MAKKAH: A renowned 50-year-old history and culture professor at Makkah’s Umm Al-Qura died in an apparent suicide at his residence in the Aziziya district of the city on Saturday, shocking his students, friends and family.
Nasser Al-Harithy, who is author of 30 books and 70 research papers, apparently hung himself with a noose made from his headdress. His body was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his office by security officers.
Maj. Abdul Mohsen Al-Maiman, spokesman for Makkah police, said Al-Harithy’s death was a suicide. Security agents were, however, investigating whether there are any criminal motives behind the death.
“We have kept the body at the morgue of King Faisal Hospital and are investigating factors that might have led him to commit suicide,” he said, adding that police received a call from Al-Harithy’s family saying the professor had not left his office for two days. The family sought the help of the Civil Defense in breaking into the office. “We have gathered evidence from the site where the body was found to determine the cause of the professor’s death,” said the spokesman.
Sources close to the family told Arab News that Al-Harithy had no mental illness. His only health concern was that he was diabetic.
Al-Harithy’s friends were stunned at the news of his death. Abdul Rahman Al-Thubaity, director of Makkah Antiques, said: “We have lost a historical asset that cannot be valued by money. He had spent his whole life in research and reading historic events in the country.” Al-Thubaity added that he had contacted the professor two days ago and that he had agreed to attend a Supreme Commission for Tourism and Antiquities meeting.
Al-Harithy’s colleague at Umm Al-Qura University, Abdullah Al-Sharief, said the professor was an authority on history. “He was a beacon of knowledge and a man of good conduct and character. The university has lost one of its pillars. We pray to God that he shows His mercy to him,” he said.
Thamir Al-Harbi, director of the Institute of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for Haj and Umrah Research, praised Al-Harithy’s contributions to research.
“He had dedicated his life to history and civilization, and in search of knowledge,” he said. Abdullah Al-Amri, head of the Department of Antiquities in Taif, said Al-Harithy’s death was a huge loss for history and civilization.
“He was always involved in research and studying, and in discovering antiquities that give insight into history,” said Al-Amri.
The focus of Al-Harithy’s research was the history of Makkah. His major works included an encyclopedia of Islamic antiquities in Makkah and a dictionary of antiquities. He has conducted research on Hejazi architecture, King Abdul Aziz’s architectural work, and the development of Makkah and its holy sites.
A graduate of Umm Al-Qura University, Al-Harithy obtained a doctorate degree in antiquities and Islamic arts, a master’s degree in Islamic antiquities, and a bachelor’s degree in civilization and Islamic systems. His last book, entitled “Islamic Antiquities in Makkah,” was published last Ramadan.
