or CAABAH, properly signifies a square stone building: but is particularly applied by the Mahometans to the temple at Mecca, built, as they pretend, by Abraham and Ishmael his son.

Before the time of Mahomet, this temple was a place of worship for the idolatrous Arabs, and is said to have contained no less than 360 different images, equalling in number the days of the Arabian year. They were all destroyed by Mahomet, who sanctified the Caaba, and appointed it to be the chief place of worship for all true believers. The temple is in length from north to south about 24 cubits; its breadth from east to west is 23, and its height 27. The door, which is on the east side, stands about four cubits from the ground; the floor being level with the bottom of the door. In the corner next this door is the black stone, so much celebrated among the Mahometans. On the north side of the Caaba, within a semicircular enclosure 50 cubits long, lies the white stone, said to be the sepulchre of Ishmael, which receives the rain water from the Caaba by a spout formerly of wood, but now of gold. The black stone, according to the Mahometans, was brought down from heaven by Gabriel at the creation of the world, and was originally of a white colour; but contracted the blackness that now appears on it from the guilt of those sins committed by the sons of men. It is set in silver, and fixed in the south-east corner of the Caaba, looking towards Bafra, about seven spans from the ground. This stone, upon which there is the figure of a human head, is held in the highest estimation among the Arabs; all the pilgrims kissing it with great devotion, and some even calling it the right hand of God. Its blackness, which is only superficial, is probably owing to the kisses and touches of so many people. After the Karmatians had taken Mecca, they carried away this precious stone, and could by no means be prevailed upon to restore it; but finding at last that they were unable to prevent the concourse of pilgrims to Mecca, they sent it back of their own accord, after having kept it 22 years.

The double roof of the Caaba is supported within by three octagonal pillars of aloes wood; between which, on a bar of iron, hang some silver lamps. The outside is covered with rich black damask, adorned with an embroidered band of gold, which is changed every year, and was formerly sent by the caliphs, afterwards by the sultans of Egypt, and is now provided by the Turkish emperors. The Caaba, at some distance, is almost surrounded by a circular enclosure of pillars, joined towards the bottom by a low balustrade, and towards the top by bars of silver. Just without this inner enclosure, on the south, north, and west sides of the Caaba, are three buildings, which are the oratories or places where three of the orthodox sects assemble to perform their devotions. Towards the south-east stands an edifice which covers the well Zemzem, the treasury, and the cupola of Al Abbas. Formerly there was another cupola, that went under the name of the hemicycle or cupola of Judea; but whether or not any remains of that are now to be seen, is unknown; nor is it easy to obtain information in this respect, all Christians being denied access to this holy place. At a small distance from the Caaba, on the east side, is the station or place of Abraham; where is another stone much respected by the Mahometans; and where they pretend to show the footsteps of the patriarch, telling us he stood on it when he built the Caaba. Here the fourth feet of Arabs, viz. that of Al Shafei, assemble for religious purposes.

The square colonnade, or great piazza, which at a considerable distance encloses these buildings, consists, according to Al Jannabi, of 488 pillars, and has no less than 38 gates. Mr Sale compares this piazza to that of the Royal Exchange at London, but allows it to be much larger. It is covered with small domes or cupolas, from the four corners of which rise as many minarets or steeples, with double galleries, and adorned with gilded spires and crenelations after the Turkish manner, as are also the cupolas which cover the piazza and other buildings. Between the columns of both enclosures hang a great number of lamps, which are constantly Caaba constantly lighted at night. The first foundation of this second enclosure was laid by Omar the second caliph, who built no more than a low wall, to prevent the court of the Caaba from being encroached upon by private buildings; but by the liberality of succeeding princes, the whole has been raised to that state of magnificence in which it appears at present.

This temple enjoys the privilege of an asylum for all sorts of criminals: but it is most remarkable for the pilgrimages made to it by the devout Mussulmans, who pay so great a veneration to it, that they believe a single sight of its sacred walls, without any particular act of devotion, is as meritorious in the sight of God, as the most careful discharge of one's duty, for the space of a whole year, in any other temple.