The Republican journal., 1922-02-23

ueeCtng O1 pllkf1ihs, anu TIC Soii Wy
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 lts Commerce.
The commerce Of Mecca is entirely
In the hands Of foreigners. mostly In
dams. who sell rosaries. carpets and
silk stuffs. One of the main occupa-
lions of the silversniths 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-
tive remedy for certain Ills. Most Of
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 its center,
is located In the middle of the city.
Mecca lies in hot, sandy valley, alb
solutely without verdure and surround,
ed by rocky, barren hills, destitute Of
trees or even shrubs. The valley is
about 300 feet wide, and 1850 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 it
and ii stands, as it We're, in the pit
of theater.
The ka' aba proper stands in an OBJ
long space $50 PAGES long and 200
broad, surrounded by colonnades,
which are used as schools and as
! general meeting place for pilgrims
| The outer Enclosure has 10 gates and
| six minarets; within the Enclosure 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 Ell Ku-
| battain. The remainder of the space
is occupied by pavements and gray
ell, 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 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 around the loins and the othel
thrown over the back. Sandals may
be worn, but not shoes, and the heat
must be uncovered. After certain
ablutions the pilgrim enters the
mosque, kisses the Black Stone ant
runs around the Ka'aba seven times
After special prayers he proceeds t
the place Of Abraham, then drinks from
the holy well, and once more kisse:
the Black Stone After this follows
the race between the two hills, Safe
and Mirwa.
Little books of ritual prayers to bt
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 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
pilgrims go TO Nina, where they are
three pillars, called the Great Devil
the Middle Pillar, and the First One
Here each pilgrim filings seven peb
bles TO show his hatred of Satan and
his love of God. He then performs
the sacrifice of sheep, goat or camel
according to his means, the victim be
ing placed toward the Ka'aba and thu
knife plunged into the animals throa
with the cry "Allahu Akbar." Thi
ceremony concludes the pilgrimag
proper and the pilgrim then begins hi
journey back home.