"Two Rare Ottoman-Era Wooden Boxes to preserve the Kaaba' Keys, Dated (1146 A.H and 1197 A.H), in a Private Collection in Riyadh" (Publication and study)

Abstract

The research is studying and publishing two rare wooden boxes designed for preserving the Kaaba keys, both are made in Makkah Al-Mukarramah. One of them is dated (1146 A.H), while the other is dated (1197 A.H). Both boxes are dated back to the Ottoman Era. This paper shows an accurate and scientific description for each box, such as its shape, inscriptions, and decorations, as well as analyzing these inscriptions and decorations in the light of their official role. The research concluded that the first box, dated (1146 A.H ), dates back to the reign of Sultan Mahmud I (1143 - 1168 A.H / 1730) 1754 A.D), during the Emirate of Sharif Masoud bin Saeed bin Zaid, Emir of Makkah Al-Mukarramah in his second period (1146 - 1165 / 1734 - 1752 AD), while the second, dated (1197 A.H) , dates back to the reign of the Sultan Abdul Hamid I who ruled from (1187 A.H / 1773 A.D to - 1203 A.H / 1789 A.D), during the Emirate of Sharif Surur bin Musaed, Sharif of Mecca, who assumed the emirate (1186 - 1203 AH / 1772 - 1789 AD). The study shows their manufacturing style and how they can be used, as they are designed to keep the Kaaba keys. As far as we know, there is no wooden boxes of this type that has been previously published or studied. Thus, we believe that these rare and important two boxes are worth studying, thus, that shows the importance and rarity of these boxes, and that there is no doubt that studying them in an accurately scientific way makes them a new and important addition to wooden artifacts in general, and the Kaaba key boxes specially. But it should be noted that although some of the keys of the Kaaba have been previously published and studied, .

Keywords

• box
• keys
• the kaaba
• wooden
• riyadh