156 
Travels into the h ev an t 
The black 
Stone of 
Mecha. 
Fathom and a half long ; they are of one entire piece each, and yet run in a 
ftreight Line, the length of the Building, which is hung with Red and White 
Stuff, having here and there thefe words upon them, La lllak llUlUh^ Monhara- 
med Refont atlab. 
At the fame corner where the Door is (but on the other fide by the Wall) 
is the black Stone, which they call H^id^iar ^/W, and is had in Veneration 
by them, becaufe ( as they fay ) Abraham ftood upon it when he built that 
Houfe j and that it ferved him for a Scaffold, to the end he might make no 
hole in the Wall, it riling higher or lower as he pleafed, and being for that 
purpofe brought him by the Angel Gabriel. 
There is a Court about this Houfe, which the Turks call Baranty arid it is 
encompaffed with Walls^. with three rows of Pillars, and Arches on-, the infide 
Four Seflsofof it. The four Sedsof Mahomitanifme, have their places of Prayer in this 
Mahometans. Court, which are the Chafii^ Maliki, and Hambeli, each In one of the 
foiir parts of the Court, with their Faces turned always towards the -5f/>////^^, 
or Houfe of God. 
This Houfe is begirt with two Belts of Gold, one below, and the other on 
A Spout of high. On one fide of the Terrafs that covers the Beitiiliah, there is a Spout 
beaten Gold, of beaten Gold, about a Fathom long, that jets out, to carry off the Rain-wa- 
ter that falls upon the Terrafs. 
The Houfe The fame Houfe is covered on the out- fide Avith Hangings of Black Silk 
covered with which is a kind of Damask ^ and every Year there are new ones fent from Caire 
Hangings, at the Charges of the Grand Signior. 
Ten days Journey from Mecha, upon the Road to Bamafcus^ is the City of 
Medina. 
Umbo, 
Mdhomis 
Tomb. 
Rich ftones 
about the 
Tomb of 
Mahomet. 
Medwa, threedays Journey from the Red-Sea; the Port of it is called lambo, 
which is a little Town of the fame fhape and bignefs as Gidde. 
Medina is about half as big as Mecha, buftt hath a Suburbs as big ss the 
Town it felf. Much about the middle of that Town there is a Mofque, in a 
corner whereof is the Sepulchre of Mahomet, covered in the fame manner as 
the Monuments of the Turkifti Emperours are at Conftantinotk. The Sepulchre 
is in a little Tower, or round Building, covered with a Dome, which the 
Turbe, where Turks Call Tmbe. This Building is quite open from the middle up to the 
^^^Mh^^^^""^ Dome, and all round it there is a little Gallery, of which the out-fide Wall has 
0 a feverai w/'indows with Silver Grates to them; and the in-fide Wall, which is 
that of the little Tower, is adorned with a great number of precious Scones, 
at that place which anfwers to the head of the Tomb. There are rich- things 
there alfo, of an ineftimable value, fent by the Mahometan Kings, during fo 
many Ages, which are faftened within this Gallery, all round the laid Turret. 
Among others, at the place which anfwers to the head of the Tomb, there is 
a great Diamond, half as long as ones Fore-finger , and two Fingers broad, 
over which is the Diamond which Sultan Ofman^ the Son of Sdtan Ahmet ^ fent 
thither, and is equal to that which the Ottoman Emperours wear on their 
Finger. Thefe two Diamonds were heretofore but one, which Sdtan Ofman 
cauled to be fawed in two in the middle. Lower down there is a Half-Moon 
of Gold, fet with Diamonds of great worth. 
The Pilgrims fee not Mahomet's Tomb, becaufe that Turret wherein it is 
enclofed, hath no Windows, being only open above, as hath been faid *, but 
fuch as make any flay at Medina^ have liberty and leifure to enter into the 
Turbe and fee it, when there is no clutter of flrangers there, that is to fay, 
three or four Months after the departure of the Pilgrims, who fee no more 
but the aforefaid Gallery, and the riches that are within it, through the Silver 
Grates of the Windows, which we mentioned before. Thofe then, who 
enter into the Turbe., fee that the Tomb hangs not in the Air, as many have 
falfcly written ; and ( which is more ) never did hang fo, but is upon the 
flat Ground, raifed and covered like the Tombs of Turkifh Emperours and 
JBaJljas. » 
The Turbe is hung all round with Hangings of Red and White Silk, like 
Damask, which cover all the Wall, except at the place where the great Dia- 
monds are ^ for there they are tuck'd afide, that the Diamonds may not be 
covered. Round all thefe Hangings, are the aforementioned words in Chara- 
fters of Gold, La Illah llUUah^ Mouhammed Refoul allah. Thefe Hangings are 
renewed 
