| Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey Kaire, Inscription d’un Mihrab 1842-1844 Daguerreotype Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Département des Estampes et de la Photographie LL/66825 The inscription is an older version of 'Bismillah Hirrahman Nirrahim' - 'In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful'. It is the opening line of Koranic verses and used as a polite way to enter a place.
(Thanks to K Azril Ismail for his assistance, 3 January 2017)
| |