red how, with Wad Adlan's
assistance, he had organized the beit el mal. Now, close to the Mahdi's
tomb, was the great mosque--not a mosque in its usual sense, but an
immense yard, which would hold upwards of 70,000 men extended in long
rows of 1,000. It was roofed in by enormous mats, held up on innumerable
forked sticks, which gave it the appearance of a forest. This "rukuba,"
or kneeling-place, was capable of holding 30,000 men, whose murmuring
sounded like distant thunder. At first the great enclosing wall was made
of mud; but afterwards Khalifa Abdullah had it pulled down, and a good
wall made of burnt bricks and lime.

The mihrab, or niche, marking the direction of Mecca, in which the Mahdi
repeated prayers, is situated a little to the east of the centre, and is
square in shape with mud walls, and a gable roof, made of iron plates
from the Khartum arsenal; gates open in the walls on the north, south,
east, and west. The mihrab is entered from the west, but is well
protected by branches of trees, so as to prevent the Ansar from crowding
up too close. The floor is sprinkled with fine sand; the Khalifa repeats
prayers in the big mosque on Friday at noon; but he says daily prayers
in the rukuba, in which there is a whitewashed platform about six feet
high, on which he stands.

Close to the rukuba is a square building with thatched gable roof
supported by two pillars. This is open on three sides, but surrounded by
well-carved and painted wooden railings: in this there is a seat about
three feet high, in which the Khalifa sits when he addresses the Ansar.
As one leaves the east gate of the rukuba, the Khalifa's palace gate is
visible, being built quite close to the mosque.

The Khalifa's palace is known as the "Bab," just as the Sultan's palace
is known as the Bab Ali, or Porte. This palace contains a number of
different divisions, all built of mud besmeared with red sand. Just
within the great gate is the only two-storied house in Omdurman, which
the Khalifa has purposely built in order to overlook the whole town, and
from here he can see as far as Kererri to the north, and as far as
Omdurman fort to the south. Gordon's ruined palace in Khartum is also
visible. Near the great gate, and close to the outside wall of the
mosque, is a building surrounded by wooden railings, in which the judge
sits and carries on his court.

The Khalifa is very fond of going about to different parts of the town,
accompanied by crowds of