The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-07-25

am very fortunate in having been in Cairo
on the ,32lst birthday of the Prophet Mahomet
1t was feast day among the Mahometans,
and at night there was grand religious cele-
braton at the Alabaster Mosque which Ma
homot Ali, the Napoleon of Egypt, built on the
Citadel above Cairo. The minarets Of this
mosque, standing out against the sky and look
ing over the Nile Valley. the great deserts and
the vast city of Cairo. blazed with light, and
the cry Of the Muezzins from them sounded
shriily in the dusky air. It was shouted out
in Arabic, but translated il means Allah is
great! There Is no God but Allah, and Ma
homet Is tho Prophet of Alahl Come to
prayer! Come to worshpl Allah is great
There is no God bat Allah!"
As this call reverberated through the city
the Mahomotaps of all classes started for tho
Citadel. They came in magnificent turnouts
with bare-legged, gaudily-dressed Scyces with
wands in their hands running in front of them
to clear the way. They came upon donkeys,
aud they moved along in groups OF three
and fourupon foot. The Khedivc came with the
rest, soldiers with drawn swords going in front
of his carriage and retinue Of cavalry follow
ing behind. The Alabaster Mosque covers
many acres. IL has a paved marble court,
around which closters run, as big as n good
sized field. This is rooted with the sky and
in the midst OF it is great marble fountain, in
which the worshipeTs bathe their feet and
Is At the back of this court, facing Mecca IL
rises with many domes to a great hight, and its
miparets seem TO pierce the sky. 1t is built of
aiabHster, but its exterior has become decayed
By the sands of the desert since it was built,
aud 1t has nothing of the grandeur which it
must have shown when its founder worshiped
within IT, The interior, however, is wonder
fully beautiful, and its gorgeous decorations
needed the thousands Of lights of this great
service to show il of in its grandeur. Under
the gaslight and lamplight the tinsel which
during the day rather shocks the taste was
soiteBed aud made beautiful The alabaster
OF the walls became rs pure as Mexican onyx,
aud the rare Persian rugs which lay upon the
floor put on more veivety tint. Cover if you
can in the eye of your mind an aero field with
the richest OF Oriental rugs: build up about
II walls of pure white alabaster. with veins as
delicate as those of the moss agate; let these
walls run up for hundreds of feet, build gal
lcries around them and roof the whole with
great domes in which are windows of stained
glass; hang lamps by the thousands from the
ceiling. put here and there through the whole
an alabaster column. and you have some idea
of this mosque as it looked on the night of
Mahomets birthday. You must add, however
the worshipers The thousands of Oriental
costumes: OF turbans of white, black and green:
OF rich gowns and of sober, long bearded dark
faces, which shine out under the lights in every
part of tho building. You must put in the
mass of Egyptian soldiers in gold lace and med
ern uniforms, with red fez caps on their heads,
and you must add hundreds of noble Egyptians
in European clothes. You note there are no
shoes in the assemblage. and the crowd moves
about on the rugs in bare feet or stockings
What a Babel of sounds goes up from the diff
ierent parts of the building, and how strange
are the sights. Here a dozen old men squat,
facing each other, on their knees. and they bob
up and down as they recite passages of the
Koran and 30 through some form of worship
Here is man worshiping all alone. and there
IL crowd Of wild-eyed aseetics with long hair