The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-12
{ Sidi Okba and His Oasis.

e
Have you ever heard Of Sidi okba?
He was a famous Arab general who
conquered the whole of North Africa
from the Nile to, the Atlantic about
1900 odd years ago. All whom he
conuu cred he converted by telling them
that they must die IL theyadid not cs-
pouse tho Mohammedan religion; and
1t is said that when he reached the
western ocean he rode into 1t exclaim-
ing that If 1t were not for this barrier
he would make every people or the
lands beyond worship Allah or die This
man was one of the great Mohamme-
dan fheroes. The people look upon
him as saint. and they have named
towns, GASES and other places after
him. One of the most important OF
these Is sidi Okba, which lies twelve
miles from here, in the heart Of the de-
sert. In 1t Is the shrine of the saint,
and the mosque containing 1t is said
TO be the Oldest Mohammedan building
| In Africa. The town Is the religious
capital Of this part of the world, so
| holy that the people make pilgrmages
| to 1t as they do to Kairouan, in'Tu- 4
nisia, and to Mecca and Medina, In
| Arabia.
rode across the desert this after
noon and visited it. The way Is over
| a country covered with a scanty veEe-
tation Of thorny scrub, through sandy
| and stony wastes, and by the GASES OF
Tiliach and Chetma, Sidi Okba Itself
has $4,000 palm trees, and the town
|has several thousand people. The
| plantations are surrounded by mud
i walls like those Of Biskra, but the
/ houses are better and some of the
streets are SO wide that one can drive
/ through thems On our way there we
1 passed some caravans of camels and
i donkeys. We saw many tent villages
i and great nocks Of black goats watch
{ led by shepherds.
}. The Business Of an Oasis.
Entering the gate. we rode between
the mud walls to the public square,
which is surrounded by petty stores or
4 buzaars. Every store Is box-like
room no wider than the door which
n leads into it, and SO low that the mer-
chants can hardly stand upright within
4 IT. The stores IRE lighted from the
front. and the customers stand In the
street as they bargain.
There was considerable industry so
ing on. Here men were weaving, there
! they were making plows and farther on
saddles In the street OF the tailors
!, w saw several men using American sew
Ing machines, but nowhere did I see
any American goods On tho sides Of
: the streets were mud lodges built out
: from the mud walls. These lodges
] were filled with white gowned men
: chatting or sleeping. Some were reel
ing cotton and some sewing. AT MS
l. the lodges are filled with sleepers.
r Many of these poorer Arabs have nc
\ homes They cat at the cafes and slceI
9 in the streets. This is especially sc
9 in tho cities. The men always slcer
with their heads covered, and, in fact
$ with every bit OF bare skin hidden
r One reason for this Is on account Of thu
t flies. They fairly swarm In al thee
r GASES, making one pray for the Calipl
:. Adalmelic the father Of flies, t.
: breathe upon them and drive then
q away. This old Caliph had a breatl
!, so fatal to flies that every one dropped
). dead that flew over his mouth.
r During my stay visited the famous
y mosque. 1t is an ordinary BUILDING
It with perhaps half dozen rooms, In
d Guiding the place of worship, 1t wa
filed with Mohnmmednns when ! on
tered 1t this afternoon. and hear
), the Mohammedan youths singing GU
i verses from the Koran IN the school
n rooms on each side. ! spent q Will
10 watching tho men ut their prayers, mn
IS although was known to be Chris
y tan, was not molested.
s FRANK G.. CARPENTER.