‘Abdrahman Umerov’s Travel Diary Describing Soviet Muslims at the Pan-Islamic Congress in Mecca and the Hajj (1926)

Abstract

This paper deals with history of the travel diary of imam-mukhtasib of Astrakhan Governorate ‘Abdurahman Umerov, which is devoted to his journey in Mecca made in order to take part at the Pan-Islamic Congress in Mecca and the Hajj (1926). Umerov was a member of the Soviet delegation. Umerov’s manuscript is the unique source, containing information on important meetings during the journey, on course of the congress itself as well as on the organization of the hajj rite. The paper also describes, in which way the Soviet delegation has been formed, which political events presupposed its visit to Mecca, how this visit infl uenced further relations between the Soviet Union and Saudi Arabia.