The oldest audio recording of Quran recitation in the Grand Mosque in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, located west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, dates back to 1885. It was recorded by the Dutch Orientalist and Muslim convert Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje using wax cylinders during his visit to Makkah Al-Mukarramah. This recording has been preserved by Leiden University in the Netherlands.