"الطرق في بلاد فارس. القسم III" [و‎‎١‎٧‎٣] (٧٣٩/٣٥٠)

291
. No. 149—
M ashad to T ehran, via
No.
of
stage.
Names of stages.
D istances
IN MILES.
Interme
diate.
Total.
Kemabxs.
23
Aiwan-i-ICaif...
21
23
24
khatunabad
T ehean
501
27
528
18
546
At the foot of the hills the road turns W.S.W.
for 4 miles to Kishlak. This district produces
much corn, and is considered one of the gran
aries of Tehran.
Eoute W.N.W. across cultivation for a mile or so,
and then on to a gravelly pasture tract, gently
sloping up the hills in front.
In 1 hour and 50 minutes we entered the Sirdara
defile of the Kuh-i-Tuz (?) through a low ridge
of hills, that end on the plain a few miles to
the left. The defile is easy, with low hills on
either side. In 30 minutes came to the ruins of
a small mud fort in the centre of a basin in the
defile, and in 45 minutes more emerged from the
defile on to a wide plateau. A thin stream of no
depth, and crossed several times, flows N. and S.
through the central basin. The plateau to its N.
is green with pasture, and near the defile has a
good strip of corn cultivation; crossed it N.W.,
skirting low hills to right, and in 1 hour and 50
minutes came to a deep and rough boulder stream
ravine, on the farther bank of which stands Aiwan-
i-Kaif.
This is a flourishing village of 300 houses round a
fort, and is surrounded by gardens and vineyards,
'watered from a strong harez stream. To the S.
W. the country slopes down to the wide plain of
Yeramen (?).
Route W.N.W. by a good gravelly road over the
Veramen plain, skirting a hill range to the right,
over which towers the conical snow-clad peak of
Damavand.
In 3 hours and 25 minutes came to a bifurcation
of the road; that to the right hugs the hills, the
other goes on across the plains. Followed the
latter, and in 35 minutes, after crossing some
small Streams, came to Sharifabad on the right of
the road, and in 30 minutes more to Khusru on
the left. Beyond this crossed the wide, pebbly
bed of the Jajirud river, and in an hour and a
half reached Khatunabad.
Route N.W. by a winding road amongst, village^
cornfields and gardens. In 2 hours came to
Muhammadabad, at the foot of some bare, rocky
hills. Beyond this, following a stony hillskirt,
crossed a small ridge, and passing Aminabad, in
1 hour and 15 minutes came to Takiabad ;
thence through the ruins of Rhages or Rai, in
the midst of which stands the tomb of Shah
Abdul Azim. Beyond this the road goes N.
over undulating ground, and in 1 hour and 20
minutes reaches the Shah Abdul Azim Gate