129 



PKRSIA. 



PERSIA. 



130 



shortest road from Herat to Teheran runs along the northern border 

 of the Great Desert, and on it there are two places of importance 

 Toorbut (20,000 inhabitants) and Toorshish ; but this road is not much 

 used. The moat frequented road runs from Herat in a north-west 

 direction to Mushed, and thence westward through Nishapoor and 

 Sebsewar to Shahrood and Boston. Mushed, or Meshed, occupies a 

 larger space than Herat, but many of the houses are uninhabited and 

 in ruins. The population amounts to 45,000, which however is often 

 doubled by the number of pilgrims who visit the bhrine of Imam 

 Keza. A very wide avenue leads from the eastern to the western walls 

 of the town, and is only interrupted by the sahn, or shrine, of Imam 

 Reza. In the middle of it is a canal, and on both sides well fur- 

 nished shops. The mausoleum is a magnificent building of great 

 extent, and kept in good condition. A silver gate, the gift of Shah 

 Nadir, opens into the chief apartment, which rises into a noble dome 

 and branches out into the furm of a cross. Neither Jew nor Christian 

 if permitted to enter this building. The city has many mosques, and 

 16 medresses, or colleges. There are also manufactures of steel wares, 

 word-blades, silks, velvets, polished turquoises and jewellery, and 

 caps, plates, dishes, Ac., made of talc. The town of Xishapoor, which 

 was once a very large place, cow contains only 8000 inhabitant;. The 

 famous turquoise-mines are about 40 miles from the town towards the 

 north-west. Stktivar, or Subzaiear, contains about 4000 inhabitants ; 

 Skarood, 5000 inhabitants ; and Beaton, 4000 inhabitants. In the 

 neighbourhood of these towns cotton is grown to a great amount. 



The wide and fertile valley which runs from Mushed north-west is 

 in the possession of the Kurds, and contains some places of note. The 

 largest i* the town of A'aboochan, which contains from 15,000 to 

 20,000 inhabitants, and is the seat of the most powerful of the five 

 chiefs of the Kurds. It has some commerce in wool, woollen-stuff*, 

 tallow, butter, and sheep-skins. Some distance east of the town is the 

 .ted fortress of Kelat-Xadiree (the fortress of Nadir), which, 

 according to the information obtained by Fraser from the natives, is 

 in a valley from 50 to 60 miles long by 12 or 15 miles in breadth, 

 surrounded by mountains so steep that a little assistance from art has 

 rendered them quite impassable, the rocks being scarped into the 

 form of a gigantic wall. A small river runs through this valley, and 

 the only point* of access occur where the stream leaves it, and even 

 these are fortified by towers and walls, which are considered i in preg- 

 nable. The valley i* well cultivated, and contain* 2000 families in 

 20 or 30 village*. 



9. Irak-Ajemi, the largest of the province* of Persia, comprehends a 

 considerable portion of the Great Desert and the countries which 

 inclose it* north-western extremity on the west and north, and which 

 in their different part* display a great variety of natural feature*. 

 South of Ispahan (32 SO' X. 1st) the mountain* of Kurdistan termi- 

 nate abruptly towards the table-laud of Iran, and the country which 

 lie* between them and the desert, a space of more than 100 mile*, 

 non*lis of long and wide valley* running west and east, and termi- 

 nating in the desert. Little water is found in them, except after the 

 melting of the anow, and only a small part of them i* cultivated, 

 though the soil *eem* rather fertile. North of Ispahan, a* far a* 

 lat, the KurdUUu Mountain* do not terminate abruptly ; but 

 between them and the plain there i* a mountainous district, containing 

 wide, fertile, and well-watered valley*. East of this district extend* a 

 plain about 40 or 50 mile* wide, traversed by several broad and low 

 ridge*, and terminating on the border of the desert. It contain* only 

 a few cultivated tract*. That portion of Irak-Ajemi which lie* north 

 N. lat belongs to the table-land of Azerbijau. It* surface 

 stn- tche* out in a plain consisting of gradual accents and descent*, 

 and furrowed by deep valley* in which the river* flow. Though 

 nearly the whole of this province i* destitute of trees, it ha* excellent 

 pasturage and many well-cultivated tract*. The surfaco i* consider- 

 ably higher than the plain farther east, and therefore the climate i* 

 not so hot in rammer. The range of the Elburz Mountain*, with it* 

 well-watered and fertile valley*, and it* high summit*, i* included in 

 Irak-Ajemi, a* well a* the hilly country which skirt* its southern 

 base, and which is generally well cultivated, being irrigated by the 

 river* that descend from the southern declivity of the Elburz 

 Mountain*. 



That part of the dewrt which is included in Irak-Ajemi contain* an 

 OMU of considerable extent, in which the town of Yexd i* situated. 

 The oaais La* a sandy *f.il, and i* nearly incloted by mountain*. But 

 though it i* sparingly watered, it produce* much silk and fruit The 

 wheat that i* raised i* only sufficient for forty days' consumption, and 

 large quantities of grain an imported from Ispahan. On the north, 

 east, and south, the Great Dw*rt spread* out to a great extent ; but 

 on the west, a Kriej of small oaae* connect that of Tezd with the more 

 fertile district* MM of Ispahan. The town of Yad i* very large, con- 

 taining about 8000 bonne* and 60,000 inhabitant*, among which 8000 

 or 4000 families are Onebre*, or fire- worshipper*. Yezd i* remark- 

 able a* a commercial and manufacturing town. It* commercial 

 importance ari*e* from the caravan route*, which here crou one 

 another. Two of then route* come from Herat and Mushed ; two 

 from the we*t, from Ispahan and Shirai; and one from the louth, 

 from Kerman. Thus this town i* the entrepot of the commerce 

 between India, Turkistan, and the western countries of Asia, A 

 gnat variety of silk-stufts are manufactured. Raw silk i* imported 



ocoo. civ. YOU iv. 



from Ghilan. Cotton is also manufactured to some extent, as well as 

 carpets and felts ; and much sugar-candy is made and exported. The 

 summers are very hot, but the winters are cold. A good deal of snow 

 falls, but it does not lie long on the ground. 



Ispahan, or, more correctly, Isfahan, is still perhaps the most popu- 

 lous town in Persia. When it was the residence of Shah Abbas the 

 Great its population was stated to be between 600,000 and 1,000,000. 

 At present it is said to amount to between 100,000 and 200,000. It 

 stands on the banks of the Zeinde-Rud, which during the heats of 

 summer has little water, but in the spring months is equal to the 

 Seine at Paris in winter. The mud walls are 24 miles in circuit. The 

 streets are crooked, narrow and dirty, and unpaved, like those of most 

 Persian towns. Ispahan contains a great number of magnificent 

 palaces, large private buildings, spacious caravanserais, and handsome 

 bazaars, most of which however are in a state of decay. On the 

 southern side three nobly-constructed bridges cross the river; and 

 near them, within the town, is a number of shady avenues of trees, 

 which render that part of the city a very paradise, aud lead to the 

 great bazaar of Shah Abbas. This extensive building is vaulted above 

 to exclude the heat, but it admits air and light : it is now nearly 

 abandoned. In a still worse condition is the Maidan-Shat, or Great 

 Square, which is 700 yards long and 200 yards wide, and inclosed by 

 a double range of arched recesses. The other bazaars are still partly 

 crowded, but most of the numerous caravanserais have been converted 

 to other and meaner purposes. The most sumptuous of the palaces 

 is the Chehel-Sittoon, with its hall of columns inlaid with mirrors so 

 as to resemble pillars of glass. This building is situated in the centre 

 of a garden, divided, according to the Persian fashion, into compart- 

 ments by walks and canals bordered with poplars and stately chinars. 

 There are also many other palaces, each with its own garden. Many 

 of the mosques and medresses are iu ruins ; but a few of them are 

 still in good preservation, especially the medress built by the mother 

 of Shah Abbas, the gates of which are covered with wrought silver. 

 Near the town is the suburb of Jull'.i, which is inhabited by Arme- 

 nians, and contains a population of 12,500. The commerce of Ispahan 

 is very great. The manufactures aro various and numerous ; in that 

 of cold brocade it has attained unrivalled excellence. 



The plain which extends from I>pahan to Teheran contains the 

 towns of Kashan aud Room. Kaihan is one of the most flourishing 

 town* in Persia; it owes it* prosperity to its manufactures of silk and 

 cotton stuffs, brocades, carpets, and especially copper wares. It is as 

 large as Shiraz, but better peopled. Kuom, which lies farther north, a 

 large place, but almost entirely in ruins, was formerly celebrated for 

 iU manufactures of silk. At present it is only noted as a place of 

 pilgrimage. Among the shrines of this sacred place, that of Fatima, 

 the sister of Ali Reza, the eighth Imam, is the most celebrated. Her 

 tomb is in the centre of a lofty mosque, adorned with mosaic work in 

 coloured tile*, and fitted up with rteh carpet*. The dome is covered 

 with gilt tiles. In the mountainous country west of these towns are 

 Kbonsar and Hamadan. Khoiuar is built in a long narrow valley, 

 between steep and barren mountains, and is six miles iu length, 

 though not more than a quarter of a mile in width. It consists of 

 isolated houses, surrounded by extensive orchards, and contains 2500 

 families. Hamadan is on or near the site of the ancient town of 

 Kcbatana. [EcBATAXA.] South of Hamadan is the snow-capped 

 Mount Elwund, a lofty peak in the eastern range of mountains, 

 which is connected with the Zagroa by the Hills of Sungur. North of 

 Hamadan, on the table-laud of Azerbijan, lies the town of Zinjan, a 

 populous and thriving place, which derives its importance from being 

 situated where the roads from Hamadan aud Teheran to Tabriz meet. 

 We*t of this town, near the boundary-line of the province of Azerbijau, 

 and rather within the last-mentioned country, are extensive ruins, 

 called Takht-i-Soleiman, of the ancient EC BAT AN A of Atropatene. 

 South-east of Zenjan, and at no great distance from it, is Sviianiyeh, a, 

 town quite in ruins, in which the reigning royal family has built a 

 palace, to which they retire when the heat in Teheran becomes oppres- 

 sive. On the road from Zenjan to Teheran is Kazvin, or CASBIN. 



Teheran, or Tehran, the present capital of Persia and seat of govern- 

 ment, is situated on a plain about eight miles from the base of the 

 Elburz range, in a country without trees, and only covered with verdure 

 during the spring. The town is about four miles in circumference, 

 surrounded by a strong and high mud wall flanked by numerous 

 tower* and a dry ditch. The street* are narrow and crooked ; the 

 bouses are built of sun-dried bricks, and are mean, with the exception 

 of a few palaces. The only building of consequence is the citadel, 

 which contains the palace of the sovereign and his officers. The popu- 

 lation during the residence of the court is about 100,000 ; but when 

 the king goes to SulUniyeh, it is diminished by one-third of that 

 number. In the neighbourhood are several royal country-houses, and 

 the ruin* of Rai, the Rhagie of the ancients, aud once the capital of 

 the Parthian empire. About 70 miles E. from Teheran, on one of the 

 mountains of the Elburz range, is the fortress of Firuz-Koh, which is 

 of great importance, a* it commands the most accessible of the moun- 

 tain-passes which lead over the range to the plain of Mazanderan. 



10. Ohilan comprehend* the western portion of the low plain which 

 surrounds the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. It is the lowest 

 part of the plain, and more subject to inundations and contiuual rains 

 than Mazanderan, which lies farther east. During the greater part of 



