A bus used for the Hajj from Dagestan in the 1990s and early 2000s in the village of Khushtada (Dagestan, Russia), 2024
People and things between Makkah and Dagestan
Collaborative work with researcher Nastya Indrikova The Hajj journey has always been a long and dangerous path, one that can involve death, loss, and hardship. Despite the modernization of the pilgrimage infrastructure, which has shifted from foot travel with trade caravans to transportation via trains, ships, and planes, many individuals remain unable to make the pilgrimage due to a variety of restrictions. One such limitation pertains to the Muslim population of Dagestan, who were prohibited from undertaking the Hajj both during the Soviet era and in the years following the violent conquest of the Russian Imperial Army in the 19th century. A focus on this particular journey is the central theme of a collaborative project between the photographer Ilyas Hajji and the researcher Nastya Indrikova. Through their work they are trying to reconstruct the route of this pilgrimage, although many of its traces remain fragmented, distributed throughout family archives and historical sources. The years following the collapse of the Soviet Union became an era defined by the opening of both cultural and material borders. Pilgrims were among the millions who were allowed to leave the country for the first time. The things they brought back at that time can illustrate the aspirations and dreams of their owners and can be viewed as material manifestations of religious commonality, providing insight into a unique cultural context. The project highlights how the memories and elusive history of Dagestani pilgrims can be explored through even the most mass produced, seemingly soulless items.
Masaha: Cycle 5 artist residency final showcase. Riyadh, 2023. Photo: Ilyas Hajji
Masaha: Cycle 5 artist residency final showcase. Riyadh, 2023. Photo: Ilyas Hajji
Masaha: Cycle 5 artist residency final showcase. Riyadh, 2023. Photo: Ilyas Hajji
Split Together, Merged Apart exhibition. Moscow, 2025. Photo: Daniel Annenkov © GES-2 House of Culture
Split Together, Merged Apart exhibition. Moscow, 2025. Photo: Daniel Annenkov © GES-2 House of Culture
Mosque in Kulibukhna village before reconstruction (Dagestan, Russia), 2009
Formula of the oneness of Allah on a stone at the entrance to the village of Kulibukhna (Dagestan, Russia), 2022
Men’s prayer room by the departure gates at Uytash International Airport in Makhachkala (Dagestan, Russia), 2023
View of Haydarpaşa Port from Kadıköy district in Istanbul (Turkey), 2023
Caravanserai in Fatih district in Istanbul (Turkey), 2023
Haydarpaşa Station in Istanbul (Turkey), 2023
Islamic Port of Jeddah from the Central Fish Market (Saudi Arabia), 2023
The restored Eastern Gate of Jeddah from which caravans left for Mecca (Saudi Arabia), 2023
The shore of the Red Sea in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), 2023
Apartment for pilgrims in Ar Rawabi neighbourhood, Mecca (Saudi Arabia), 2023
Entrance to a pilgrim hotel in the Kuday suburb of Mecca (Saudi Arabia), 2023
The Royal Clock Tower in Mecca (Saudi Arabia), 2023
Pilgrims in Kuday, a suburb of Mecca (Saudi Arabia), 2023
Hejaz railway station in Medina (Saudi Arabia), 2023
Alarm clock. Purchased in Istanbul (Turkey), 2022
Prayer beads. Brought back from the hajj in the early twentieth century
Soviet passport with a Saudi Arabian visa for 1993
Fluorescent lamp. Purchased in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), 2002
Bag. Received as gift in Istanbul (Turkey), 2019
A keychain with an image of the Kaaba and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. Purchased in Medina (Saudi Arabia), 2002
Electronic prayer beads. Place of acquisition unknown, second half of the 2000s
Keffiyeh. Place of purchase unknown, second half of the 1990s