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HIJJAZ, ARABIA
The most famous cities of Hijjaz in Arabia are Mecca and Medina. To visit them, pilgrims go annually either by a steamer to Jeddah, the seaport of Mecca, or by the Damascus to Mecca Railroad line. This route starts at the “Bab Allah” (the Gate of God) in Damascus. From Damascus to Mecca is a distance of 1,007 miles.
For the first few miles, the line traverses the famous fertile land of Hauran, the center of the Druze tribes and the Jordan Valley. Then there is nothing but wilderness and desolation. After crossing the mountains of Moab, past the towns of Tebuk, El Ula, Medina, and desert lands between them, the holy city is thus reached.
Mecca, the holy city of the Muhammadang, is situated in a long, narrow valley. This small city is a little more than two miles long. Its houses are very handsome and its streets are wide and regular. Its chief building is the Mosque of Mecca (the House of God) or ““Al-Harem” (the Sanctuary), in which is the “Caba” (the Holy House). The mosque is about 350 feet long and 300 feet in breadth, supported by 450 marble pillars about 20 feet in height, and roofed by numerous copulas. The walls, arches, and minarets are painted in stripes of red, yellow, and blue.
The Caba is an oblong massive structure, and its doors
are coated with silver and gold: In the Caba is the “Hajar
al-Asad” (the Luckiest Stone), an oval-shaped, black stone,
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said to be brought by the Angel Gabriel, and is surrounded by a border of silver and cement to prevent its being worn away by the kisses and touches of the pilgrims.
‘The Holy Well of Zem-Zem supplies the city with water
for drinking and ablution. Fifteen miles from Mecca is
Mount ’Arafat, where the prophet used to retire to pray. Mecca is celebrated as the birthplace in 570 A. D., of the prophet Muhammad.
Medina. Next to Mecca, Medina is the second holy city of the Muhammadans. This city stands in a plain close to a chain of hills. It is surrounded by a wall 40 feet high, flanked by 30 towers, which render Medina the chief stronghold of Hijjaz. Its chief building is the “Mosque of Al Harem” (the Sanctuary) which contains the tomb of the prophet.
