British Museum Plans to Showcase Islam's HAJ Piligrimage

THE NATIONAL
By Jessica Holland

The Kaaba in Mecca

UNITED KINGDOM - Intense emotion, sacrifice and ancient ritual: last year more than 6,000 Emiratis joined the throng of three million making the gruelling pilgrimage to Mecca to perform rites such as circling the Kaaba, "stoning the devil" and standing vigil at Mount Arafat. Now the Haj pilgrimage is set to be the focus of the British Museum's next major exhibition, Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam, opening in January and following shows on Afghanistan and Iran. According to Neil MacGregor, the museum's director, the show will also fulfil one of the institution's original goals, which is to examine the relationship between faith and society as seen in past shows such as Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead and Buddhism across Asia. [link]

Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam opens at the British Museum on January 26, 2012.