New Britain herald., 1916-03-28

Washington, D. C., March 2S.-"Not far from where Arabian lands now form d battle-ground for Turk and Briton stands the Mahommedan holy city of Mecca toward which turn countless thousands of Moslems every day at the time for prayer" is the be- ginning of a bulletin just issued by the National Geographic society from it's headquarters in Washington.
 "Mccca, the native place of Mahom- ct. is the principal city of the Turkish vilayct of the Hejaz in Arabia and is located a few miles back from the coast Of the Red sea, Jidda being its seaport and the landing place of near ly all it's pilgrims who come by sea- It's population is difficult to determine be- cause of its great number of visitors and at tho height of the pilgrimage season ii is usually much oNcrcroWd- cd.
 '"ro this holy city of Islam, Mecca, every good Moslcm should make at least one pilgrimage during his life time He must arrange his affairs so that his family will be taken care of in his bscncC and the money he uses for his journey, it is stipulated in his religion. must have been obtained by awful means.
 The moro devout of Moslems usual ly transact no business either along the way or after arrival at Mecca, al- though the rules which prescribe con- duct on this deVout crrand do not for bid such d thing. There are, how ever many of the pilgrims who must combine religion with business, other wise they could never find means to accomplish the journey. These, It would seCm have always been i'll the majority. for Mecca, 1tSC!I has, be- sides it's religious standing, location as an important commercial center.
 Mecca is surrounded by a great area of uncultivated land, called the haram, or sacred territory, where not even date palms grow, and the city is said bv historians to have been found cd to carry on trade with AbysSlnia in winter and Syria in summer. It's ba- Saars at pilgrimage time arc filled with the finest products ot the cast and a single one of 1t: caravans mas represented an investment of as much as $1O0.OO0 One of the principal in dustries there, in recent years at least, however, seems to have been that or renting lodgings at cXh"roltaht rates to dcvout pilgrims and other wise ex- nloitinu them until the plous stranger has been stripped of his goods and amazed 'bN the Wlckeuie09 t1hu Nlce oi his 'hOlN city.
 "\rriying at the edge of the haram, the pilgrim changes his ordinary clothes for the ihram, the ancient pll- Crimagc dress consisting of two cloths wrapped around himself Tn Il c"rtall prescribed manner. Thus attired he urOcceds to the city and after the end of his devotions begins the return jour nov with the honorary title of hajJ, which is conferred upon ali who nave made the pilgrimage.
 "In the center of Mecca is located the great mosque which is really not ,7uch more than a great columned wall with seven minaretS and IS built around the most sacred relics. Inside this wall is called the harem. or sacred spot and there stands the kaba. the .bolv of holics' of the Mos1em, rude stone building about forty feet square inc original of which is said to have been built by Abraham and his son Ishmael. It was the religious center of Mecca long before the time of Ma hOmct, who threw out it's idols and made it the sacred place of Islam. Many times it has been destroyed by fire and blood but it has always been 1 rebuilt approximately in the original | desicn The Ka ba has no windows 1 and it's door is several feet above the | surrounding level, entrance being et- | fccted by means of portable steps ln- sid. it's walls are covered with silver, l the gift of wealthy Mahommedans. it's 1 floor is a mosaic of vari-colo;cd mar i, blns and it's ceiling is hung with silks | of wOndrous hue and texture. Outside, much of the time it's walks arc covered 1 with rich brOcade, on the borders or which is embroidered in gold thread
 IS
 "In the wall of the ka ba, near it's southeast corner and at convenient height. is the famous black stonc said |