serious gaps where doubtless unscrupulous collectors have obtained valuable specimens by the aid of dishonest guardians. The effect depends greatly on the light by which the mosque is seen, but is always rich and striking; the open court, too, with its little garden of palms and other trees in the centre, and the graceful minaret rising above the crenellated wall, is very attractive, and has, especially towards sunset, a peculiarly quiet and beautiful appearance."

El-Hassanen.-This mosque is dedicated to Hassan and Hassein, the two sons of Ali (son-in-law of Mahomet). These grandsons of the Prophet have been virtually canonised by Moslems, and this mosque is held to possess peculiar sanctity. The mosque has been completely rebuilt, and is now lighted with gas, but the old dome which covers the mausoleum of Hassein has been preserved. The guide will point out the column which is said to contain the head of the saint.

Kalaun.-This is one of the largest mosques in Cairo. It is not, however, strictly a mosque but a hospital (Muristan). It was built by the Sultan Kalaun (1279-90 A.D.). It is in a very ruinous condition. The only object of interest is the mausoleum of the founder. Certain relics of the Sultan are preserved here, though they cannot, of course, be seen by Christians. These relics are held to possess,

of course, miraculous properties by the devout, and this mosque is a renowned place of pilgrim resort. The mausoleum chamber is architecturally of considerable interest, and is better preserved than most of these mausolea. It is a square with a central octagon and dome. The kibla (prayer-recess) is elaborately decorated with coloured marbles and mother-of-pearl.

En Nasr Mohammed.-The adjoining mosque was built by Mohammed, the son of Sultan Kalaun, in 1303. The pointed doorway is particularly noticeable and shows a trace of the Gothic influence introduced by the Crusaders. This beautiful gateway was brought as a trophy from a Christian church at Acre built by the Crusaders, and would not, as Mr. Stanley Lane-Poole aptly observes, "be out of place in Salisbury Cathedral."

Barkukiyeh.—The adjoining mosque, the last of the famous triad of mosques, whose façades form such a striking and picturesque architectural group, is also a tomb-mosque. Here are buried the wife and daughter of the Sultan Barkuk (1382-99 A.D.), the first of the Circassian slave dynasty. The exquisite bronze workmanship of one of the doors should be specially noticed. The tomb of the Sultan himself is in the tomb-mosque in the eastern cemetery (see "Tombs of the Caliphs").

Abu Bekr.-This is one of the most beautifully decorated mosques in Cairo. It is rather neglected by the generality of tourists, partly perhaps because the guide-books dismiss it with very scant notice. But a visit will be well repaid. The marble mosaics are perhaps unequalled in Cairo. The mosque has recently been admirably restored by Herz Bey, the architect of the Wakfs Commission, who has carried out the work with scrupulous fidelity to the original design. The result is an architectural gem.

El-Hakim.-This is one of the largest as well as the oldest mosques, but it is in a deplorably ruinous condition. It is now rarely visited, as its chief attraction, the Museum of Arabic Art, was removed in 1902 to a separate building (see "Museum" chapter). For many years the objects in this unique collection were stowed away in one of the mosque buildings without any attempt at systematic or chronological arrangement, and were lost to most visitors.

The mosque is unique as being the sole one provided with a Makhara (an external platform not to be confounded with a minaret), on which incense is burned on important festivals. This picturesque tower was fortified by the French when Napoleon occupied the city. El-Hakim, the founder, belonged to the Tulunide dynasty, and founded the sect of

the Druses. He reigned 996-1021 A.D. The mosque was completed in 1003 a.d.

This concludes the sketch of the most noteworthy mosques within the walls of Cairo.

The mosques of the Citadel, old Cairo, and of the Tombs of the Caliphs, will be described separately.

Friday is not a good day for visiting the mosques, and during the Fast of Ramadan the El Azhar mosque and other centres of Mohammedan fanaticism had better not be visited at all.

VII. THE BAZAARS

A VISIT to the bazaar region is one of the most interesting and instructive excursions within the walls. But its great charm is lost if a set itinerary is laid down, and if it is merely regarded as one of the principal items in the round of sight-seeing. The right way to appreciate the bazaars is to make no fixed plan, and certainly to dispense with a dragoman or interpreter. It is also preferable to visit them on foot and not on donkey-back.

But though a fixed itinerary is to be deprecated, yet it is well to get some idea beforehand of their topography, for if once the visitor asks the way he will find it difficult to shake off the crowd of donkeyboys and loafing guides who will insist on offering their services. The boundaries and main arteries of the bazaar can easily be mastered in spite of the apparently inextricable maze of narrow lanes and alleys, for they are intersected by two main thoroughfares and have well-defined boundaries. One of