The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-05-20
MOHA.MMEDANISM =!
A Sojourn Among the Arabs
and Turks.
PRIMITIVE PAGAN BELIEFS
The Sacred Oortege -Pilgrimaee to
MeCca-TAe Caaba and Other
Historic Places.
To the Edit5r of The HERALD.

IlOCAdILA QubO IdO pOOPlC SOlcndn
pilgrimage; let them come on foot, and
on every lean camel, arriving from
every distant road; that they may Be
witnesses of the advantages which
accrue to the from the visiting of this
holy place, and may commemorate the
name of God On the appointed days, in
gratitude for the brute cattle which he
has bestowed on them From 'revela-
! ton to MJhImntsd given at Mecca.
No one can we'll doubt our Sultan s
sincerity of belief in the diYinity of
these words, especially when it
is understood how uneasy he
has been until the $4,000 neces-
sary for the fitting out of the holy
caravan, was obtained. 1 wonder if he
has ever thought of how many caravans
Uncle Sam could rig up. and not have
to borrow money to do it either? How
ever, the money has been obtained, and
the caravan Is now ready, and such a
sight as it presents cannot be met with
in every cline. 1t was while admiring
the ever-lovely waters of the Code n
Hora, that our spell was abruptly
broken by the sudden appearance of
THE SACRED CoRTEGE.
A truly primitive music (?) corpse led
it. Ten Arabs were the players, using
drums made of crooks, over the tops
of which was stretched a skin
and blowing tin Whistles; these
were followed by twenty others
chanting prayers. all being IN step with
the strange drum-beat. Next in order
came the Sure Emini-one appointed
each year to have charge of the I'm
perial caravan while en- route-riding a
fine Arab steed, and preceding small
kiosk borne on the backs Of two mules.
This kiosk is about four feet wide and
eight feet long. covered with plush and
ornamented with guided bropzs work.
In this is placed the rich carpets which
His Majesty sends each year to the
Tomb of the Prophet. Following the
kiosk, were three large camels, bearing
palanquins covered with rich tapes
tries and surmounted by a gilded
bronze globe. Under each palsnquin
sat half-naked Arab, uttering wlerd
incanlations. Last of ali came three
mules each carrying lltie kiosk orna-
mented with ostrich feathers of differ
ent colorS The VIII lie train proceeded
to the Yildiz palace, where it remained
in the park 10 receive thu gifts of His
Maies'y, which he offers to the Holy
Tomb. Alter this the eunuchs, headed
by the Imperial cham berlaiu, removed
tue sure to the Imperial harem, ere
the ladies of the court drapod n
rich shawls and tai estry. The carayau,
followed by many pilgrims. will n, Y
proceed by steamer to Beyrout and
from there the journey will be made
overland to Mecca. where the pilgrims
must arrive by the great fete of Cour-
ban Bairam. Nothing of interest to US
will occur on this long, monotonous,
journey, excepting that 1t behooves
each pilgrim to have constant guard
over his words and actions and to avoid
all quarrelIng or i'll language and al
converse with women and obscene dis
course; in fact, to apply his whole at
tention to the good work In which he is
engaged; but, on arriving at Mecca,
visitors have much of interest to tell,
which we will briefly follow.
AT MECCA, :.
the pilgrims meet at different places,
according to the different parts from
whence they come. Now, before the
entering of the sacred territory. the
men must put on sacred habit, which
consists only of two wooden Wrappers
one wrapped about the middle
of the body, and the other
thrown. over the shoulders; the head
is bare, and kind of slippers are US
which cover neither hill nor instep.
Having arrived in the holy city, the
pilgrims Immediately visit the temple
of Mecca, & plac. in singular generation
with the Arabs from great antiquity,
and many centuries before MOhammed.
1t stands in the middle of the city, and
is honored with the title of Masjad al
alharam, |. g. the enviable temple.
What is principally raverenced in this
place, and gives sanctity to the whole,
is square stone building called the
Caaba, which means the ouse of God,
apart for His worship. The Caaba has
octangular pillars of alosswood; the on =
side is covered with rich black damask
adorned with embroidered bands of
gold, which is changed every year, be
ing provided by different sultans. So
very ancient is the Caab3 that Moham-
medans are generally persuaded that it
is almost coeVal with the world: for
they say that Adam, after his expul-
sion from Paradise, be eyed of God that |
he might erect building Ike that he
had seen there and towards which he
might direct his prayers, and which he
might compass, as the angels do the |
celestial one. Whereupoa God let down
a representative of that house in cur
tains of light, and SCI in it Mecca, or
dering the patriarch to turn towards it
when he prayed. and TO compass
it by way of devotion. The sacred
building beingd astr wed ov the Deluge,
it was afterward rebuilt by Abraham
and Ismael, at Gods command. in the
place where the former stood. they
being directed therein by revelation.
While at this work, Abr ham used
most singular stone to stand on. the
Mohammedans telling US it served him
for scaffold, rising and falling OF itself
as he had occasion; this noted stone is
still to be seen at the holy hou Sc, bear
ing hraham'S fO0tnrjntS On the