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'Personal Narrative of a pilgrimmage to Al-Madinah and Meccah. Vol. II' [‎136] (163/568)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (414 pages). It was created in 1898. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: Printed Collections.

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136
Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah and Meccah.
At eleven a.m . we had reached our station. It is about
twenty-four miles from Al-Ghadir, and its direction is
South-east ten degrees. It is called Al-Birkat (the Tank),
from a large and now ruinous cistern built of hewn stone
by the Caliph Harun. 1 The land belongs to the Utaybah
Badawin, the bravest and most ferocious tribe in Al-
Hijaz ; and the citizens denote their dread of these ban
ditti by asserting that to increase their courage they drink
their enemy's blood. 2 My companions shook their heads
when questioned upon the subject, and prayed that we
might not become too well acquainted with them—an ill-
omened speech!
The Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. allowed us a rest of five hours at Al-
Birkat: we spent them in my tent, which was crowded
with Shaykh Abdullah's friends. To requite me for this
inconvenience, he prepared for me an excellent water-pipe,
a cup of coffee, which, untainted by cloves and by cinna
mon, would have been delicious, and a dish of dry fruits. As
we were now near the Holy City, all the Meccans were
busy canvassing for lodgers and offering their services to
pilgrims. Quarrels, too, were of hourly occurrence. In
our party was an Arnaut, a white-bearded old man, so
1 A "birkat" in this part of Arabia may be an artificial cistern
or a natural basin; in the latter case it is smaller than a "ghadir."
This road was a favourite with Harun al-Rashid, the pious tyrant
who boasted that every year he performed either a pilgrimage or a
crusade. The reader will find in d'Herbelot an account of the cele
brated visit of Harun to the Holy Cities. Nor less known in Oriental
history is the pilgrimage of Zubaydah Khatun (wife of Harun and
mother of Amin) by this route.
2 Some believe this literally, others consider it a phrase expressive
of blood-thirstiness. It is the only suspicion of cannibalism, if I
may use the word, now attaching to Al-Hijaz. Possibly the disgust
ing act may occasionally have taken place after a stern fight of more
than usual rancour. Who does not remember the account of the
Turkish officer licking his blood after having sabred the corpse of a
Russian spy? It is said that the Mutayr and the Utaybah are not
allowed to enter Meccah, even during the pilgrimage season.

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Personal Narrative of a pilgrimmage to Al-Madinah and Meccah. Vol. II by Captain Sir Richard F Burton, edited by his wife, Isabel Burton, with an introduction bu Stanley Lane-Poole.

Publication Details: London, George Bell and Sons.

Edition: The third edition with preface.

Physical Description: initial Roman numeral pagination (i-xii).

Extent and format
1 volume (414 pages)
Arrangement

This volume contains a table of contents giving chapter headings and page references. There is also a list of illustrations and an alphabetical index at the back of the volume, beginning on page 415.

Physical characteristics

Dimensions: 185mm x 110mm

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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'Personal Narrative of a pilgrimmage to Al-Madinah and Meccah. Vol. II' [‎136] (163/568), British Library: Printed Collections, W48/9841 vol. 2, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023847600.0x0000a4> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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