'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME II' [‎311v] (627/706)

610 1 TAQ-I-GIREH
cut out of the solid granite. The height of these statues is 12 feet, and they
project 3 feet from the rock.
’Imad-ud-Dauleh had steps cut in the rock leading over the arches to a plat
form called the Nigareh Khaneh, whilst others branch off and lead higher up
the rocks. *
There are a few houses containing a population of about 30* families of
Kalhurs, Kurds of Kurdistan, and Mumavand Lakks. Malidt 200 krdns cash
and 9 kharwcrs grain. Taq-i-Bustan is a village of the Vastam district,
and is divided into 3 hamlets namely:—Taq-i-Bustan; Murad Hasil, and Chiah
Kabud.
The Ab-i-Taq-i-Bustan has its rise here ; of four streams composing it, one
joins the Kara Su, and the others are used for irrigation purposes .—(Yusuf
a Sharif; Vaughan; Rabino, 1907.)
taq-i-gireh—
. A small village situated on the summit of the pass of the same name in
the Kirmanshah district. There are 16 or 17 houses of the ’Ali Illahis
at Taq, but no supplies.
TAQ-I-GIREH (pass.)—.Elev. 4,280'.
Sometimes Tak-i-Gerreh.
The name is derived from “ Taq ”=arch and “ Gireh”, the name of one of
Khusrau’s officers, a name which frequently occurs in old Kurdish legends.
This pass is said to be the ancient “ Gate of Zagros.” The pass of Taq-i-Gireh
is on the old road from Zuhab to Kirmanshah. The ascent from the north
west side commences about 2| miles from the Khan of Sar-i-Pul-i-Zuhab, and
is rather laborious over a zigzag and very rough road formed of loose masses
of fallen rock and large boulders of stone, like gigantic pebbles. The slope on
the road may be 20 °, and in its present state it is certainly ill-adapted for
the passage of either troops or artillery. A little labour and expense would,
however, place it in an efficient state. The ascent of the most difficult part
of the pass occupies exactly an hour from the Bishiveh plain.
Quitting the angular turns, which it takes on the ascent of the pass,
the road enters the narrow defile or gorge, which severs the higher range of
Mount Zagros from the lofty crest of the Band-i-Nuah chain. This chain
is the most westerly of the Persian mountains, and forms the great barrier
between the alluvial plains of Assyria, east of the Tigris, now termed Traq-i-
5 Arab! and the mountainous districts of Persia. The scenery at this point
becomes grand ; on either hand the dark foliage of the oak overspreading the
sides and summits of the mountains, is here and there relieved by a bare
abutting crag. The road continues to ascend through the gorge in a
general direction of 130°, until it arrives at the village and Khan of Sur-
khadizeh, whence it proceeds over a very rough road, so narrow at times
that caravans are compelled to proceed in single file. In two hours it
arrives at the ruins of the fort of Sar-i-Mil, anciently called Tur. From
Surkhadizeh to this place the general bearing is 135°. Thence to Karind
is over a plain.”
This pass bears the traces of Khusrau Parviz. At the foot there is a caravan-
sarai built by him, now (1834) ruinous, but remarkable, for being wholly
covered in, a mode of building these edifices, for the most part, unusual in