'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III.' [‎425v] (855/982)

840
SHI—SHI
hair and blue or grey eyes of the northern provinces being rarely met with.
The cheerful temperament attributed by early travellers to the inhabitants
has been somewhat exaggerated. They are easily excited and sometimes
prone to outbursts of intolerance. The Babi movement started in Shi az
and has always claimed a large number of disciples, while the population
includes a certain proportion of Armenians. TheMullasof Shiraz bear an
unenviable reputation for intolerance and fanaticism, and may be regarded
as the greatest obstacles to education and civilisation.
Public buildings and objects of interest in the neighbourhood.—There are in
Shiraz fifty considerable mosques, besides many others of inferior note to
a total number of fifty—eleven colleges, fourteen bazars, thirteen caravan
serais, and fifty-six baths. Of all the mosques, the Masjid-i-’Ali, built in
the Khalifat of the house of ’Abbas, is the most ancient. The Masjid-i-
Nau, the largest mosque, not only in Shiraz, but also throughout Persia, was
originally the palace of AtabakShah, who, in a dangerous illness of his son,
consulted the Mullas, and was answered (as the only means of the recovery
of his child) that “ he must devote to the Almighty that which of all his
worldly goods he valued most.” He accordingly converted his palace into
a mosque, and the Muhammadans add that his son was in consequence
restored to health. Stack calls this also the mcst anc’ent of all the mosques.
The Masjid-i-Jama’ is likewise claimed to be the oldest of the mosques of
Shiraz; its construction being ascribed to Amr Bin Lais Saffar, about A.D.
894. There are six others of a date previous to that of Karim Khan Zand.
Of the more modern mosques of Shiraz the Masjid-i-\ akil, the only one built
by the last named Prince, is the most beautiful. Karim Khan began to
build ^college, but never finished it; there were already six, one of the
earliest of which (that founded by Imam Quli Khan) is still the most popular.
Another was added by Hashim, father of Haji Ibrahim, the Vazir of Path
’AH Shah, and the Pish Namaz and Mujtahid (Chief Priest of the city)
built another. ..
The principal cdrai'dnserais, in which the better class of mer
chants and Sardfs have their offices, either open off the Bazar-i- Vakil Elected representative or attorney, acting in legal matters such as contracting marriage, inheritance, or business; a high-ranking legal official; could also refer to a custodian or administrator.
or are situated in close proximity to it. Of the former may be
mentioned the Caravanse^ai-i-Gumruk, Raugani (chiefly inhabited
by Zardashti merchants), Fil and Quvvam ; among the latter the best
known are those of Mushir-ul-Mulk (or Gulshan) and of Agha Jan.
In former times, there existed the caravanserai A roadside inn providing accommodation for caravans (groups of travellers). of Qaisarieh Khan,
built by Imam Quli Khan, of which the name only now exists;
the ground on which it stood, is now used for the tanning of lambskins.
Other caravanserais were the Dabbaghan, or that of the dressers of sheep-
si, ins ; the Rangrizan or that of the dyers ; and the Hinduan, where the
Hindus resided. The very names of these have faded out of memory.
Karim Khan enriched this capital with three public baths, two within
and one without the town. Four have since been raised, but there were
already before his reign nineteen similar foundations, while many later ones
have been built. There are several mausoleums* in Shiraz; the most distin
guished of those without the walls being those of Hafiz and Sa’adi ; there
* The three most beautiful tombs are (as regards these domes) Shah Chiragh con
spicuous by its blue dome, Saiyid Nur Muhammad, and Saiyid Alleh-ud-Din Husain.—
(Durand,)