'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎158] (193/714)

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marks the sacred spot to the advancing pilgrim, and gladdens his
weary eyes from afar. The walls of this chamber are adorned with
a wainscoting of hishi —i.e. enamelled tiles, above which are
broad bands of Arabic writing in the same material. There is a
hum of voices in the building; for servants of the shrine are heard
reading aloud from the Koran, seyids are mumbling their daily
prayers, greedy mullahs are proffering their services to the new
arrivals; and many are the exclamations of pious wonder and
delight that burst from the bewildered pilgrim, as, after months of
toil and privation in the most cheerless surroundings, there flash
upon his gaze the marbles and the tile work, the gold and the
silver, the jewels and the priceless offerings of the famous shrine.
' Encrusted within and without with gold, it is,' says Vambery,
who himself saw it, c unquestionaby the richest tomb in the whole
Islamite world. Although since the date of its first erection it
has been several times plundered, 1 the cupolas, towers, and massive
fretted work of the interior still contain an incalculable amount
of treasure. The walls are adorned with the rarest trinkets and
jewels: here an aigrette of diamonds, there a sword and shield
studded with rubies and emeralds, rich old bracelets, large massive
candelabra, necklaces of immense value.' Well may the worshipper,
as he enters, bow his head till it touches the ground, before he
approaches the main object of his devotion, the sepulchre itself.
At different times the tomb has been surrounded with railings
of gold and silver and steel. The first of these was originally set
up by Shah Tahmasp, but was in part dismantled and
plundered by the grandson of Nadir Shah. The last was
the gift of Nadir himself. Three doors lead to the
shrine, one of which is of silver, another of gold plates studded
with precious stones, the gift of Fath Ali Shah ; the third being
covered with a carpet sewed with pearls. Upon the railings round
the tomb are hung silver and wooden tablets with appropriate forms
came to about 10 crowns value. They were ordered to make 3,000 at first, as I
was told by the Chief Goldsmith, who was overseer of the work.'
1 By none more than those who should have been responsible for its safety.
The two sons of the blind 8hah Rukh and grandsons of Nadir Shah in particular
could not keep their avaricious hands from the shrine which their grandfather
had honoured and embellished. Nasrullah Mirza pulled down part of the gold
railing round the saint's tomb, and Nadir Mirza took down the great golden ball,
weighing 420 lbs., from the top of the dome ; while both brothers freely plundered
the lamps, carpets &c., inside.
The
Prophet's
tomb