The Caaba is almost surrounded with a circular in closure of pillars, connected at the top by bars of silver, and towards the bottom by a low ballustrade. Wittiout this enclosure, on the south, north, and west, are three oratories, where three of the Mahometan sects assemble to perform their devotions. The whole is enclosed at a considerable distance by a square colonnade, or great piazza, covered with small cupolas, and consisting of 448 pillars, front which hang numerous lamps, and 38 sates ; and from each corner rises a minaret or steeple, adorned with a gilded spire and crescent. This enclosure was built by the caliph Omar, to prevent the court of the Caaba from being encroached upon by rivate buildings. It was at first merely a low wall, but has since been raised by the liberality of succeeding princes to its pre sent magnificent state. The whole structure of the Caaba is in a peculiar matmer styled Al Masjad Al Ila ram, " the sacred or inviolable place ;" which appellzt tion, how eu er, e, sometimes extended to the v. hole terri tory of Mecca.
According to the command of Mahomet, every Mus sulman must, one c in his lite, visit the Caaba, and per form the customary acts of devotion in the sacred pla. ccs. But could the prophet have foreseen into what dis tant regions his religion was to be introduced by tilt arms of his followers, he would soon have perceived the absurdity of such an illj1111C11011. Few, in comparison with the immense numbers who have embraced the doc trines of Islam, can he supposed able to discharge this duty ; and we may presume, that it is only such as are more than ordinarily de out that are ever induced to visit the Caaba from religious motives. Many pilgrims,
however, annually resort to the city of Mecca, but com mercial ideas mingle with those of devotion ; and the ar cades of the temple arc often filled with the richest mei. chandize from every quarter of the world. This duty may be discharged by proxy, but the pilgrim, in this character, can act only for one person at one time; and to prevent all imposture, he must carry back with him a certificate from the Imam of Mecca, of his having ac tually performed all the devotional exercises or ceremo nies appointed by the law, in the name of his principal. These ceremonies consist chiefly in performing seven circuits round the Caaba, and kissing the black stone; in running seven times between the mountains of Safa and Al .Merwa ; in making the station on Mount Arafat ; in sacrificing the victims in the valley of Mina ; and in bury ing their hair and nails in the consecrated ground. The same ceremonies were observed by the Pagan Arabs many years before the appearance of Mahomet, but they were confirmed by the command of the prophet, with this alteration, that his followers should be clothed when they compassed the Caaba, whereas their ancestors performed their devotion naked. Sec ARABIA, vol. ii. p. 252 ; see also Niebuhr's Trawls through Arabia, vol. ii. p. 26; Gibbon's Rome, vol. ix. p. 216, 12mo.; Mod. Un. Hist. vol. i. p. 207 ; Roland de Religions Mahommedica, p.113 ; and Sale's Koran, p. 114. ( p)