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west side of the Kaaba, called El Hajar Ismail, or the 
Stones of Ismail. This parapet incloses an underan- 
gular or half circular place, paved with very fine mar- 
bles, among which I discovered particularly some 
green squares of infinite value. Upon this side the 
base of the Kaaba is cut into steps as under the door: 
the remainder of the circumference is an oblique sur- 
face, forming an inclined plane. Between the parapet 
of Ismail and the body of the Kaaba is a space of 
about six feet, which leaves a passage upon both sides. 
It is thought that Ismail, or Ismael, was buried in this 
place. 
Although the hall and the door of the Kaaba are 
elevated above the plane of tte court of the temple, 
as we have already seen, yer> if we consider the topo- 
graphy of the place, it will be easy to perceive, that 
in former times they were upon a level with the earth. 
The Kaaba is the only ancient edifice that exists in 
the temple of Mecca; all the others have been added 
at a later period. 
El Haram, or the Temple, is situated nearly in the 
middle of the city, which is built in a valley, that has 
a considerable slope from the north to the south. 
It is easy to perceive, that when they formed the 
great court, and the other parts of the temple, instead 
of digging upon one side, and removing the earth to 
the other to level the ground, they have hollowed it 
out on all sides; so that to go into the temple, on any 
side whatsoever, it is requisite to descend several steps, 
because its plane is several feet lower than the general 
level of the ground, or the streets that surround it; 
and the oval surface, paved with marble, that imme- 
diately encompasses the Kaaba, upon which the pil- 
