'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.' [‎599] (692/905)

CHAP. XXIII.J
THE MESJID EN' NEBY,
599
Wahhabis : the whole, for Arabia, is capable of a respectable
defence. The population is estimated at from 16,000 to 20,000 Population of
souls, 1 and it is perhaps the only town in the east from which Medula •
dogs are excluded. On the western side of the city is the
Monakh, or halting place of the caravans, and beyond are the
suburbs ; these consist of summer houses and ordinary build
ings, the latter having courts with low apartments round
them; which, together with date and other gardens, occupy
more space than the city itself. 2 A supply of water is con
veyed through the town, by means of a deep kanat coming
from the mountain of El Khoba on the southern side ; and in
winter time the torrent of Seyl-el-Medina gives an additional
supply. 3 Vegetables and various fruits are brought in abun
dance from the fine gardens round the village of El Khoba.
There are in the city an extensive bath, two fine and several
inferior Medressehs, in addition to the Mesjid All, the Mesjid
'Omar in the Monakh, and other inferior mosques in the
suburbs, as well as in the city ; but the grand attraction is the
Mesjid en' Neby, which was founded by the Prophet himself. The Mesjid en*
to commemorate his flight from Mekkah. This building, e
called, par excellence, El Harim, resembles the celebrated
structure in the latter city, but is smaller and more irregular. It
consists of a quadrangular court 165 paces long, by 130 paces
wide, having around it numerous cupolas supported by 269
columns of different sizes, unequally distributed along the four
sides. 4 Towards the south-east corner is the celebrated hijra,
surrounded by a handsome iron filagree screen, painted green;
it is about 20 paces square, and has four gates, three of which Tomb of Mu-
are always shut. The tomb is of black stone, supported by • ainmet '
two pillars, and near it are those of Abu Bekr, Omar and
Setna Fatimah, each, with the exception of the tomb of the
daughter of Muhammed, covered with precious stuffs, and the
whole enclosed with a curtain of rich silk brocade of various
colours, interwoven with silver flowers, and Arabesque inscrip
tions in gold letters. This curtain is at least 30 feet high,
and it includes the whole space, with the exception of an open
1 Burckhanlt's Travels in Arabia, pp. 148, 149, 153, 292.
« Ibid., vol. II., p. 154. 3 Ibid., p. 159. 4 Ibid., p. 161-163.