Snouck was forced to leave Mecca in August 1885 because he was (wrongly) accused of being involved in the theft of an old inscribed stone, the Stele of Teima. Back in Leiden, he wrote his two-volume masterpiece Mekka [Mecca], the first volume of which was published in 1888. The second part followed in 1889. In it, Snouck describes daily life in the city, including that of pilgrims from many parts of the world. Of particular note is the Bilderatlas with 75 illustrations. These are mainly photos that Snouck himself had taken of the city of Mecca and of prominent residents of the city and groups of pilgrims, as well as some photos of others. Encouraged by the success of this publication, Snouck Hurgronje published a second series of photographs in 1889 entitled Bilder aus Mecca.
C. Snouck Hurgronje, Aceh pilgrims, 1884-1885, inv.nr. Or. 26.404: 52