CHENOUFI (Ali)

"We have focused this study on the reports of these six travellers, as well as those of the other seven [...]. We have drawn from them the insights we present on the fulfillment by Muslims of their duty to the sanctity of the two Venerated Holy Places, and particularly the sanctuary of Mecca [...]. These insights relate to the interest that the Muslims of the Maghreb attach to the history of the Venerated Kaaba, to its kiswa finery, to the sacred mosque and to the restorations that have been carried out there to ensure the well-being and safety of pilgrims. [...] These insights are relevant to the descriptions of the caravans travelling to the House of Allah, and particularly those of the pilgrims from the Maghreb as they travelled by land and sea, over a period spanning three centuries", p.9. The study is completed by the reproduction of correspondence (reports) from French consuls in Jeddah in the 19th century, providing information on the conditions of the pilgrimage, listing pilgrims by nationality, by route taken (sea/land), and abounding in technical information (ships used and their numbers...) and health information (lazarets, epidemics...).