'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME II' [‎213r] (430/706)

of the debris fairly secure against falling boulders ; the ruined houses of the old
village are perched as close as possible to the castle. An old wall with bas
tions enclosed the old town but this has been removed to make room for the
modern houses, and can only be traced in parts. At the river level the scene
changes; here are the residences of the chief, his son and nephews, a line
of white palaces facing the river, enclosed in vineyards. High up on the
cliff is a roadway leading to a cavern — at one time the refuge of a band
of robbers who were destroyed by order of Shah ’Abbas, 1605 A. D. (1014
A. H.). The road-way was blown up, and an inscription was cut at the foot
of the rock recording the event.
The cavern is popularly supposed to lead into the bowels of the moun
tains. There is a much older inscription than the foregoing cut but of
the rock near the entrance to the cavern. It is in the old Gurjistan charac
ter, and has been sculptured across the face of a large cross at the mouth of
the cave. There were five of these crosses, but only two with the writing.
The cliff was unscaleable but by means of ropes and grappling irons, and the
assistance of the Maku people the cavern might be approached and copies of
the inscription taken.
Many roads radiate from here to the Turkish and Kussian frontiers,
which are very easy considering the mountainous nature of the country.
Those communicating with Bayazid on the west and the Aras on the east
are passable for all arms, and carriages, such as victorias and landaus (of
which there are some 10 or 20 in Maku) are in daily use by the chief and
his relatives. Northward through the Agra Dagh range, also, there are
several roads, one of which is sometimes driven over by the chief when going
to Erivan. West and south mule-tracks connect with Awajik and Kara
Aineh. Maku is thus well in touch with Russia and Turkey, as well as
having a ready line open to Karaziadin and Kh5i.
The Chief of Maku has always had the right of free importation, and thus
Russian goods enter duty free almost completely ousting British trade {via
Persia). See Azarbaijan.
Hygrometer 205‘5 Temperature 60.— (Picot, November, 1894.)
MALATAKHA.—
A stream in lower Silakhur, vide Buzazna.
MALAYAR or MALAIR—
A district, lying to the east of Kirmanshah and south of Hamadan along
the River Gamaslab and its tributaries. It has a population of 60,000
inhabitants. Daulatabad (q. v.) is the chief town.. Revenues : town Daulat-
abad 12,000 krdns cash, no grain ; 260 villages, 293,000 Jcrans cash, and 6,400
kharwdrs (37,000 cwt.) grain. The grain is valued at 20 krdns per kharwdr;
hence total revenue from the district^433,000 &raws=Rs. 73,200 (18871.—
{Schindler.)
MALAZAN—
A village, half Turk, half Armenian, in north-western Azarbaijan, 8$
miles north-east of Khoi on the road to Avoglu and Julfa by the left bank
of the Kotur Chai.— {Picot, 1894.)