The massive wall surrounding the Haram serves as the rear wall of many of the dwelling-houses of the city. These houses join each other, and are all built close back against the Haram wall, the top of the wall forming part of the floor of the second story of the buildings. When the houses are only one story high, the top of the Haram wall is on a level with their flat roofs. There are eight gateways leading into the Haram, five through the western, and three through the northern, wall. The numerous entrances, however, by no means argue that the Haram is easy of access. To enter this sacred inclosure, a Christian must secure permission from the Turkish authorities. Not knowing this, I, all alone, start to the Haram through one of the gates in the north wall. Just as I am about to step in upon the sacred area, up spring three Arabs with javelins in their hands, and daggers in their eyes. As the Arabs draw their javelins, I _with_draw my head. Before making another attempt to enter, I obtain, through the American Consul, the necessary permission. The Consul also kindly sends his Cavass, that is, his official body-guard, with me. Going down David Street, we enter the Haram through a gate about midway of the west wall. Standing at this gate and looking directly eastward, we see, about a hundred yards in front of us, a broad, level platform paved with smooth, white, marble-like lime-stone. The platform is higher than we are, and must be reached by ascending two long flights of marble steps. The first flight brings us up on a broad, level terrace which, to our right, supports several old olive and cypress trees. Ascending the second stairway, we find ourselves standing on the edge of the paved platform already mentioned. We are now face to face with the famous Mosque of Omar, or, to speak more correctly, the Dome of the Rock. Next to Mecca, this is the most sacred shrine in the Mohammedan world. And, before leaving, we shall find that it is not without interest to the Jew, and also to the Christian. The building is octagonal, each of its eight sides being sixty-six feet long, and forty-six feet high. Hence it is five hundred and twenty-eight feet in circumference, and one hundred and seventy-six in diameter. The walls, for the first sixteen feet above the foundation, are made of, or incased in, different-colored marble, the colors so blending as to form beautifully designed panels. The walls above the marble casing are built of enamelled, or porcelain, tiles of various colors. The blue, black, yellow, white, and green tiles are interwoven with great artistic taste and skill. Above the marble casing, each of the eight walls has five tall, arched windows of richly-stained glass. The walls are adorned here and there with numerous quotations from the Koran, beautifully inwrought in the tiles. [Illustration: MOSQUE OF OMAR.]