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MECCA. 



MECKLKNBURO. 



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I domai ui ] 52, and that of the pilUn U rarioualy atate<l at 450 

 and 600. ThcM oolumni are from one foot and a half to one foot and 

 Uirae qaart«n io diameter, and abore twenty feet in height, but 

 otlianrue there ia little regularity in thorn. No two capitals or baaee 

 are ezaotly alike. The oafatidB are of ooarae Saraoenio workmauihip, 

 and aome, whioh bad eerred for other buildings, have, by the ignorance 

 of the woifanen, bean plaeed npeide down upon the ihafta. 



Seren pared canaewayi lead from the colonnades towards the 

 Kaaha, in the centre, tia whole area of the mosque is upon a lower 

 lerel than any of the street* snirounding it There is a descent of 

 eigfat or tan steps from the gates on the north side into the platform 

 of the ookamade, and of three or four steps from the gates on the 

 south sidei 



Towards the middle of this area stands the Kaaba, which, according 

 to the belief of the Mohammedans, was constructed in heaven 2000 

 yean before the creation of the woild, and Adam, the first believer, 

 areoted the Kaaba upon earth on its present site, which is ezaotly 

 below the spot which it occupied in heaven. It is an oblong massive 

 stnuture, eighteen paces in length, fourteen in breadth, and from thirty- 

 five to forty feet in hei^L It is constructed of the gray Mecca stone, 

 in large blocks of different sixes, joined together in a very rough 

 manner and with bad cement It stands upon a base two feet in height, 

 which presents a sharp inclined plane. As the roof ia flat, it has at a 

 distance the ^ipearanoe of a perfect cube. The only door which leads 

 into it is opened only two or three times in the year : this door is on 

 the north aide, and about seven feet above the ground : it is entered 

 by wooden steps. At the north'«astem comer of the Kaaba, near the 

 door, is the fiimous Black Stone, which every pilgrim kisses ; it forms 

 a part of the sharp angle of the building, and is four or five feet above 

 the ground. It is an irregular oval, nbout seven inches in diameter, 

 with an undulating surface, and seems to be a piece of basaltic lava. 

 The four sides of the lOukba are covered with a black silk stuff, 

 hanging down and leaving the roof bare. This covering is renewed 

 annually at the time of the badj, and is brought from Cairo, where it 

 is made at the expense of the Turkish sultan. An opening is left for 

 the himck stone. The Kaaba remains without a cover for fifteen days 

 bafore the new one is put on. The black colour of the covering spread 

 over a large cubo in the midst of a vast square, gives to the Kaalia, at 

 first eight, a very singular and imposing appearance. As it is fastened 

 slightly, the least breeaa causes it to move with a slow undulation, 

 wUch is hailed by the assembled congrq^tion as a sign of the presence 

 of the guardian angels, whose wings by their motion are supposed to 

 produce the waving of the covering. Seventy thousand angels have 

 the Kaaba in their holy care, and are ordered to transport it to Paradise 

 when the trnmpet of the last judgment shall be sounded. 



There are several other buildings within the area of tlio mosque, 

 mostly appropriated to reading prayers, preaching, or the performance 

 of devotions. The Zemzem, or Uoly Well, is supposed to be the 

 spring found in the wilderness by Hagar at the moment when Ishmael 

 was dpring of thirst It seems probable that the town of Mecca owes 

 its origin to this well ; for many miles rotmd no sweet water ia found, 

 nor is there in any part of the adjacent country so copious a supply. 

 It is inclosed by a square buildii^ of massive construction, with an 

 entrance to the north opening into the room which containa the well 

 This room is beautifully ornamented with marbles of different colours ; 

 and adjoining to it, but having a separate door, is a small room with 

 a stone reservoir, which ia always full of Zemcem water ; this the 

 badjis get to drink by passing their hand with a cup through aii iron- 

 grated opening, which serves as a window, into the reservoir without 

 entering the room. From before dawn till near midnight the well- 

 room is constantly filled with visitors. It is considered a miracle 

 that the water of this well never diminishes notwithstanding the 

 continual draught from it The water is supplied by a subterraneous 

 rivulet 



The inhabitants of Mecca, with few exceptions, are Arabians. They 

 have two kinds of amfdoymant, trade and the service of the BeituUah. 

 During the badj Mecca baoomes one of the largest fairs in the Kast 

 and oerlainly the roost interesting, from the variety of nations which 

 Craqnaot it The merchants of the place make laige profits during 

 this tima by their merchandise. They have also a considerable trade 

 wHli the Bednins, and with other part* of Arabia. India goods, drugs, 

 •itiaks of drcas, and com, are the chief articles of trade. The greatest 

 profit however Is derived from supplying fowl for t)0,000 hadjis, or 

 idgriin*, and 20,000 camels. The only articles of manufacture are 

 •00* pottery and beads ; there are a few dyeing-house* in the city. 



Maee* i* governed by a Sherif, who is choaan from one of the tribes 

 «r flh*ri<^ or d**e*DdanU of the Prophet, setUed in the Ue^ax ; they 

 w*M eao* muMrons, but are now reduced to a few families of Mecca. 

 AHboogh h* obtafais hu sUtion by the choice of the Sherif families, 

 or by force, he holds hU authority from the Turkish sultan. [Arabia, 

 ToL L, col*. 413, 414.] Only Muasulmans are aUowed to enter 



Near Mecca is a bill called ilnf/a/, on whioh, aooording to the belief 

 of the Mo h a mm e d a n *, Adam, conducted by the angel Oabriel, met 

 Kva, after thay had been separated for 200 years, in consequence of 

 thair diaob*di*aa*k *ad banishment from Paradise. It is the scene of 

 an aoonal | ii'oos* *i i i a of tha Mohammedan*, at which certain prescribed 

 oertmoni** ar* parfomad; and no pilgrim, although he may have 



visited all tha holy pUoas of Mecca, is entitled to the name of ' hadji ' 

 imless he ha* been preeant on thii occasion. 



(Burckhardt, Trartlt : Ali Bey, TrareU.) 



MGCUtXEN, MECHLIN, or MALINES, a large well-built town 

 in the province of Antwerp, is situated on the Dyle, in 61° 2' N. lat, 

 4° 29' K. long., in a fertile plain, at the intersaotion of four railroads 

 leading to Antwerp, Ohent, Brussels, and Liige, respectively distant 

 27, 35, 12, and 59 miles. The street* an wide, well paved, and kcjit 

 remarkably dean. The large aquare, called La Place d'Armes, aud 

 the market-place, are in particular deserving of mention. The cathe- 

 dral, dedicated to St. Rombaud, is the most remarkable building in the 

 town. Its tower is 34S feet high, and contains a fine peal of bells : 

 the nave was finished in 1437, the choir in 1461. The pulpit, repre- 

 senting the Conversion of St Paul, and the Cracifixion by Vandyke, 

 an the great ornaments of the interior. The side-chapela are adorn d 

 with numerous pictures. The organ is remarkable for its rich and full 

 body of tone. Among the other churches of Malines are those of St- 

 Jean, which containa the Adoration of the Magi by Rubena ; and tho 

 elegant gothic churoh of Notre-Dame, in which is the ' Miraculouo 

 Draught of Fishes,' also by Rubena. The other principal bviiklings 

 are — the arsenal, which contains a cannon-foundry ; the town-house ; 

 the archiepisoopal palace ; and the church of the Jesuits. Mechelen 

 contains a college, an academy of paiutiug, a society of fine arts, 

 and a large building which serve* as an asylum for 800 widows and 

 aged women- 

 It appears that as early as the 5th century Mechelen was the capital 

 of a lordship, which was afterwards given in 754 by Pepin to one of 

 his relatives. It was subsequently destroyed by the Normans, and 

 rebuilt in the year 890. In 910 it was ceded by France to the Bishop 

 of Li^ge. At this time it occupied only the left bank of the Dyle, but 

 was extended on the other side of the river in 970. Mechelen was 

 sacked by the Spaniards in 1572, and by the army of the Prince of 

 Orange in 1578. It was taken in 1706 by the Duke of Marlborough, 

 and by the French in 1746, but was restored at the peace of Aix-la- 

 Chapelle. In 1792 it was sgain taken by the French, who in 1804 

 destroyed its fortificationa 



Malines is the seat of an archbishop, who ia primate of Belgium, 

 and has for hia suffragana the bishopa of Namur, Toumay, Aix-la- 

 Chapelle, Treves, Ohent, Bruges, Li6ge, and Mayence. 



Mechelen carries on some trade by means of vessels of considerable 

 burden which ascend the Schelde and the Dyle at high-water, the 

 influence of the tide being felt a few miles above this town. The 

 principal articles of commerce are — corn, oil, hemp, flax, and hops. 

 The lace-monufocture of Mechelen, ouce of great importance, has 

 greatly fallen off. The lace made bore now is coarser and much loss 

 valuable than that mode at Brussels. The railway terminus for the 

 four lines above alluded to is about a quarter of a mile north of tho 

 town. It was originally intended to have the terminus in tho middle 

 of the town, but thia project was successfully resistc<l by the autho- 

 rities and the ton-nafolk. The consequence is, that of the uiillious who 

 pass through the terminus yearly a very small number enters the 

 picturesque old city, and fewer still atop in it ; and Mechelen has 

 begim to have a deserted aspect There are manufactories uf hats, 

 shawls, coarse woollens, and paper ; cotton-mills, dye-houses, breweries, 

 distilleries/ and tanneries. 



MECKLENBUKO, a county in North Germany, lying between 

 53° 8" and 64° 2' N. lat, 10° 40' and 18° 45' E. long., oonsUting of tho 

 grand.ducfaies of Hecklenburg-Scbwerin and Mecklenburg-Strolitz, and 

 the principality of Ratzeburg, ia bounded N. by the Italtic, K. by 

 Prunsia, S. by Prussia and Hanover, and W. by Lauenburg and 

 Liibeck. The whole area ia 5588 square miles, and the population in 

 1848 amounted to 642,391. 



Surface, etc.— The surface of the ootmtry, being a part of the low- 

 land of Northern Germany, may be described generally as a plain. 

 There is a ridge or chain of bills, which, commencing in the Silosian 

 Mountains, traverses the country, and extends in a north-west direction 

 into Holstein. On both aides of this ridge there is aome heath, moor, 

 and sand, but a great portion of the land is fertile, and in part* 

 covered with considerable forests. The soil is p.artly loamy and 

 heavy, partly of a middling quality, and partly sand. In Mecklenbu^g- 

 Sohwann there are 62 lakes at least one mile and a quarter long, 

 beside* many smaller ones. Lake Miiritz, which is tho largest, ia 

 18 miles long and 8 mile* broad. In Mecklenburg-Strelitz tho county 

 of Staraard alone contains 63 lakes at least one mile and a quarter 

 long: the largest is the Tollen Lake, 74 miles long. Some of the 

 rivers fall into tho Baltic, and othen into the Elbe. Of the former 

 the principal are the Travc, Stekenitz, Rccknitz, Peenc, Warnow, and 

 Stuhr ; the Wamow is one of the chief rivers : the length of its course 

 is about 100 miles. At Rostock it suddenly expands to a breadth of 

 2400 feet, and falls into the sea at Wamemiinde. The Elbe washes 

 the frontier only at two places, near Diinitz and Boitzenburg, which 

 lie on its banka. The rivers that fall into the Elbe are the Elde, which 

 has a course of above 100 miles, and the Uavel. The Peene and the 

 Havel have their sources in Mecklenburg. The coast of the Baltic, 

 which ia but little indented, is generally atecp, and high above tho 

 aea; and where it is lower, the country is protected from the incur- 

 sions of the sea by aand-hillfi. Though Mecklenbui]g, on the whole, 

 is not a picturaaqua country, there are some spots of very pleasing 



