'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME II' [‎272v] (549/706)

532
SAND—SANE
prayer at the appointed time. A few yards eastwards from this mosque
stands the Masjid-i-Shah, with a large court, 30 rooms for priests, two very
fine halls 40 feet high, and a marble tank in the centre of the court. This
was built by Fath ’Ali Shah and a college, the Madraseh-i-Shah, is joined
to it. Samnan has two other colleges, Madraseh-i-Mehdi Quli Khan and
Madraseh-i-Sadiq Khan, and 12 other smaller Masjids.
In the north-eastern part of the town are three ruined forts or mounds 30
to 40 feet high ; the three forts are called collectively Burj-i-Mirza ’Askar! ;
one, the largest, goes by the name of Kaleh-i-Turkoman and has in its midst
a 60 feet deep well full of noxious gases. The forts were constructed during
the last century. Close to them stands the ruin called Chehiltan (the forty
bodies), a tomb of forty darvishes.
Close to the Nasargate is the a-k or citadel with the residence of the
Governor and the Persian Government Telegraph Office, both very neat
buildings, with excellent accommodation. The town has 13 public baths ;
there are also a post-house and a post office. The usual dilapidated mud
huts surround the town.
Population. —The population of Samnan is about 25,000 souls. No Jews
are allowed to resid: in the town, but there are some Hindu traders.
Language. —The language spoken by the. natives is, according to Khani-
koff, a Mazandaran diahc enrich d by more vowels. It is renowned for
its unintelligibility.
Resources. —The celebrated rusks or rather biscuits of S .mnan are made of
flour, butter and milk and baked very hard. They are, when dry, as hard as
stone and taste somewhat musty. In tea they almost immediately get soft,
seem to melt in fact, and form a rather insipid paste.
In spite of the liberal supply of water in the town, the environs do not
appear to profit thereby as much as they might, although a good deal of
tobacco of an inferior class to that of Shiraz is grown. There are numerous
gardens in and around the town, every house appears to have its garden.
Figs, grapes and some other fruits are grown in the gardens; the figs are
small, but well flavoured, and the grapes make excellent wine.
The town boasts of numerous trees and has some very fine old chenars.
Jews are prohibited from residing in the town, but there are some Hindu
Banmahs engaged in trade, as Samnan is the point where a route from
Bunder ’Abbas via Yazd and Tabbas comes in.
SANDAK—
A large village 180 miles south-west of Damghan on the road to Yazd,
Khur being 48 miles east. It has 1,500 houses. Water and sure sup
plies.— {MacGregor.)
SANDUKEH. See DARVAZEH—
SANEH ALVAND—
A valley 5 stages north-west of Isfahan, between Dehak and Khunsar.
Rahmatabad is situated in it.— {Jones.)
SANEJ—
A village of 60 housess in the Darjazin district, inhabited by Ashiqlu
T arks.— {Schindler.}