THE MAHMAL.
First, I must describe the Mahmal itself. It is a square skeleton-frame of wood, with a pyramidal top; and has a covering of black brocade, richly worked with inscriptions and ornamental embroidery in gold, in some parts upon a ground of green or red silk, and bordered with a fringe of silk, with tassels surmounted by silver balls. Its covering is not always made after the same pattern with regard to the decorations; but in every cover that I have seen, I have remarked, on the upper part of the front, a view of the Temple of Mekkeh, worked in gold; and, over it, the Sultán’s cypher. It contains nothing; but has two mus-hafs (or copies of the Kur-án), one on a scroll, and the other in the usual form of a little book, and each enclosed in a case of gilt silver, attached, externally, at the top. The sketch which I insert will explain this description. The five balls with crescents, which ornament the Mahmal, are of gilt silver. The Mahmal is borne by a fine tall camel, which is generally indulged with exemption from every kind of labour during the remainder of its life.
It is related that the Sultán Ez-Záhir Beybars, King of Egypt, was the first who sent a Mahmal with the caravan of pilgrims to Mekkeh, in the year of the Flight 670 (A.D. 1272), or 675; but this custom, it is generally said, had its origin a few years before his accession to the throne. Sheger-ed-Durr (commonly called Shegeret-ed-Durr), a beautiful Turkish female slave, who became the favourite wife of the Sultán Es-Sáleh Negm-ed-Deen, and on the death of his son (with whom terminated the dynasty of the house of Eiyoob) caused herself to be acknowledged as Queen of Egypt, performed the pilgrimage in a magnificent “hódag” (or covered litter), borne by a camel; and for several successive years her empty hódag was sent with the caravan merely for the sake of state. Hence, succeeding princes of Egypt sent, with each year’s caravan of pilgrims, a kind of hódag (which received the name of “Mahmal,” or “Mahmil”), as an emblem of royalty; and the kings of other countries followed their example.[[529]] The Wahhábees prohibited the Mahmal as an object of vain pomp: it afforded them one reason for intercepting the caravan.
The procession of the return of the Mahmal, in the year above mentioned, entered the city, by the Báb en-Nasr, about an hour after sunrise. It was headed by a large body of Nizám (or regular) infantry. Next came the Mahmal, which was followed, as usual, by a singular character: this was a long-haired, brawny, swarthy fellow, called “Sheykh-el-Gemel” (or Sheykh of the Camel), almost entirely naked, having only a pair of old trousers: he was mounted on a camel, and was incessantly rolling his head. For many successive years this sheykh has followed the Mahmal, and accompanied the caravan to and from Mekkeh; and all assert, that he rolls his head during the whole of the journey. He is supplied by the government with two camels and his travelling provisions. A few years ago there used also to follow the Mahmal, to and from Mekkeh, an old woman, with her head uncovered, and only wearing a shirt. She was called “Umm-el-Kutat” (or the Mother of the Cats), having always five or six cats sitting about her on her camel.—Next to the sheykh of the camel, in the procession which I have begun to describe, followed a group of Turkish horsemen; and then about twenty camels, with stuffed and ornamented saddles, covered with cloth, mostly red and green. Each saddle was decorated with a number of small flags, slanting forward from the fore part, and a small plume of ostrich-feathers upon the top of a stick fixed upright upon the same part; and some had a large bell hung on each side; the ornaments on the covering were chiefly formed of the small shells called cowries. I think I perceived that these camels were slightly tinged with the red dye of the henna; as they are on other similar occasions. They were followed by a very numerous body of Bedawee horsemen; and with these the procession was closed.
Having been misinformed as to the time of the entry of the Mahmal, on my arriving at the principal street of the city I found myself in the midst of the procession; but the Mahmal had passed. Mounting a donkey that I had hired, I endeavoured to overtake it; but it was very difficult to make any progress: so, without further loss of time, I took advantage of some bye-streets, and again joined the procession: I found, however, that I had made very little advancement. I therefore dismounted; and, after walking and running, and dodging between the legs of the Bedawees’ horses, for about half an hour, at length caught a glimpse of the Mahmal, and, by a great effort, and much squeezing, overtook it soon after, about a quarter of an hour before it entered the great open place called the Rumeyleh, before the Citadel. After touching it three times, and kissing my hand, I caught hold of the fringe, and walked by its side. The guardian of the sacred object, who walked behind it, looked very hard at me, and induced me to utter a pious ejaculation, which perhaps prevented his displacing me; or possibly my dress influenced him; for he only allowed other persons to approach and touch it one by one; and then drove them back. I continued to walk by its side, holding the fringe, nearly to the entrance of the Rumeyleh. On my telling a Muslim friend, to-day, that I had done this, he expressed great astonishment; and said that he had never heard of any one having done so before; and that the Prophet had certainly taken a love for me, or I could not have been allowed: he added, that I had derived an inestimable blessing; and that it would be prudent in me not to tell any others of my Muslim friends of this fact, as it would make them envy me so great a privilege, and perhaps displease them. I cannot learn why the Mahmal is esteemed so sacred. Many persons showed an enthusiastic eagerness to touch it; and I heard a soldier exclaim, as it passed him, “O my Lord! Thou hast denied my performing the pilgrimage!” The streets through which it passed were densely crowded: the shops were closed; and the mastab′ahs occupied by spectators. It arrived at the Rumeyleh about an hour and a half after it had entered the metropolis: it crossed this large place to the entrance of the long open space called Kara Meydán: next proceeded along the latter place, while about twelve of the guns of the Citadel fired a salute: then returned to the Rumeyleh, and proceeded through it to the northern gate of the Citadel, called Báb el-Wezeer.
A curious custom is allowed to be practised on the occasions of the processions of the Mahmal and Kisweh; which latter, and a more pompous procession of the Mahmal, on its departure for Mekkeh, will be hereafter described. Numbers of boys go about the streets of the metropolis in companies; each boy armed with a short piece of the thick end of a palm-stick, called a “makra’′ah,” in which are made two or three splits, extending from the larger end to about half the length; and any Christian or Jew whom they meet they accost with the demand of “Hát el-’ádeh,” or “Give the customary present:” if he refuse the gift of five or ten faddahs, they fall to beating him with their makra’′ahs. Last year a Frank was beaten by some boys, in accordance with this custom, and sought refuge in a large wekáleh; but some of the boys entered after him, and repeated the beating. He complained to the Básha, who caused a severe bastinading to be administered to the sheykh of the wekáleh, for not having protected him.
In the beginning of the month of “Rabeea el-Owwal” (the third month) preparations are commenced for celebrating the festival of the Birth of the Prophet, which is called “Moolid en-Nebee.” The principal scene of this festival is the south-west quarter of the large open space called Birket el-Ezbekeeyeh, almost the whole of which, during the season of the inundation, becomes a lake: this is the case for several years together at the time of the festival of the Prophet, which is then celebrated on the margin of the lake; but at present, the dry bed of the lake is the chief scene of the festival. In the quarter above mentioned, several large tents (called “seewáns”) are pitched; mostly for darweeshes, who, every night, while the festival lasts, assemble in them, to perform zikrs. Among these is erected a mast (sáree), firmly secured by ropes, and with a dozen or more lamps hung to it. Around it, numerous darweeshes, generally about fifty or sixty, form a ring, and repeat zikrs. Near the same spot is erected what is termed a “káïm;” which consists of four masts erected in a line, a few yards apart, with numerous ropes stretched from one to the other and to the ground: upon these ropes are hung many lamps; sometimes in the form of flowers, lions, etc.; sometimes of words, such as the names of God and Mohammad, the profession of the faith, etc.; and sometimes arranged in a merely fanciful, ornamental manner. The preparations for the festival are generally completed on the second day of the month; and on the following day the rejoicings and ceremonies begin: these continue, day and night, until the twelfth night of the month; that is, according to the Mohammadan mode of reckoning, the night preceding the twelfth day of the month; which night is that of the Moolid, properly speaking.[[530]] During this period of nine days and nights, numbers of the inhabitants of the metropolis flock to the Ezbekeeyeh.—I write these notes during the Moolid; and shall describe the festival of this year (the year of the Flight 1250, A.D. 1834); mentioning some particulars in which it differs from those of former years.
During the day-time, the people assembled at the principal scene of the festival are amused by Shá’ers (or reciters of the romance of Aboo-Zeyd), conjurers, buffoons, etc. The Ghawázee have lately been compelled to vow repentance, and to relinquish their profession of dancing, etc.: consequently, there are now none of them at the festival. These girls used to be among the most attractive of all the performers. In some parts of the neighbouring streets, a few swings and whirligigs are erected, and numerous stalls for the sale of sweetmeats, etc. Sometimes, rope-dancers, who are gipsies, perform at this festival; but there are none this year. At night, the streets above mentioned are lighted with many lamps, which are mostly hung in lanterns of wood:[[531]] numbers of shops and stalls, stocked with eatables, chiefly sweetmeats, are open during almost the whole of the night; and so also are the coffee-shops; at some of which, as well as in other places, Shá’ers or Mohaddits amuse whoever chooses to stop and listen to their recitations. Every night, an hour or more after midnight, processions of darweeshes pass through this quarter: instead of bearing flags, as they do in the day, they carry long staves, with a number of lamps attached to them at the upper part, and called “menwars.” The procession of a company of darweeshes, whether by day, with flags, or by night, with menwars, is called the procession of the “ishárah” of the sect; that is, of the “banner;” or rather, the term “ishárah” is applied to the procession itself. These darweeshes are mostly persons of the lower orders, and have no distinguishing dress: the greater number wear an ordinary turban, and some of them merely a tarboosh, or a padded or felt cap; and most of them wear the common blue linen or cotton, or brown woollen, shirt—the dress which they wear on other occasions, at their daily work, or at their shops.
On the last two nights, the festival is more numerously attended than on the preceding nights; and the attractions are greater. I shall describe what I have just witnessed on the former of these nights.
This being the eleventh night of the lunar month, the moon was high, and enlivened the scenes of festivity. I passed on to a street called Sook El-Bekree, on the south of the Birket el-Ezbekeeyeh, to witness what I was informed would be the best of the zikrs that were to be performed. The streets through which I passed were crowded; and persons were here allowed, on this occasion, to go about without lanterns. As is usually the case at night, there were scarcely any women among the passengers. At the scene of the zikr in the Sook El-Bekree, which was more crowded than any other place, was suspended a very large “negefeh” (a chandelier, or rather a number of chandeliers, chiefly of glass, one below another, placed in such a manner that they all appeared but one), containing about two or three hundred kandeels (or small glass lamps[[532]]). Around this were many lanterns of wood, each having several kandeels hanging through the bottom. These lights were not hung merely in honour of the Prophet: they were near a “záwiyeh” (or small mosque) in which is buried the sheykh Darweesh[[533]] El-’Ashmáwee; and this night was his Moolid. A zikr is performed here every Friday-night (or what we call Thursday-night); but not with so much display as on the present occasion. I observed many Christian black turbans here; and having seen scarcely any elsewhere this night, and heard the frequent cry of “A grain of salt in the eye of him who doth not bless the Prophet!” ejaculated by the sellers of sweetmeats, etc., which seemed to show that Christians and Jews were at least in danger of being insulted, at a time when the zeal of the Muslims was unusually excited, I asked the reason why so many Copts should be congregated at the scene of this zikr: I was answered, that a Copt, who had become a Muslim, voluntarily paid all the expenses of this Moolid of the sheykh Darweesh. This sheykh was very much revered: he was disordered in mind, or imitated the acts of a madman; often taking bread and other eatables, and stamping upon them, or throwing them into dirt; and doing many other things directly forbidden by his religion; yet was he esteemed an eminent saint; for such acts, as I have remarked on a former occasion, are considered the results of the soul’s being occupied in devotion. He died about eight years ago.