'The lands of the Eastern Caliphate Mesopotamia, Persia, and Central Asia from the Moslem conquest to the time of Timur' [‎430] (473/586)

43°
KHURASAN.
[CHAP.
confectioners here made divers kinds of the so-called ' honey'
from grapes and figs, as well as a preserve of pomegranate kernels.
Syrups and clarified butter were largely exported; and in the
neighbourhood were mines of lead, vitriol, and arsenic. The
incense of Balkh too was famous, and its turmeric, unguents, and
preserves. From it came hides and cloaks, and from Tirmidh,
across the Oxus, soap and assafoetida. As coming from Warwalij
towards Badakhshan, Mukaddasi gives a long list of fruits, such
as nuts, almonds, pistachios, and pears. Rice and sesame too
were largely traded, also various cheeses and clarified butter, and
finally horns and furs, more especially fox-skins 1 .
The high roads through Khurasan and Kuhistan were as
follows. The great Khurasan road entered Khurasan beyond
Bistam (in Ktimis, see p. 365), and from this place to NaysaMr
there were two routes. The northern, or caravan road went from
Bistam to Jajarm, and thence by Azadvar through the plain of
Juvayn down to Naysabtir. This is the road especially given by
Mustawfi, and only in sections by Istakhri and Ibn Hawkal.
The southern, shorter route is the post-road to Naysabtir, which
started from Badhash, already mentioned (p. 368) as two leagues
from Bistam. This road keeps along the skirts of the hills with
the desert on the right hand, and coming to Asadabad, next
passes through Bahmanabad or Mazinan, where a branch went
north to Azadvar. Continuing eastward through Sabzivar,
the post-road finally reaches Naysabtir, and this is the route
described by Ibn Khurdadbih and in all the earlier Itineraries.
From Asadabad going south-east, Mukaddasi says there was a
track across this corner of the Great Desert, in 30 leagues, to
Turshiz in Kiihistan, while from Naysabtir to Turshiz, the route is
given by both Ibn Khurdadbih and Mukaddasi. From Naysabftr
north to Nisa the stages are also given by Mukaddasi 2 .
One stage beyond Naysabtlr at Kasr-ar-Rih or Dizbad (Castle
of the Wind) the Khurasan road bifurcated. To the right, south
east, the way went down to Herat, and this will be noticed in the
succeeding paragraph. From the Castle of the Wind, turning left
3 1st. 281. I. H. 330. Muk. 323—326.
2 I. K. 23, 52. Kud. 20T. I. R. 1 70 (with descriptive details of the road).
1st. 216, 284. I. H. 275, 333. Muk. 351, 352, 371, 372, 491. Mst. 196.