed to Mohammed.

The section on Medina includes numerous shots of the Mosque of the Prophet. This was the first mosque in the world and, although I am no expert on the subject, gives the Haghia Sophia and Blue Mosque in Istanbul serious competition for being the most beautiful. Some of the fascinating photos include those of the prayer-niche where Mohammed first prayed and, most interesting of all, the tomb of Mohammed himself.

Although Nomachi's pictures are extremely compelling and, of course, very professional, I do have one complaint. It would have been nice to see more pictures of the day-to-day life within these cities. Putting aside their religious significance to Muslims, Mecca is still a city of about a million people with Medina not far behind with both cities being quite old. Photos of the general architecture as well as people living their daily lives would have provided an even more intimate picture of these cities than the ones provided.

The accompanying essays by Seyyed Hossein Nasr are instructive though unfortunately not as good as the photographs. Nasr provides a solid history of Arabia, the rise of Islam and details about the hajj. However, his being a Muslim himself is a double edged sword. One the one hand, he is quite knowledgable about his subject matter. Given the prohibition on non-Muslims in Mecca and Medina, being a Muslim is likely beneficial in this respect. But on the other, he is not simply deferential but obsequious in his essays to the point of distraction. This also makes him overly vague and elliptical in his writings of Mohammed and the alleged revelation of the Koran to him. Finally, although I cannot fault a Muslim for not doing so, it would have been nice for some tips as to how a non-Muslim can sneak into the cities. Alas, I guess I am on my own on that one.

The only thing I hated so much about this book is, it is so beautiful and I am jealous. Picture paints a thousand words - my writing won't justify the beauty, ever. I don't understand how this is not on everyone's desk!

An excellent collection of photographs. First time, I have seen such a collection. For those who may have not yet made the pilgrimage, it provdes great insight. For those who have already been there, it made them remeber their own cherished experiences and perhaps make them desire to be there again.

Mr. Nomachi has captured the holiest places in the Muslim world with breathtaking beauty. This album of classic photographs (with great introduction and explanation from contributors) shows what heights can art achieve when it is combined with the power of faith and spirituality.

Another great illustration to bring to the world the greatness of Islam in contrast to the usual media bashing that this faith recieves. The illustrations reflect beautifully the glandeur of humanity when they pray side to side in front of one God forgetting all barriers that divide humanity today; race, color, money, etc.