Travels in Arabia: Comprehending an Account of Those Territories in Hedjaz which the Mohammedans Regard as Sacred, Volume 1John Lewis Burckhardt (1784-1817), the son of a Swiss Colonel undertook the journey to Mekkah in 1814. A master of the Arabic language and the Islamic religion, he assumed the guise of an Arab using the name of Sheikh Ibrahim in his travels, which he began in 1809 under the sponsorship of Sir Joseph Banks and the African Association. Burckhardt's description of the Hedjaz was the first accurate one to reach Europe. According to Leake in his preface ..." Burckhardt transmitted to the Association the most accurate and complete account of the Hedjaz, including the cities of Mekka and Medina, which has ever been received in Europe." His journals are invaluable for their observations on the Arab people and for his important geographical discoveries, including the site of Petra, Apameia, and the general structure of the peninsula of Mount Sinai. His knowledge of the Arabic language, and of Mohammedan manners, had enabled him to assumne the Muselman character with such success, that he resided in Mekka during the whole time of the pilgrimage, and passed through the various ceremonies of the occasion, without the slightest suspicion having arisen as to his real character. The folding plans include Makkah, Madinah, Wady Muna and Arafat. |
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Travels in Arabia: Comprehending an Account of Those Territories in Hadjaz ... John Lewis Burckhardt No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
Abou Aleppo ancient Arabia Arabic language Arabs Arafat arrival Asamy Azraky Bedouins Bosari building built Cairo camels caravan classes coffee coffee-houses colonnade Constantinople delyl Djebel dollars dress East eastern Egypt Egyptian eunuchs gate Hadj hadjys Hedjaz houses hundred Ibrahim ihram Indian inhabitants Kaaba Kadhy Kora Koran Koreysh Kotobeddyn Makam Medina Medrese Mekka and Djidda Mekkawys merchants Mohammed Aly Mohammed Aly Pasha Mohammedan mosque mountain Muna Muselman native never olemas Omra Pasha passed Persian persons piastres pilgrimage pilgrims prayers present principally Quarter called Ramadhan Red Sea repair residence respect road round the Kaaba sent Serour Sheikh Sherif Ghaleb Sherifs of Mekka ships shops side slaves sold stone street Sultan Sultan of Egypt Surra Syria Szafa Tayf temple thousand tion tomb town travelling tribe Turkish Turks valley Wady Wahabys walk wall whole Yembo Yemen Zemzem
Popular passages
Page 275 - But the holy kaaba is rendered the scene of such indecencies and criminal acts, as cannot with propriety be more particularly noticed. They are not only practised here with impunity, but, it may be said, almost publicly ; and my indignation has often been excited on witnessing abominations which called forth from other passing spectators nothing more than a laugh or a slight reprimand.
Page 249 - It is an irregular oval, about seven inches in diameter, with an undulated surface, composed of about a dozen smaller stones of different sizes and shapes, well joined together with a small quantity of cement, and perfectly...
Page 248 - Mekka stone, in large blocks of different sizes, joined together in a very rough manner, and with bad cement. It was entirely rebuilt as it now stands in AD 1627 : the torrent, in the preceding year, had thrown down three of its sides; and preparatory to its re-erection, the fourth side was, according to Asamy, pulled down, after the olemas, or learned divines, had been consulted on the question, whether mortals might be permitted to destroy any part of the holy edifice without incurring the charge...
Page 250 - Its colour is now a deep reddish brown, approaching to black: it is surrounded on all sides by a border, composed of a substance which I took to be a close cement of pitch and gravel, of a similar, but not quite the same brownish colour.
Page 281 - Windows have, in consequence, been opened in many parts of the walls, on a level with the street, and above that of the floor of the colonnades. Hadjys living in these apartments are allowed to perform the Friday's prayers at home ; because, having the...
Page 251 - Myzab, or water-spout, through which the rain-water collected on the roof of the building is discharged, so as to fall upon the ground ; it is about four feet in length, and six inches in breadth, as well as I could judge from below, with borders equal in height to its breadth. At the mouth, hangs what is called the beard of the Myzab, a gilt board, over which the water falls.
Page 247 - They are of sufficient breadth to admit four or five persons to walk abreast, and they are elevated about nine inches above the ground. Between these causeways, which are covered with fine gravel or sand, grass appears growing in several places, produced by the...
Page 260 - AH 1072: it is of a square shape, and of massive construction, with an entrance to the north," opening into the room which contains the well. This room is beautifully ornamented with marbles of various colours; and adjoining to it, but having a separate door, is a small room with a stone reservoir, which is always full of Zem Zem water.
Page 359 - Arafat, and all the sacred places. This, however, is understood to be merely a nominal marriage ; and the delyl must divorce the woman on his return to Djidda : if he were to refuse a divorce, the law cannot compel him to it, and the marriage would be considered binding...
Page 218 - About the middle of the Soueyga (Little Market), where the street is only four paces in breadth, are stone benches on each side. Here Abyssinnian male and female slaves are exposed for sale; and as beauty is an universal attraction, these benches are always surrounded by hadjys, both old and young, who often pretend to bargain with the dealers, for the purpose of viewing the slavegirls, during a few moments, in some adjoining apartment. Many of these slaves are carried from hence to the northern...