Page 164 - Arabian Studies (I)

148 Arabian Studies l
the Egyptian pilgrimage. In addition to the usual caravan of Rajab,
the Egyptian pilgrims were divided at Cairo into two regular
caravans. The first was the major caravan known as Rakb al-Ma/imil,
whose leader was the chief commander of all the Egyptian pilgrims
and the representative of the sultan in the pilgrimage ceremonies.
The second was the minor caravan known as Rakb al-Awwal (the
advance caravan) and was led by an offical bearing the title of Amir
al-Awwal. 1 3
According to the estimate of an official in the Egyptian pilgrimage
in the sixteenth century the journey from Cairo to Mecca via
‘Aqabah took approximately 424 hours actual travelling time.1 4 But
since the pilgrim caravan stopped for rest, food, prayer, etc. along
the route it covered the distance within a period of forty-five to fifty
days.15 Bearing this in mind, the Mamluks arranged for the
departure of the Egyptian pilgrimage from Cairo always to fall on a
day between the 16th and the 19th of Shawwal. From Cairo the
Amir al-Hdjj and his train set out for al-Birkah, the first station along
the pilgrim route. There they stayed for about three or four days,
during which time pilgrims left Cairo by degrees to join them. During
the reign of the Buijl Mamluks when, as we have seen, the Egyptian
pilgrims were divided into two convoys, the Rakb al-Awwal, or the
advance caravan, set out from al-Birkah usually on the 3rd day after
its departure from Cairo, and the caravan of the Mahmil followed,
from the same place a day after. 1 6
As a rule the Magharibah and Takrur caravans accompanied that of
the Mahmil and travelled, therefore, under the protection of the
Egyptian Amir al-Hdjj.11 Sometimes, however, the two caravans
were supplied by the sultan with guides (dulald’) and thus travelled as
one independent convoy. 1 8
The position of Damascus during this time was by no means
inferior to that of Cairo. Besides the regular pilgrim caravan of
Aleppo, which had an Amir al-Hajj of its own,19 pilgrims from all
over Syria and Anatolia came annually to Damascus where they
joined the Syrian caravan (Al-Rakb al-Shami) to the Holy Cities.20.
The importance of Damascus as a pilgrimage centre was increased
by the long-expected collapse of the ‘Abbasid Caliphate at Baghdad,
which finally took place in 656/1258 and was accompanied by the
rise of the Mamluks in Cairo. The effect of this political upheaval on
the history of the pilgrimage of this epoch is of considerable
importance. Besides the disruption in relations between Baghdad and
the Holy Cities and the consequent decline of the former’s influence
upon the latter,21 the collapse of the Caliphate had a direct effect on