New exhibition dedicated to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ opens in Saudi Arabia

Hijrah: In the Footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ will tour the kingdom.

Here’s your chance to learn about one of the greatest stories ever told: Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ journey from Makkah to Madina. Hijrah: In the Footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ has opened at King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), and provides an artistic retelling of this significant story. 

Hijrah: In the Footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ opened in conjunction with the Islamic New Year and aims to bring to life the Prophet’s life in a modern new way. In Arabic, hijrah means migration or emigration, and the Prophet’s hijrah took eight days. This journey is one of the most significant events in the Prophet’s life, and it’s also an important date as it marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.

Hijrah: In the Footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ is a collaboration with the National Museum in Riyadh, House of Islamic Art, King Abdulaziz Complex for Waqf Libraries, and Turquoise Mountain. Over the last three years, more than 70 local and international researchers and artists have come together to create the exhibition. 

The multidisciplinary exhibition has 14 interactive points, plus documentary films, antiquities and a book that tells the story of migration. The display also includes the Prophet’s valuable items, and fabrics from the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

Dr Abdullah Hussein Alkadi, curator of the exhibition, said: “It has been a journey that has occupied me for some 40 years. This exhibition presents new research, methodologies, and findings based on extensive fieldwork that will redefine perspectives on this historic migration. The relevance of this story is just as strong today; it demonstrates and reminds us of why people choose to move from one place to another and asserts the right to practice your beliefs.”

Hijrah: In the Footsteps of the Prophet is now open in Ithra’s Great Hall and runs until 29 April 2023. The exhibition then goes on tour in Riyadh, Jeddah, Madina and across the world. Tickets cost SAR 30, and it is open from Saturday to Wednesday from 9am to midnight, Thursday from 9am to 1am, and Friday from 4pm to 1am. 

GO: Visit www.ithra.com for more information.