The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-05-18
THE SACRED CARPET" "
It Covers the Tomb of Mahomet
the Prophet.
A Fabric Of Fabulous Cost Is Made Each
Year for This Purposo-The In
teresting Ceremonial Of
Laying.

Cairo hasbeen on are gular tear" for
a week, says recent letter in the Los
Angeles Times. You see the holy car
pet has arrived from Mecca, and the
Arabs are simply crazy. This carpet is
q most interesting thing to conten-
plate, and.the service every year has
grown to such enormous proportions
that II commands the attention OF the
whole civilized world. This carpet is
not an old carpet, as is generally sup
posed, but new one Is made every
year for this service, Of which I will
tell you Expensivep Well, rather.
1t takes whole year to make 1t, and
when 1t Is finished 1t stands out mar
vel of fine silver and gold thread
worked into beautiful designs, and the
whole containing many beautiful
pearls, rubies and other precious
stones To be sure, these stones are
preserved from year to year and placed
ON every new carpet, but the body OF
the carpet is new every year. This
new carpet is taken to Mecca, where Is
the tomb of Mahomet, the prophet, and
spread over his grave, where it re-
mains for two months, and is then
brought to Cairo again, where all this
hubbub Is kicked up.
I wish you might have seen these
Arabs the day this carpet arrived. They
woke me at six o'clock in the morning,
parading the streets in front of my ho-
tel, and they kept that parade up all
day long and have hardly stopped since.
One brass band after another, followed
by one Of the priests who accompanied
the carpet to Mecca and bowling mul'
titude, have kept the city in an uproar.
However, the carpet was finally taken
TO the citadel of Cairo, where II has since
been divided among the priests and a
few favored Arabs. | was favored with
a seat among the foreign consuls, close
by the side Of the great priest who re-
ceived the carpet on its return, and,
therefore, had a fine view Of the whole
proceedings. When | arrived at the
citadel the carpet had not arrived, but
was not long kept waiting. Promptly
at nine o'clock the governor Of Cairo
and escort arrived at the building and a
salute Of ten guns was fred. Then came
the foreign consuls-American, French,
British etc.-and then the trouble be-
gan. There were one thousand Arab
soldiers drawn up In line, and fine,
manipulating set they were in their
white uniforms and red turbans. Then
there were one hundred lancers on
horseback. with their gorgeous-colored
flag, the artillery and about three hun
dred thousand Arabs.
Great Scott, what performance they
did havel The carpet came In on a
camel and was put up in the shape Of a
pyramid, only one side left open. Then
came the priests who accompanied II
TO Mecca and all OF their retainers,
each on camel They were beating
drums, blowing some hideous wind
instruments, and to say that camels
and men were in gorgeous costumes
scarcely approaches the magnificent
truth. As soon as the carpet came a
royal salute Of twenty-one guns was
fred, the lancers dismounted, the
soldiers "fell in" and din commenced
such as / had never heard. Cannons
firing, bands playing and three hundred
thousand Arabs crazy as could be
made something Of row.. AL this in
honor Of the prophet. The Arabs
rushed like mad TO get to touch the
sacred piece Of silver and gold and
precious stones, firmly believing II they
could but touch It they were not only
sure Of Heaven, but had received a
sovereign cure for every Ill and trouble.
Not only this, but they believe II they
can only touch the priests robe II Is a
sure cure for all Ills. It is really pitiful
10 see these Arabs when once they get
10 touch the carpet. They at once
cover their faces with their hands,
strike the chest and kiss time and again
the hand that touched the carpet They
can be seen all along the streets along
which the carpet passes, going through
Mis- performance. II one Is so fortunate
rs 10 receive but small thread, he at
once incloses II in small leather bag,
ties II around his neck, and from that
time on he is not only satisfied that he
will have all he may desire, but is sure
Of everlasting life in the world to come.
1 got the chief janissary to the
American consul to get me a piece Of
this carpet. He is Mohammedan, but
his long association with American
consuls has made him somewhat
christianized. II was only, however,
after repeated promises on my part
that would never use IL as a matter Of
ridicule, that he consented to give It to
me. He bears the name Of Solomon
Mahomet, and is a kind fellow indeed,