MEMOIR OF BURCKHARDT. 97 



winding valley, from 100 to 700 yards m breadth, 

 the main direction of which is from north to south. 

 The mountains enclosing this valley, and overhang- 

 ing the town, are from 200 to 500 feet in height, 

 rugged and completely barren. The houses are lofty 

 and built of stone of a dark gray colour, with nu- 

 merous windows facing the streets, which give them 

 a lively and European aspect. The only public edi- 

 fice worthy of notice is the great mo>que or temple, 

 which the Moslems call Beltullah^ the House of 

 God. It stands near the middle of the city, and is 

 of a quadrilateral form, like what the Royal Ex- 

 change in London was ; but said to be ten times 

 larger. It is entered by nineteen gates, most of 

 which have high pointed arches j those that front 

 the great inner court are all crowned with small 

 conical domes, plastered and whitened on the out- 

 side ; beyond these is a second row of low spherical 

 cupolas, amounting in all to 152; and above these 

 rise seven minarets or steeples, from the summits of 

 which a beautiful view is obtained of the busy 

 crowds below. 



Nearly in the middle of the court stands the 

 Kaaba, the ark or tabernacle of the Mohammedan*, 

 the black stone in the corner of which is devoutly 

 kissed by every pilgrim. The millions of salutes it 

 has received from the lips of the Faithful have worn 

 the surface round, and to a considerable depth. The 

 Kaaba is an oblong massive building, the erection 

 of which is ascribed by the Arabs to Abraham and 

 Isaac ; it is covered with a black silk stuff called 



