MECCA, a city of Arabia, in Ghe prov ince of El-Hedjaz, 51 miles E. of Djedda, on the Red Sea, and 270 miles S. E. of Medina. Mecca, meaning literally "the place of assembly," is situated in a long, narrow, sandy valley, running N. and S., called in the Koran "the valley without seeds." It is 2 miles long, and about 1,500 feet wide. The houses, which ars handsome, follow the windings of the valley, being built partly on the decliv ities on both sides. The streets are wide and regular. The only public building of consequence is the Beitullah, or El Haram, the famous mosque of Mecca, in the interior of which is the Caaba, or Holy House. The mosque is about 350 feet long and 300 feet in breadth, and is formed by colonnades, roofed with nu merous small cupolas supported by 450 pillars, about 20 feet in height, of marble or Mecca stone. The walls, arches, and minarets are gaudily painted in stripes of red, yellow, and blue. The Caaba is an oblong massive structure, about 45 feet in length and 35 feet in breadth, and from 35 to 40 feet in height, its doors being coated with silver, embel lished with gold ornaments. At the N.
E. corner is the celebrated "black stone," said to have been brought by the angel Gabriel to form the foundation. The Holy Well of Zem-zem, said to have been found by Hagar when her son Ishmael was dying with thirst, supplies the city with water for drinking and ablution, its use for other purposes being forbidden. There are no manufactures of any conse quence, but there is a large trade during the month of Dhabhadja (the latter end of June and the beginning of July), ow ing to the pilgrims from the different countries exposing articles for sale, as well for gain as to defray the expenses incurred by the journey. The climate is sultry and unwholesome. Mecca is cele brated as the birthplace of Mohammed, in 570, who was expelled in 622, and cap tured it in 630. In 692 it was captured by Abd-el-melik, and in 929 it was plundered by the Carmathians. In 1184, Renaud de Chatillon failed in an attempt on Mecca. In 1803 it was seized by the Moslem sect of the Wahabees, from whom it was taken in 1818 by Ibrahim Pasha. Pop. about 60,000.