'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III.' [‎141v] (287/982)

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DIZ—DIZ
the hamlet, and consists of half a dozen scooped out shelves in the face of the
cliff, the largest 12 feet deep (into the rock), 10 feet high, and 20 feet
(along the face of the rock), the front being protected by breast-high,
loopholed, rubble walls about 6 to 9 inches thick. These several cavities
are accessible only by difficult tracks in the face of the rock, and always open
to view. There is no inter-communication in the rock itseT or hidden f 'om
view. One of the chief advantages of which it boasts, is a perennial spring
situated in one of these natural or semi-artificial caves, but, like all the other
places of refuge, all access to it is open to view. The several places are said
to be able to hide 50 to 150 men, and the “ Biz ” is considered impregnable.
A direct assault would perhaps be costly of life, unless the fire, often unseen,
had first been thororghly subdued ; but it is needless to say that one
mountain gun could from the opposite side clear out each of these caverns
with one well-directed shell. The range is everything desired, and the
places are most beautifully indicated by every upper portion beirg black
ened by smoke. The stronghold is a shell trap and rat hole, nothing
more nor less.— (Saivyer, 1890.)
DIZ-I-SHlHl or KALEH-I-DIZ-Lat. Long. Elev.
A stronghold in Southern Luristan situated near the Ab-i-Diz and about
18 miks north-east of the town, in the possession the Duraki division of
the Ha r t Lang Bakhtiaris. It is remarkable plateau about 12 miles in
circumference, crowning the summit of a lofty hill nowhere le s than 150
feet high, the sides of which are almost perpendicular and ony to be ascend
ed by a steep and difficult pathway, which may easily be defended or
perhaps totally destroyed. As water ir abundant on it, and flocks have
been conveyed to the summit of the Diz, villages have been built on this
tableland and form the ordinary place of residence of the Duraki tribe. The
soil is rich and under cultivation, producing grain of various kinds, suffi
cient to withstand a prolonged siege.
McSwiney visited it in 1891, and describes it as a natural stronghold,
being a plateau about 4 miles square on the summit of a hill with perpen
dicular sides of 200 feet. The highest part of the hill is 2,560 feet above
sea-level. As there are no higher hills nearer than a radius of from 8 to
10 miles, it cannot be commanded by artillery. From its summit, a clear
view can be obtained of the town of Dizful, distant some 11 or 12 miles. The
summit is only reached by a zigzag path partly cut in the face of the cliff,
and partly built out on stakes driven in the"face of the hill with brushwood
laid on them, which can be easily destroyed by being thrown down or set
fire to, thus cutting off all access to the summit. Water is obtainable
from several springs. Grazing is said to be good till the end of April.
There is no fuel. Supplies in winter could be obtained in considerable
quantities from the plain of Duma Kha,i\.—(Layard--McSwiney, 1890.)
DIZ MALIKAN— Lat. Long. Elev*
A fort in Luristan in the Bakhtiari mountains to the north of the Karun
river, north-east of Shushtar, 56 miles. It is a mass of rock, about 3 miles
in circumference, which rises out of the centre of a vast basin formed by
lofty surrounding hills, and whose perpendicular sides overtop the neigh
bouring mountains. From the bottom of these cliffs the detritus slopes