Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-03-06
a VISIT TO THE HOLY CITY.

NlSlI ~ The HOLI ClII.
The ceremonies l am about to de-
scribe have been practiced for more
than thousand years, and are SO inter-
esting from their antiquity, as well as
from their extraordinary character,
that the very horror and disgust they
occasion is accompanied by feeling of
respect even for the victims of the
superstition which gives rise to them.
Moreover, the recent development of
Mohammedan fanaticism under the
auspices of the New Prophet gives a
special interest to this matter at the
present time. l am, l believe, the first
Christian woman who has ever been adj
mitted to see these rites. Before went
did not understand their nature, and
the readers will easily imagine how
glad was, long before their con-
clusion, to make my escape.
The Holy City of Kairwan is the
Mecca of the State of Tuns, and indeed
OF Northern Africa. 1t lies about
eighty miles south of Tunis. and some
twenty miles inland from the sea. On
entering the town saw lock OF cam
els coming over the desert, led by their
keepers. On the other side appeared
woman riding on an ass. and ROBBED in
a mantle Of deep dark blue, which
was folded over her head and round
an infant in her arms. A man
walked by her side with
8 aft to VIII CHI gourd was attached
The sun was descending behind them,
and its beams lit W tie figures as they
turned away into the wilderness. A
little further on. near a solitary palm
tr e, man was riding a camel, with
worn woman 81 WY trailing on foot be.
hind him. At sign the camel stopped,
and the man, dismounting, lay under
the tree, and sent the weary woman far
into the distan e FOR water. It is here
that the barber of tie Prophet Mo-
manned is bar ed. who pos sessed the
most recious clippings from his beard
three ha rs OF which now remain.
The town is not interesting, consisting
of houses butt of small tricks. partly
covered in patches with dlapidated
plaster. The roo are fiat. and one
can walk from one to another almost
over the town. The town is sur
rounded by thin wall, surmount,d
with parapet with sem circular
crenelations. The gates a~e of cd
wood studded with iron knobs The
streets are filthy urpavei lanes, and the
house doors lead downward as into
Gel ar. There is no hotel OF inn of anv
descr ption. The whole town is studdel
with mosques, sma |, decayed and poor
in appearance, but there are only two
of consequence, the Great Mos ,ue and
the Tomb of the Barber.
In the Great Mosque there are null
titude of pillars, mostly antique re-
mains. of various colored marbles. On
entering, knowing the prejudices of the
Turks, l stopped down to take off my
shoes before treading on the holy carpet
or rather mating. This appeared to
please them. and Il priest made gest-
ure to me, and forthwith caused the
mating to be rolled away, so that l
could walk upon the floor, thick with
dust and dirt. The scene was impress
slve. Numbers of figures, with the
white burnOus bound round their heads
by string, were crouching round with
their rosaries of beads, and PRAYER
boards, chanting kind OF :Gregorian
measure. This caused sort of vibrat-
"A
the foot of the pulpit are two red gran
tie pillars, about twelve feet high, and !
some six inches apart. Through these
the faithful squeeze themselves into
Paradise. having previously reduced
their bodies by starvation for the pur-
pose. Nearly two and half in .hes of
granite have been worn away from one
of the pillars by repeated friction, SO
that the entrance has become easier
than it must once have been. A small,
slim boy of thirteen years of age was
lust able to slip through To a full
grown man it must have been a severe
trial. The Tomb of the Barber, placed
in an upper room in one of the mosques,
is surrounded with trellis-work, COW
cred with rich carpets, and hung round
with canopies, banners, painted ostrich
eggs, and other offerings of the faithful.
Every Friday, and also on other DAYS in
the week, penances take place at vari-
Gus mosques or religious houses in the
town. The persons who practice these
rites have many social and pecuniary
privileges. and belong to special caste
of their own.
Invent to see one of these ceremonies.
1t took place at half-past eight in the
evening. two hours after dark. en-
tered courtyard and passed thence in
to whitewashed room, stepping over
the carved barrier about eighteen inches
b Oh. which is usual in Moorish houses.
then found myself in a room. as far as
| can guess. about thirty or forty feet
long BY twenty or thirty feet wide. On
the right, IS we entered. was, sort of
alcove with dark marble pillars. The
walls of the room. which were some
what irregular. were daubed with
whitewssh and very dirty; the floor
was Of mud and stone. Opposite the
alcove. and On the left Of the entrance
door was a huge wooden grating, be-
hind which the women were placed. mi
the center hung an enormous ohaude- /,
Ter Of rough woodwork, perhaps about
twelve feet square. and covered with
bits of candle, glasses with oil and
floating wicks, and scraps of glass, and
an old glass chandelier being
opposite the door, likewise garnished
with oil lamps and scraps of tal.ow csn-
die. The light was very dim, and the