File:An account of the manners and customs of the modern Egyptians, written in Egypt during the years 1833, -34, and -35, partly from notes made during a former visit to that country in the years 1825-28 (14749120536).jpg

Identifier: accountofmanners01lane (find matches)
Title: An account of the manners and customs of the modern Egyptians, written in Egypt during the years 1833, -34, and -35, partly from notes made during a former visit to that country in the years 1825-28
Year: 1846 (1840s)
Authors: Lane, Edward William, 1801-1876
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Publisher: London : Knight
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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of Friday; but there are additionalrites performed by the Imam and other ministers on thisoccasion. The chief reasons for fixing upon Friday asthe Sabbath of the Muslims were, it is said, becauseAdam was created on that day, and died on the sameday of the week, and because the general resurrectionwas prophesied to happen on that day ; whence, par-ticularly, Friday was named the day of El-Gumah (or the assembly). The Muslim does not abstain fromworldly business on Friday, excepting during the time ofprayer, according to the ))recept of the Kur-an, ch.lxii.,vv.gandlO. To form a proper conception of the ceremonials of theFriday-prayers, it is necessary to have some idea of theinterior of a mosque. A mosque in which a congrega-tion assembles to perform the Friday-prayers is called game. The mosques of Cairo are so numerous, thatnone of them is inconveniently crowded on the Friday ;and some of them are so large as to occupy spaces threeor four hundred feet square. They are mostly built of
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Interior of a Mosque. RITUAL AND MORAL LAWS. 115 Stone, the alternate courses of which are generallycoloured externally red and white. Most commonly alarge mosque consists of porticoes surrounding a squareopen court, in the centre of which is a tank or a foun-tain for ablution. One side of the building faces thedirection of Mekkeh, and the portico on this side, beingthe principal place of prayer, is more spacious than thoseon the three other sides of the court: it generally hastwo or more rows of columns, forming so many aisles,parallel with the exterior wall. In some cases thisportico, like the other three, is open to the court : inother cases, it is separated from the court by partitionsof wood, connecting the front row of columns. In thecentre of its exterior wall is the mehrab (or niche) whichmarks the direction of Mekkeh ; and to the right ofthis is the mimbar (or pulpit). Opposite the mehrab,in the fore part of the portico, or in its central part,there is generally a platform (c

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