Mecca

a city of Arabia. It is the holy city of the Mohammedans. Their great prophet, Mohammed, was born here in 570. Mecca is situated in a blistering hot, sandy valley, about seventy miles from the Red Sea. The Kaaba, or Caaba, the most sacred shrine of the Islam religion, is here. It is a cube-shaped, flat-roofed building, in the center of an immense mosque. The mosque is a vast colonnaded square having nineteen entrances. The Kaaba contains a sacred black stone said to have been originally a ruby from heaven. It is of an irregular oval shape, about seven inches in diameter, composed of smaller stones set together. It is now blackened by the tears shed for sin by pilgrims. The Kaaba is opened two or three times a year. Only the faithful are permitted to enter. In fact, the few Europeans who penetrate the city at all do so in Arab disguise and at the risk of death.

The city and the religious ceremonies are in charge of the direct descendants of Mohammed. They are called the sherifs of Mecca. They all wear a costume, noted chiefly for a green robe. They form a sort of aristocracy, and elect one of their number as sherif of Mecca, subject to the confirmation of the Turkish sultan. The city is composed of flat-topped stone houses from one to three stories in height. The streets are unpaved but are wide. The ordinary population of the city is about 60,000. The citizens depend entirely on an annual pilgrimage and fair for business. At this season an immense number of rooms are for rent at high prices. Mohammed enjoined upon his followers the religious duty of visiting Mecca at least once. Humble peasants hoard their scanty earnings for a lifetime that their eyes may behold "the mother of cities," and that they may be present at the great annual festival, when a single prayer counts for more than a thousand offered elsewhere.

During the months of summer Mecca becomes the resort of Mohammedans from all parts of the world. They combine business with pleasure, bringing with their alms merchandise for sale and exchange. One stream of pilgrims comes by ship from Polynesia and Java, and from Farther India and Hindustan. They leave their ships at Jiddah on the Red Sea and proceed by caravan to Mecca. They bring spices, pearls, bales of silks, rich cashmere goods, and rugs. Another stream of pilgrims comes from northern Africa, from Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, Egypt, and Turkey. They collect and set forth from Cairo. The caravans from Central Asia and Asia Minor increase in size as they come, converging upon the Holy City a perfect horde of men and camels. It is estimated that not less than 100,000 pilgrims gather at the annual fair and fete. When the trading and religious services are over they disperse as they came, leaving the city comparatively empty and solitary until the coming of the next fair season. On returning home the pious Mohammedan hangs an aloe plant over his door to signify that he has performed the pilgrimage.

See Caravan; Arabia; Mohammed; Medina