The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-02-02

fleeing Of pilgrims, and the corrup-
ton of the late Turkish government.
The post office at Mecca, under
Turkish regime. was certainly unique.
Sacks of letters were thrown out into
the narrow street leading to the post
Office, and there sorted by the pill
grims themselves, who opened them
and took their letters and those of
their friends also. A similar system
prevailed at Medina, Yenbo and Jid-
dab, King HuSein of Hejaz, how
ever, has taken steps to join the Inter-
national Postal Union, and has had
stamps printed in Egypt bearing the
inscription "Hejaz POST
Foreigners Handle Its Commerce.
The M of Mecca is entirely
In the hands OF foreigners, mostly In
dians, who sell rosaries, carpets and
silk stuffs. One of the main occupa-
tionS of the silversmiths Is the manu-
facture Of rings. which are supposed
to be constructed from silver that
was once part Of the sacred temple
doors, and are reputed to be an effec-
wv iNiiCds " Ntlldll Ills. NlOSl VI
the natives, however, earn their liv-
ing as guides to the pilgrims and
grow wealthy during the season.
Sacred Mosque and ka'aba.
The sacred mosque, Mesjid Ell Ha-
ram with the Ka'aba as It's center,
is located in the middle of the city.
Mecca lies In a hot, sandy valley, alb
s~olutely without verdure and surround
ed by rocky, barren hills, destitute Of
trees or even shrubs. The valley is
about 300 feet wide, and 1000 feet
long, and slopes toward the south.
The Ka'aba, or House OF God (Beit
Allah), is located in the bed of the
valley. All the streets slope toward 1t
and it stands, as it were, In the pit
Of a theater.
The Ka'aba proper stands In an OBJ
long space go PAGES long and 200
broad. surrounded by colonnades.
which are used as schools and as a
general meeting place for pilgrims.
The outer Enclosure has 10 gates and
six minarets; within the inclosure is
the well Of Fem Fem. the great pulpit,
the staircase used to enter the Ka'aba
door, which is high above the ground,
and two small mosques called Eel Ku-
battain. The remainder of the space
is occupied by pavenents and grav-
e, where prayers are said by the four
orthodox sects. each having Its own
allotted space.
In the southeast corner of the
Ka'aba, about five feet from the
ground, is the famous Black Stone,
the Oldest treasure Of Mecca. The
stone is a fragment resembling black
volcanic rock, sprinkled with reddish
crystals.
Arriving within a short distance Of
Mecca, orthodox pilgrims, male and
female, put off their ordinary clothing
and assume the hiram. which consists
of two pieces of white cloth, one
tied aroun the loins and the other
thrown over the back. Sandals may
be worn, but not shoes, and the head
must be uncovered. After certain
additions the pilgrim enters the
mosque. kisses the Black Stone, and
runs around the Ka'aba seven times.
After special prayers he proceeds to
the place Of Abraham, then drinks from
the holy well, and once more kisses
the Black Stone. After this follows
the race between the two hills, Safa
and Mirwa.
Little books Of ritual prayers to be
used by the pilgrims are sold to ev-
eryone, and there Is great punctilious-
ness in observing every detail correct
ly. On the seventh day of the pill
grimage there is a sermon from the
grand pulpit. On the eighth day the
pilgrim goes to Nina, three miles dis
tant from Mecca. and spends the night.
The next morning he leaves for Ara
fat, another hill a short distance from
Mecca, and the following day is the
great day of sacrifice. simultaneously
observed throughout the whole Mos
lem world. Early In the morning the
pilgrims go to Nina. where they are
three pillars, called the Great Devif.
the Middle Pillar, ard the First One.
Here each pilgrim filings seven peb-
bles to show his hatred of Satan and
his love nf God. lie then performs
the sacrifice Of a sheep. gcat or camel.
according to his means, The victim be-
ing placed toward the Ka'aba and the
knife plunged into The animals throat
with the cry aAllahu Akbar." This
ceremony concludes the pilgrimage
proper and the pilgrim then begins his
journey back home.