an hold
35,000 persons. It is enclosed by arcades with pillars of marble
and granite, and has nineteen gates, each with a minaret or pointed
tower above it.

[Illustration: A MUEZZIN CALLING TO PRAYER]

Within this enclosure is a famous building called the "Ka'a-ba,"
or cube. It is nearly a cube in shape. It its wall, at one corner,
is the celebrated "Black Stone." Moslems regard this stone with
the greatest reverence. They say that it came down from heaven.
It is said to have been once white, but has become dark from being
wept upon and touched by so many millions of pilgrims. It really
is reddish-brown in color.

Before the time of Mohammed the Ka'a-ba was a pagan temple; but
when he took possession of Mecca he made the old temple the centre
of worship for his own religion.

After Mohammed died a person was appointed to be his successor as
head of the Moslem church. He was called the caliph, a word which
means _successor_; and this title has been borne ever since by the
religious chief of the Mohammedans. In modern times the sultans or
rulers of Turkey have been commonly regarded as the caliphs. Arab
scholars, however, say that really the she-rif, _i.e._, the governor
of Mecca, is entitled by the Koran to hold this position.

CHARLES MARTEL, 714-741 A.D.

AND

PEPIN, 741-768 A.D.

I

After the death of Mohammed the Saracens, as Mohammedans are also
called, became great warriors. They conquered many countries and
established the Mohammedan religion in them. In 711 the Saracens
invaded and conquered a great part of Spain and founded a powerful
kingdom there, which lasted about seven hundred years.

They intended to conquer the land of the Franks next, and then all
Europe.

They thought it would be easy to conquer the Franks, because the
Frankish king at that time was a very weak man. He was one of a
number of kings who were called the "Do-nothings." They reigned
from about 638 to 751. They spent all their time in amusements
and pleasures, leaving the affairs of the government to be managed
by persons called _mayors of the palace_.

The mayors of the palace were officers who at first managed the
king's household. Afterwards they were made guardians of kings
who came to the throne when very young. So long as the king was
under age the mayor of the palace acted as chief officer of the
government in his name. And as several of the young kings, even
when they were old enough to rule, gave less attent