'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME II' [‎215v] (435/706)

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MARAKAND.
place is surrounded by orchards and vineyards watered by canals from
the Safiehai, which gives a plentiful water-supply.
The town is encompassed by a high wall, in many places in ruins, and
has five gates.
Two stone bridges, one of six, the other of five arches, said to have been
constructed during Hulaku Khan’s reign in the 13th century, lead over the
river on the western side of the town. Water plentiful from the Safichal;
forage is procurable ; also pasturage to a small extent; carriage in any quan
tity is not to be obtained ; only a few mules ; fuel is abundant.
There is a telegraph station here on the Tabriz-Sauj Bulagh line of the
Persian system.
The troops in garrison consist of an infantry regiment and a detachment of
artillery, but these like most Persian troops probably only exist on
paper.
The famous marble pits of Maragheh are situated about 6 miles from Deh
Khazagan, in the district of Maragheh, a few hundred yards to the right
of the road, at the entra nce of an inconsiderable plain, which here stretches
up from the lake and forms a sort of open bay among the prongs of the
Sahand range. These pits are well deserving of examination by geologists.
They extend over a space of about half a mile in circumference, are small and
irregular, and do not appear to have been even sunk below 10' or 12' in
depth ; the sides are cut perpendicularly, and in the section thus exposed the
strata of marble may be seen running in parallel and horizontal layers, the
first occurring at about 5' or 6' below the surface, and the succeeding strata
at intervals of about 2'; the average breadth of the layer of marble may be
7 or 8 inches.
A multitude of springs, strongly impregnated with carbonic acid gas, are
seen bubbling up among the pits in all directions. On the escape of the
gas, a copious deposit is left of carbonate of lime, and the channels in which
the waters run are thus raised up into little rocky ridges, varying in height
from 1' to 2' above the plain.
The marble is the semi-crystalline formation of this deposit, though why
it should thus form only in thin horizontal layers, several feet beneath the
surface, may perhaps be an interesting subject of inquiry. This Mara
gheh marble is highly valued in Persia ; when formed into thin plates
it is nearly transparent, and is used as windows to the baths at Tabriz. In
larger slabs it is frequently used for pavements to baths and palaces, and
the famous throne in the Divan Khaneh at Tehran is formed of the same
material. There is a small village at this place called Dash Kasan, inhabit
ed by the labourers, who work the quarries. The direction from Gugan is
about 18° west.— {Curzon; Schindler.)
MARAKAND—
A large village of Azarbaijan of 500 houses, situated near the junction of
the Aq Chah and Qutur Chai rivers, in an enclosed valley, on a rich soil
where fine crops of wheat, barley and rice are raised. The people are more
than usually well off and possess nu ny sheep and goats. They are well
armed and are gradually getting Berdans or Martinis. On the south is
a precipitous hill about ROOO' high on the eastern front of which is a remark
able cave. The cliff is difficult of access, but along its front runs a edge to