'The lands of the Eastern Caliphate Mesopotamia, Persia, and Central Asia from the Moslem conquest to the time of Timur' [‎327] (368/586)

XXIII] THE GREAT DESERT AND MAKRAN. 327
tioned as of Fars (see p. 285). From Saghand Ibn Khurdadbih
gives the six stages in leagues to Tabas, an itinerary which is
duplicated by Ibn Hawkal and Mukaddasi, but going by the
day's march, and following a not quite identical route. Two
stages from Saghand was the guard-house called Rubat Ab-
Shuturan, 'of the Camel-stream,' the water coming from an under
ground channel, and flowing into a pool. Mukaddasi describes
the guard-house as a fine building of burnt brick, with iron gates,
and it was well garrisoned. It had been built by Nasir-ad-Dawlah
Ibn-Simjiir, a famous general of the Buyids, who was governor in
these regions during the middle of the 4th (10th) century. Three
marches beyond this guard-house the Desert ended; and here the
road, as described by Ibn Hawkal (repeating Istakhri), leaves
Tabas aside, going in a single march from the stage one march
south of this town, to the stage one march north of it, on the
road to Bann 1 .
The next passage of the Desert starts from the village of
Birah, of the district called Shiir, meaning £ the Salt-water,' which
was on the frontier of Kirman near Kuhbanan. From here the
passage was made in seven or eight stages—each halt at a
watering-place—to Kuri, a village on the Desert border of
Kuhistan, situated a few miles to the south-east of Tabas. On
this, which was known as the Shftr route, Istakhri states that at
one point about two leagues to the north of the track there might
be seen curious stones, doubtless fossils, in the likeness of
various fruits, to wit, almonds, apples, nuts, and pears, while the
forms of men and trees were simulated by the rocks here, with
likenesses of other created things. In addition to the foregoing
route, Mukaddasi states that there was a road direct from Ktih-
banan to Kuri, in 60 leagues, with water in tanks at every second
march.
Ravar, as described in Chapter XXI, lies some leagues east of
Ktihbanan on the Kirman frontier, and from this place a road
went in five marches to Naband, the oasis mentioned above, and
thence in three marches on to Khilr in Kvlhistan. There were
the usual water-tanks at every three or four leagues along this
1 I. K. 51. 1st. 236. I. H. 235. Muk. 491, 493.