The Wall Is Built Of
Solid Stone, About Five Feet In Height, And Four In Thickness, Cased
All Over With
White marble, and inscribed with prayers and invocations
[p.307] neatly sculptured upon the stone in modern characters.[FN#34]
These and the casing are the work of El Ghoury, the Egyptian sultan, in
A.H. 917. The walk round the Kaabah is performed on the outside of the
wall—the nearer to it the better.”
“Round the Kaabah is a good pavement of marble[FN#35] about eight inches
below the level of the great square; it was laid in A.H. 981, by order
of the sultan, and describes an irregular oval; it is surrounded by
thirty-two slender gilt pillars, or rather poles, between every two of
which are suspended seven glass lamps, always lighted after
sunset.[FN#36] Beyond the poles is a second pavement, about eight paces
broad, somewhat elevated above the first, but of coarser work; then
another six inches higher, and eighteen paces broad, upon which stand
several small buildings; beyond this is the gravelled ground; so that
two broad steps may be said to lead from the square down to the Kaabah.
The small buildings just mentioned which surround the Kaabah are the
five Makams,[FN#37] with the well
[p.308] of Zem Zem, the arch called Bab es Salam, and the Mambar.”
“Opposite the four sides of the Kaabah stand four other small buildings,
where the Imaums of the orthodox Mohammedan sects, the Hanefy, Shafey,
Hanbaly, and Maleky take their station, and guide the congregation in
their prayers. The Makam el Maleky on the south, and that of Hanbaly
opposite the Black Stone, are small pavilions open on all sides, and
supported by four slender pillars, with a light sloping roof,
terminating in a point, exactly in the style of Indian pagodas.[FN#38]
The Makam el Hanafy, which is the largest, being fifteen paces by
eight, is open on all sides, and supported by twelve small pillars; it
has an upper story, also open, where the Mueddin who calls to prayers
takes his stand. This was built in A.H. 923, by Sultan Selim I.; it was
afterwards rebuilt by Khoshgeldy, governor of Djidda, in 947; but all
the four Makams, as they now stand, were built in A.H. 1074. The
Makam-es’-Shafey is over the well Zem Zem, to which it serves as an upper
chamber.[FN#39]”
“Near their respective Makams the adherents of the four different sects
seat themselves for prayers. During my stay at Meccah the Hanefys
always began their prayer first; but, according to Muselman custom, the
Shafeys should pray first in the Mosque; then the Hanefys, Malekys, and
Hanbalys. The prayer of the Maghreb is an exception, which they are all
enjoined to utter together.[FN#40]
[p.309] The Makam el Hanbaly is the place where the officers of
government and other great people are seated during prayers: here the
Pasha and the sheriff are placed, and in their absence the eunuchs of
the temple. These fill the space under this Makam in front, and behind
it the female Hadjys who visit the temple have their places assigned,
to which they repair principally for the two evening prayers, few of
them being seen in the Mosque at the three other daily prayers: they
also perform the Towaf, or walk round the Kaabah, but generally at
night, though it is not uncommon to see them walking in the day-time
among the men.”
“The present building which encloses Zem Zem stands close by the Makam
Hanbaly, and was erected in A.H. 1072: it is of a square shape, and of
massive construction, with an entrance to the north,[FN#41] opening
into the room which contains the well. This room is beautifully
ornamented with marbles of various colours; and adjoining to it, but
having a separate door, is a small room with a stone reservoir, which
is always full of Zem Zem water. This the Hadjys get to drink by
passing their hand with a cup through an iron grated opening, which
serves as a window, into the reservoir, without entering the room. The
mouth of the well is surrounded by a wall five feet in height and about
ten feet [i]n diameter. Upon this the people stand who draw up the
water in leathern buckets, an iron railing being so placed as to
[p.310] prevent their falling in. In El Fasy’s time there were eight
marble basins in this room, for the purpose of ablution.”
“On the north-east (south-east) side of Zem Zem stand two small
buildings, one behind the other,[FN#42] called El Kobbateyn; they are
covered by domes painted in the same manner as the Mosque, and in them
are kept water-jars, lamps, carpets, mats, brooms, and other articles
used in the very Mosque.[FN#43] These two ugly buildings are injurious
to the interior appearance of the building, their heavy forms and
structure being very disadvantageously contrasted with the light and
airy shape of the Makams. I heard some Hadjys from Greece, men of
better taste than the Arabs, express their regret that the Kobbateyn
should be allowed to disfigure the Mosque. They were built by
Khoshgeldy, governor of Djidda A.H. 947; one is called Kobbet el Abbas,
from having been placed on the site of a small tank said to have been
formed by Abbas, the uncle of Mohammed.”
[p.311] “A few paces west (north-west) of Zem Zem, and directly opposite
to the door of the Kaabah, stands a ladder or staircase,[FN#44] which
is moved up to the wall of the Kaabah on days when that building is
opened, and by which the visitors ascend to the door. It is of wood,
with some carved ornaments, moves on low wheels, and is sufficiently
broad to admit of four persons ascending abreast. The first ladder was
sent hither from Cairo in A.H. 818 by Moyaed Abou el Naser, King of
Egypt.”
“In the same line with the ladder and close by it stands a lightly built
insulated and circular arch, about fifteen feet wide, and eighteen feet
high, called Bab es’ Salam, which must not be confounded with the great
gate of the Mosque, bearing the same name.
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