'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎598] (691/905)

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598
MEDINA.
[CHAP. XXIIT.
Haj stations
continued.
Country about
Medina.
The city of
Medina.
On a route more in the interior, from Akabali to Medina
and gradually diverging from the former, are the stations of
Kubbet-el-Hedjer, Tebuk, Dahr-el-Megir, Akhdar, Burk§i,
Muazzeme, Dar-el-Hamra, Medain, and Saleh Hedjir, in the
district once occupied by the giant race of Thamoud, and still
bearing their name. The soil is fertile, being watered by
many wells and running streams, and the tract extends several
miles. It is bounded on the west by low mountains, in which
are extensive excavations, with sculptured figures. 1 The pil
grims' route continues eastward to Hedia, on the borders of
the district of Khiebar, 2 whose inhabitants, the Beni Missead,
Beni Schakan, and Beni Anaesse, are supposed to be the
remains of the Riehabites. At Hedia the route enters Belad-
el-Harim, or the sacred country, taking from thence a southern
direction by Nakle-tein and Biar Nasif to the second of the
holy cities. n i w i.
Medina-el-N%, the city of the Prophet, first called Yatreb,
is situated on a plain at the foot of the principal chain, and on
the border of the Arabian desert; which is here a dead level
spreading southward. 3 On the western side of the town the
ground is of volcanic rock, and uncultivated; but elsewhere it
is surrounded by walled gardens and date plantations, inter
mixed with wheat, barley, and clover fields, generally enclosed
with mud walls : 4 the ground beyond, within a circle of 12
miles, including Jeb-el-Ayre on the south, Jeb-el-Ohod and
Jeb-el-Thor, on the north, is considered sacred. 5 The city
itself has nearly the shape of a pear, and at the smaller extre
mity there is a respectable castle situated on a rocky eminence;
towards the larger end is the great mosque El Harim ; and
outside of this part of the city is the burial-ground called El
Bekya, which is very extensive. The streets of the city are
narrow, dirty and gloomy; but the houses are good, being of
stone, well built and generally two stories high ; the place is
surrounded by a stone wall, having three gates, and is flanked
by some SO towers, with a ditch, which was added by the
1 Burckhardt's Travels in Arabia, vol. II., p- 394.
' Niehbuhr's Travels, vol. II., p. 43. 3 Burckhardt's Travels, p. 147.
4 Burckhardt's Travels, p. 206- 5 Ibid., p. 220.