City plan of Mecca in Arabic published by the Survey of Egypt noting the latest advances in infrastructure including the locations of important government buildings.

This extraordinarily rare map shows the improvements that the Saudi Arabian government began incorporating into the city of Mecca to facilitate access for pilgrims undertaking the Hajj. Amongst these are the construction of new roads, the establishment of wireless stations and the location of important buildings containing information about allowing access to sacred sites. The introduction of these measures was a consolidation of the power of the Saudi government as a custodian of the holiest site of Islam. It allowed the relevant government departments to organise and improve the flow of pilgrims into the city. Ultimately, a new government department was established to undertake responsibility for pilgrims, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

Notable sites marked on the map include the Great Mosque of Mecca, the al-Maabadah Royal Palace, now known as the King Abdulaziz Palace and the Al-Muallaa Cemetery.

We have been able to establish the issue of three editions of this map, all very scarce in institutions. The editions were issued in 1945, 1947 and 1948. This example is the third 1948 edition and the only institutional record we have been able to trace is in the library of the Umm Al-Qura University at the Institute of Hajj and Umrah Research. Original colour. [MEAST4648]