Saudi Arabia’s oldest known photograph has been revealed, dating back to 1861 and capturing the historic city of Medina.
The image was taken by Egyptian Colonel Mohamed Sadek during an official visit to survey the pilgrimage route between the cities of Al-Wajh and Yanbu, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
SPA confirmed on Friday that the photograph is the oldest ever taken within the Kingdom’s borders, noting that Sadek used a large-format camera relying on the wet plate collodion process — an early photographic technique requiring complex equipment and precise conditions.
The discovery was highlighted in the book “Origins of Photojournalism in Saudi Arabia,” which as well records that Sadek returned to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in 1881, where he documented Hajj rituals through photography.
Experts say the image offers rare visual insight into Medina’s urban landscape during a formative period in the history of photography, preserving details of the sacred city before widespread modernization.
The photograph, now over 160 years old, stands as one of the earliest known visual records of the Arabian Peninsula and underscores the role of early photographic efforts in documenting cultural and religious heritage.
