DOC The Holy Cities; the Pilgrimage and the World of Islam: A History: From the Earliest Traditions till 1925 (1344H) by Sultan Ghalib al-Quaiti in History

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Credible History of Arabia's Sacred CitiesBy Robert LeblingThe British-educated author was the last Qu'aiti ruler of Yemen's Hadhramaut. He left the sultanate in 1967 when it became part of the People's Democratic Republic of (South) Yemen; and has resided in Saudi Arabia since then. He has benefited from his residence in the Kingdom by producing a rich history of Makkah and Madinah and their role as holy cities; as pilgrimage sites; using a wealth of source material unavailable to most scholars. His documentation includes Arabic; Persian; Turkish and Urdu sources as well as Eastern and Western diplomatic records.The sacred sites of Madinah hinge on the Prophet Muhammad; who fled his hometown of Makkah with his followers and settled there; making it his base and second home. Makkah's holy precincts long predate Islam; its original sacred house; or Ka'bah; was built by Adam directly below the heavenly throne of God; and the second one was constructed on the same spot by the Prophet Abraham.The author begins with these earliest accounts; and moves at a comfortable pace through the era of Muhammad; the Umayyads; Abbasids; Fatimids; Mamluks and on to the Ottoman period and the rise of `Abd al-`Aziz ibn Saud; unifier of modern Arabia. Sultan Ghalib's almost conversational style carries us effortlessly along what could have been a difficult road. He walks us through the many buildings; rebuildings; expansions and renovations of Makkah and Madinah; always taking great care to put the changes in understandable context.In 1630; Makkah was devastated by heavy rains and torrential floods; and as many as a thousand citizens died. The flooding brought down the walls of the Ka'bah; requiring a massive restoration effort. The author lets us eavesdrop on impassioned local parleys; as Makkan scholars and prominent citizens debate the best way to proceed. They finally agree to sell off some treasures stored in the Ka'bah; so that rebuilding can begin at once; weeks before Ottoman assistance arrives from Egypt.The author keeps his story human; and thus interesting; he gives us warts and all; and in the process maintains his credibility.[A version of this review appeared in Saudi Aramco World; Mar/Apr 2009.]