Khalili Collection of Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage

The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage
A Complete Cover for a Damascus Mahmal, Istanbul, 17th century
Curators	Nasser D. Khalili (founder) Nahla Nassar (curator and registrar)[1] Qaisra Khan (curator)[2]
Size (no. of items)	5,000[2]
Website	www.khalilicollections.org/all-collections/hajj-and-the-arts-of-pilgrimage/

The Khalili Collection of the Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage is a private collection of around 5,000 items^[2] relating to the Hajj, the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca which is a religious duty in Islam. It is one of eight collections assembled, conserved, published and exhibited by the British-Iranian scholar, collector and philanthropist Nasser Khalili; each collection is considered among the most important in its field.^[3] The collection's 300 textiles include embroidered curtains from the Kaaba, the Station of Abraham, the Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad and other holy sites, as well as textiles that would have formed part of pilgrimage caravans from Egypt or Syria. It also has illuminated manuscripts depicting the practice and folklore of the Hajj as well as photographs, art pieces, and commemorative objects relating to the Hajj and the holy sites of Mecca and Medina.

Part of the collection was exhibited at the British Museum in 2012 and it has lent objects for exhibition in other countries. It is documented in a ten-volume catalogue due to be published in 2022. Alongside the Topkapı Palace museum, it has been described as "the largest and most significant group of objects relating to the cultural history of the Hajj".