'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME II' [‎218r] (440/706)

MARVlL—
A village on the Kamazan stream between Daulatabad and BurujircL
miles from former place.— {Schindler.)
MASAL—
A pass leading over the mountain N. E. of Masuleh from Gllan to
Azarbaijan. The ascent from the village of Shalimeh in the north is about 14
miles and the descent to the village of Diz is about 10 miles. Fraser says
that the ascent consists of a succession of passes of unequalled length and
steepness, the road for the most part leads right up the face of a projec
tion from the great range above, seldom slanting along the side, so that
there is no relaxation of toil, no level space, and no descents whatever, all
being fair continued breasting. The path, if such it may be called,
is of a nature to aggravate this labour exceedingly, especially after rain,
when the soil is exceedingly heavy, and sometimes almost impassable!
Ihe latter part of the ascent, after trees are left behind, is over a good
road gradually rising till just before reaching Ihe crest there is a steep
Pi'll- Tlie descent is at first gradual over turf, but lower the road
becomes rocky and rough, and winds precipitously along the rap'd descent
of the bed of a torrent to the village of Gilivan. From this it still con
tinues down the stream for 2 miles, when it leaves it and enters the dry
bed of a torrent, and follows it among low and bare sandy hillocks as far
as Diz. This is not the main pass to Azarbaijan, which goes from Gaskar,
but it ascends the mountains to the east of it. Fraser took it when attempt!
ing to escape from Rasht.— {Fraser.) ^
MAS AN— Elev. 6,340/
A village of Persian Kurdistan at the head of a side valley of Qulasara.
It is situated at the mouth of several narrow ravines, which joining, spread
into a valley \ mile wide running down to the Qulasara valley about a mile
below Qulasara. Round the village are some fine orchards and below groves
of poplars ; the valley above is bare and arid ; below, it is entirely
under cultivation. The water-supply is fairly abundant from several
springs and streams ; the mountains are grassy but bare of trees ; there are
60 houses, and supplies are procurable in small quantities. There is room
for camping, where the valley broadens below ; above it are merely a few
bare ravines. A path from Yamenan to Juanrud passes above the village
and ascends a steep spur to the Shaini pass about f mile distant towards the
hjad of the valley. The corn stands tiU the beginning of August —
MASHAD—
A large village
Ism’ail. There is
MASHAD-I-QALl.—
on the Zindeh-Rud,^ about 9 miles from Imamzadeh-
a post of 50 Bakhtiari soldiers here.— {Bell, 1884.)
A large place of 250 houses in the Ardahal district of the Qum prov
ince, ^1 miles from Kashan on the road to Sultanabad, containing a fine
masjid or Imamzadeh and many good buildings. Two sons of Imam
Ja afar are said to be buried here, Sultan ’All and Sultan Muhammad who
were killed somewhere near. It is a place of pilgrimage for all the’sur
rounding districts. The pilgrims come on the 17th day of autumn and wash