'Reconnaissances in Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, North-West Persia, and Luristan from April to October 1888. By Lt F R Maunsell, Intelligence Branch. In Two Volumes. Volume I: narrative report, description of larger towns and routes leading from them. Simla: Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General's Dept, 1890' [‎62r] (128/312)

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thn bridge (see sketch of country round Rawanduz). The town was once
defended by a line of round towers, only one of which now remains on a knoll
to the south-east,
To the north of the town, on a prominent rounded spur, 1,500 yards dis
tant, is a. masonry fort about 50 yards square, with towers at the corners. It is
partially thrown down.
The road to Sidaka and the Kalashin pass can be seen winding over the
spui by this castle. On the right bank of the gorge of the Rawanduz Chai
are a line of low-rounded hills, cut up by some deep ravines, reaching as far as
the Beni Barrakia range, a steep rocky range to the E.N.E.
The general direction of the valley of the Rawanduz Chai is 83°.
Rawanduz is a place of considerable strategical importance, as it stands
at the exit of the principal pass into Mesopotamia from West Persia, by the
valley of the Rawanduz Chai, and also the more difficult Kalashin pass from
Urmia through Ushnu and Sidaka.
Other roads passing through it are by the Gurmanjol pass to Sulaimaniah
(Route Vi I) and from Kui Sanjak, Mosul, Zebari, and Amadiyeh.
The town itself is commanded on all sides by hills, and could not well be
defended. A very good position, barring the exit of both passes from Persia,
is that along the ridge behind the town marked A, B, C in the plan.
A central position would be in the gardens above the town across the
road down the Serderria pass to the rear, with the flanks on the line of low
hills on either side of the gorges, where redoubts could be easily made in the
clay soil. The Beni Hindawin range is too steep to be sealed to turn the
position.
The landscape sketch of the town looking south-west shows this position
behind it. North of Rawanduz is an open hilly country for about 15 miles
bounded both on the east and west by steep rocky ridges thickly wooded.
Rawanduz is a Kaiinmakamlik of the Mosul Waliat, the KaimmakanPs
house being in the gardens above the town.
On this ridge, near the gardens, were encamped 500 troops. There are
no barracks, and they were in dilapidated bell tents, and had been for two
years. They are needed to keep the surrounding districts in order.
In the gardens is the small village of Kala Teluk. The water on the ridge
is from springs, said to be not as good as the river wafer in summer.
There is a sulphurous spring on a spur to the east of the town where sick
people come and bathe.
The hill slopes around are bare : nothing but a few vines are cultivated.
The young shoots of a kind of edible thistle, called kungur in Persian
and Jca’ub in Arabic, were in the bazar, and are much eaten here. It
tastes like cabbage, and is a species of scorzonera or tragopogon. Peas from
a kind of wild vetch were also eaten. Mulberries were just ripe—white and
black varieties.
Rhubarb, used medicinally, gathered at elevations of about 5,000 feet, is
also sold. Withies and green fodder were constantly being brought in on
donkeys from the Rawanduz river valley. Ai*abic and Persian are understood
by merchants and muleteers passing through on the Suj Bnlak-Mosul road;
but Kermanji is generally spoken in the town, and Turkish by officials.
The decendants of the old Kurdish Begs of Rawanduz still live in the
town. Some 50 years ago they were all powerful here, owned the country as
far as the Lesser Zab, and raided up to the gates of Mosul. These Kurds are
now split up into numerous small tribes.
This is a Turkish quarantine station with an Armenian doctor.