| Show MECCA r c I I a ti W r i P j j l 1 r l are t 4 N I Pilgrims Encamped Outside Mecca Prepared by the National Geographic Society Society So So- cl ty Vl D. D DC C C. Though the World war changed the thet t temporal map mop of Arabia raising the narrow strip of the H Heinz formerly a Turkish province Into a kingdom It did not alter the place In the world of Mecca chief of the cities That m mystic cIt city under Arab control still Is the center of all l I Mohammedan thought hought and action as It was under the Turks The Importance of Mecca Is not due to Its r resident population of perhaps but hut to the more than pU pilgrims who visit It each year from m every nation of Islam Statistics are hopelessly contradictory and confusIng confusIng Ing ng regarding the number of annual visitors According to Turkish official estimates In 1907 1007 there were no less than han pilgrims It Is a marvel how low so many thousands can find food shelter and most o of all nil drink drin In such a desert city The religious capital cepHal of Islam and now the temporal capital of the new kingdom of the affords an In Index In- In Index dex dec to the growth glowth and strength of Mohammedanism In various parts of the thc world for one can rightly gauge the strength of religious fervor In this great non-Christian non faith by br the number number numer num- num ber er of those who go on pilgrimage From Java Jaya Bengal West Africa Cape Colony and as well as from the most Inaccessible provinces of China the they hey come ever every year ear and return to their native land land land-If If the they escape the hardships of travel travel travel-to to tell of the greatness and glory of oC their faith however much they may have hae been disappointed In the tJ-le actual condition of the city and Its sacred buildings When we consider Mecca Mohammed's Mohammed's Mohammed's meds med's words of prophecy In hi the second chapter of his book seem to have been literally fulfilled So we have made you OU the center of the nations that you should bear witness to men The Theold Theold Theold old pagan pantheon has become the religious sanctuary and the goal of universal pilgrimage fer seventh one of the human race From Sierra Leone to Canton and from to Cape Town the faithful faithful faith falth- ful CuI spread their prayer carpets build their houses In ful fulfillment of an Important Important Important Im Im- tradition even 1 their outhouses out out- houses louses I and bury their dead oriented orient orient- ed cd toward l I Mecca If the old world could be viewed from another planet Its ts details disclosed the tIle observer would see concentric circles of living worshipers rs covering an widening ever area and find one would also see vast areas of Moslem cemeteries with er every ev evera ev e era ery r grave dug with Its main axis' axis toward toward toward to- to to to- ward the sacred city Its Mysteries Laid Bare Mecca Is no longer a n veiled yelled city A score of intrepid travelers have unveiled unveiled un un- un veiled It It From Wild and Jo Josrph Pitts to Burton and the they took their lives Ues In their hands herded herded herded herd herd- ed with strange companions underwent underwent underwent under under- went untold hardships and by luck or pluck came out of If this lions lion's den of Islam According to Doughty scarcely a pilgrimage takes place without without with with- out some persons being put to death as ns Intruding Christians An educated and find pious Moslem In Cairo admitted recently that when he wt nt on pilgrimage pilgrim pilgrim- age and took pictures of the city his life was endangered mote more than once by the fanaticism of the Inhabitants However there are many who believe that the establishment o o. o of the new kingdom will mean the removal of restrictions re re- restrictions against hon non ion The mixture of race races brought about In province for so many any centuries centuries centuries cen cen- by the pilgrimages has hus not been conducive e to morals or good gOOtt govern govern- ment No one who has read the account account account ac ac- count of social life at Mecca as ns given by and other travelers Including Including including In In- Moslem pilgrims themselves can doubt the tho need for social reform In that city Mecca Ieca Is the microcosm of ot Islam In Its religious lIf life and aspiration as as- 1 According J to It Is Islam the official l religion which brings together and amalgamates all an anthe the heterogeneous constituents of dec Mec- can life On the other Jan l l this tills so society society so- so Itself welds Into a u chaotic whole the prejudices and amI ons of nIl all countries In other words Mecca ecca Is the sink-hole sink of or Islam All witnesses as ns to the flagrant Immorality Mich pervades the streets and o even on n he h mosque of the sacred elt city the prevalence of the slave trade the fleecing of pilgrims and the tine corruption corruption tion of the late Turkish government The post office at nt M Mecca under Turkish regime was certainly unique Sacks of letters were thrown out Into the narrow street leading to the post postoffice postoffice postoffice office and there sorted by the pilgrims pilgrims pil pil- grims themselves who opened C them and took their letters and ond those of their friends also A similar system prevailed at Medina and JId- JId dah King Husein of ot however however how how- ever has taken steps to join the International Inter Intel national Postal Union and has had stamps printed In Egypt bearing the Inscription Post Foreigners Handle Its Commerce Commerce The commerce of Mecca Is Is' Is entirely In the hands of foreigners mostly Indians Indians Indians In In- who sell sen rosaries carpets and silk stuffs One of the main occupations occupations of the silversmiths Is the manufacture manufacture manu 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 effective effective effective tive remedy for certain Ills Most Most of the natives however earn their HyIng living living liv liv- ing as ns guides to the pilgrims and grow wealth wealthy during the season Sacred Mosque and The sacred mosque el Haram haram Ha- Ha ram with the Kanba as ns its center Is located In th the middle of the city Mecca l lies In a hot sand sandy valley absolutely absolutely ab nb ab- ab without verdure and surrounded surround surround- ed by rocky barren hills destitute of bf trees or even shrubs The volley valley Is about feet wide and feet long and slopes toward the south The Kauba or House of God Belt Allah Is located In the bed of the valley All the streets slope toward It and It stands as It were In the pit of a theater TIle The proper stands In an nn oblong oblong ob oh- long space paces long and broad surrounded by colonnades which are used as schools and ns fiS a general meeting place for pilgrims The outer Inclosure has 19 10 gates and six minarets within the Inclosure Is the well of Zem Zem Zera the great pulpit the staircase used to enter the tine door which Is high above the ground and two small mosques called El EI Ku battain The remainder of the space Is occupied by pavements and gravel grav grav- el where pra prayers ers are said b by the four orthodox sects each having Its own allotted space In the southeast southeast corner of the tha about fl fi five e feet from the tho ground Is the famous Black Stone the oldest treasure of Mecca The The- stone Is a fragment resembling black volcanic rock sprinkled with red reddish cr crystals Arriving within a short distance of ot otI Mecca I orthodox pilgrims male and female put off their ordinary clothing and assume the which consists of two pieces of white cloth one tied around the loins and the other thrown over the back Sandals may maybe maybe maybe be worn but not shoes and the head must be uncovered red After certain ablutions the pilgrim enters the mosque kisses the Black Stone and runs around the seven seen times After special pra prayers ers 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 i Little books of ritual prayers to be used b by the pilgrims are sold to ever ever everyone ev ev- er one and there Is great punctiliousness punctilious punctilious- n ness ss In observing every detail correct correct- 1 ly On the seventh day of the pilgrimage pil grimage there Is a sermon from the grand pulpit the eighth da day das the pilgrim goes to Mina Ina three miles distant distant dis dis- tant from Mecca and anti spends the night The next morning he leaves for Arafat Arafat Ara Am fat another hill hlll a short distance from Mecca lecca and the following day Is th the great gleat day of sacrifice simultaneously observed throughout the whole Moslem Mos lem hem world Early In the morning the pilgrims go to Mina 1 where they fire are three pillars called the Great Devil the Middle lIddle Pillar and und the First On Ono Here each euch pilgrim flings seven seen pebbles pebbles peb peb- bles hIes to show his hatred of Satan and his love of God lIe He then performs the tine sacrifice of a sheep goat or camel cHmel according to his ills means menns the victim beIng being be be- Ing placed toward the and ard r d the t H. H knife plunged Into the animals animal's animals animal's throat with the cr cry Akbar Albar This ceremony concludes the pilgrimage proper and ond th pilgrim then begins hlf hir journey journe back bael home |
