"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد IV .١٩١٧" [ظ‎‎٢‎٢‎١] (٥٣٠/٤٤٧)

438
GAZETTEER OF TOWNS
(iii) To Midiat. (See Routes 96 a and b.)
(iv) To Bitlis. (See Routes 85 and 86 a, b, c.)
(v) To Van via Shattakh. (See 80 and 81 a: also
79 and 81 b.)
(vi) To Amadiyeh. (See Boutes 90 b and c.)
General Description. —The town is built on the low, gravelly 'island'
in the Tigris from which it derives its name. It is not, however,
effectively surrounded by water except in the flood season, for at
other times the longer channel, which bounds the town on N., W.,
and S., is practically dry, though it contains some springs. This
western channel, which is said to be 150 yds. wide, has a small
bridge, consisting of four spans of wood on masonry piers with a
plank roadway 10 ft. wide. Before the war the eastern channel—
the main arm of the Tigris—was crossed, except in the floods, by a
boat-bridge 120 yds. long. This bridge consisted of 16 pontoons
and had a planked roadway 16 ft. wide. It was disconnected during
the floods, when the inundation spreads out to a total width of
400 yds. A ferry was then used. A depth of 15 ft. has been found
in the river during June. There is an ancient stone pier on the
E. bank of the island, and two miles down-stream are the remains
of an old bridge called the Pir-i-Bahfit. (See III Gr, m. 171|.)
The island enclosed between the two channels is 700 yds. long
and 500 yds. broad. The town is close-built, with narrow, dirty
streets. It is surrounded by a masonry wall 15-20 ft. high, dating
from the period of the Eoman occupation, when the place was an
important frontier fortress. Overlooking the river are the Turkish
Government offices, built on part of the old wall. The Christian
quarter is on the E. side of the island.
Climate and Hygiene. —The site of the town is much shut in, bare
hills rising on either side of the river. The climate is therefore
intensely hot in summer; the place is unhealthy, and there is
liability to fever. For the water-supply see below.
Supplies and Commerce. —Supplies for travellers and caravans
were plentiful in normal times, though in the years preceding the
war the neighbourhood had suffered much from Kurdish depredations.
Good fruit is to be obtained in autumn from gardens down-stream.
Kurdish tribes (the principal of which seems to be the Miran) pasture
their flocks and herds in the country west of Jeziret-ibn-'Omar during
the winter and spring. About June they assemble near the town and
cross the river here on their way to the summer pastures in the
mountains. In September they return.
The water from the small wells in the town is much polluted:
that from the river is good when filtered.