The Guardians are on display at Leighton House Museum in London until November 29.
London:
One of Islam's most revered religious sites, the Prophet's tomb (Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi) and the holy sites of Mecca and Medina, now has just five men as Guardians. The tradition dates back to the 11th century, when there were thousands.
Until 2013, no one had ever been allowed to photograph the Guardians. But by royal sanction, the faces - and legacy - of the last eight have been preserved forever in photographs taken by Saudi Arabian photographer Adel Quraishi and now on exhibition in London.
"It's a unique exhibition because they're unique photographs," says Joe Start, the Gallery Manager at The Park Gallery, who have helped bring the series to London in collaboration with Quaraishi.
"The Guardians have never been photographed before, this is the first time they've been captured or painted and they're quite to some extent reclusive, you can't just go and take a photograph of them. But Adel Quraishi was afforded the opportunity to photograph them in 2013 and these are the last eight of the guardians remaining, a tradition that is not going to be continued further after they pass away themselves," Mr Start said.
Today there are only five remaining Guardians - three have died since Mr Quraishi photographed them.
"Three have died since the photographs were taken in the last two years, so really this is going to be the last and only record of The Guardians themselves," Mr Start said.
The photographs include that of the leader of the guardians, Nouri Mohammed Ahmed Ali, Sheikh of the Azzawa. Alongside the portraits is one never-before-seen photograph of the interior of the Prophet's mosque.
It's the first time the show has been seen in the UK after exhibitions in the Middle East, said Mr Start. We, the Park Gallery have been working with Adel Quraishi now for over a year and having exhibited them once before in Abu Dhabi about a year ago, we decided we should bring them to the UK to show them to a wider audience," he said.
Until 2013, no one had ever been allowed to photograph the Guardians. But by royal sanction, the faces - and legacy - of the last eight have been preserved forever in photographs taken by Saudi Arabian photographer Adel Quraishi and now on exhibition in London.
"It's a unique exhibition because they're unique photographs," says Joe Start, the Gallery Manager at The Park Gallery, who have helped bring the series to London in collaboration with Quaraishi.
"The Guardians have never been photographed before, this is the first time they've been captured or painted and they're quite to some extent reclusive, you can't just go and take a photograph of them. But Adel Quraishi was afforded the opportunity to photograph them in 2013 and these are the last eight of the guardians remaining, a tradition that is not going to be continued further after they pass away themselves," Mr Start said.
Today there are only five remaining Guardians - three have died since Mr Quraishi photographed them.
"Three have died since the photographs were taken in the last two years, so really this is going to be the last and only record of The Guardians themselves," Mr Start said.
The photographs include that of the leader of the guardians, Nouri Mohammed Ahmed Ali, Sheikh of the Azzawa. Alongside the portraits is one never-before-seen photograph of the interior of the Prophet's mosque.
It's the first time the show has been seen in the UK after exhibitions in the Middle East, said Mr Start. We, the Park Gallery have been working with Adel Quraishi now for over a year and having exhibited them once before in Abu Dhabi about a year ago, we decided we should bring them to the UK to show them to a wider audience," he said.
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