'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME II' [‎33r] (70/706)

ASIA—ASIA
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the assassins were themselves almost exterminated by the great Mongol
conqueror Hulagii Khan, their haunts all taken one after another and their
inmates massacred without distinction. They existed, however, in parts
of Gilan up to about A. D.|1400 .—(Imperial Gazetteer; Rabino.)
AS TALIK— Lat. 35° • Long. 51° 46' 45" Lemm corrected by St. John.)
A village on the road from Tehran to Flruzkuh, about 20 miles from the
former. It is usually written Hastamek and is so pronounced by the inhabit
ants, and is probably Lemm’s Hastanek.-—($cAmd/!er.)
ASTANEH—E ev. 7,060'.
A group of 4 separate villages about 15 miles south of Sultanabad ; two
on each side of the river. It is watered by theParmeh Kud, which rises
in the mountains a few miles south of the village. Grains of gold, washed
down from an auriferous quartz vein in the Darreh-i-Pulowi (Pur-abi ?),
which is situated between the Kuh-i-Shir Mard and the Kuh-Buliir, have
been found in its sands. Many ancient remains such as tiles, pots, coins,
etc., are found in the neighbourhood.— (Preece.)
ASTANKARU—L it. 36° 22'; Long. 51° 34'.
A village in Kujur. It lies at the’ junction’of two streams, some miles
north of Tehran near the Pul (Pahl) river. Supplies and water procur
able.— (Lovett; Schindler.)
ASTARA— Lat. 38° 27' 4" ; Long. 48° 53' W.—(Caspian Survey.)
A small village of some 400 houses on the Russo-Persian frontier on the
Caspian in the Namin sub-district of Ardabil. The Customs pay to the
Khans of Nam'n annually a sum of 125,000 krdns as port rights of Astara.
There are Post, and Telegraph Offices, a Customs house, a naptha oil
reservoir and a fishery station at Astara. There is a Russian Consular
officer. The fishery station belongs to Messrs. Leonozoff. Persian Astara
is separated from Russian Astara by the small river Astarachai which is
here about 40 yards wide. The fiver is unfordable and is crossed by a
wooden bridge which is passable by horses and foot passengers, and by
carriages. It was built in 1905 on the occasion of the Shah’s visit to Europe
and has since been thoroughly repaired. There is a Russian guard at one
end of the bridge and a Persian guard at the other. There is no wharf or
other landing facility at Russian or Persian Astara. Russian Astara has
ten boats, some 15 yards long able to carry 20 men. Persian Astara has
20 such boats. There are also 40 fishing boats, the property of the
Leonozoff fishery station belonging to the port. Astara is the port foi goods
and passengers to and from Ardabil. Russian Astara has 100 Frontier
Guards. In March 1911 a Russian detachment bombarded Astara on account
of disturbances there.
By the Turkmaijchai treaty the Russo-Persian frontier was made to
run from the mouth of Astara up that river to the Jiku heights. A
railway has been proposed since 1880 from Baku to Astara.
There are a multitude of rivers, streams, and brooks in the neighbour
hood of Astara, which produce excellent fish, including salmon. The staple
article of food consists of rice, which is of excellent quality. There is a large