Abstract
AT the meeting of the Geographical Society on Monday, Sir H. Rawlinson read a paper, On the road to Merv from the Caspian. After some interesting remarks on the comparative geography of the eastern shores of the Caspian Sea, Sir Henry read some portion of the Russian letters on the earlier stages of the road to Merv, of which a summary appeared in our last issue, and afterwards gave from Russian official documents an account of two ancient cities, the probable relics of Khowrasmian times— Mestorian, or Mestdovran, and Meshed. The former in past ages was one of the most important cities of Central Asia, if one may judge from the remarkable aqueducts leading into it, which were the chief arteries of an entire system of irrigation canals thoroughly watering the whole country, and from the number of its buildings, the remains, of which exist to this day. The course of the aqueduct was explored by General Lomakine's orders some two or three years ago, and was traced to the Sumbar, a tributary of the Attrek, a length of some sixty-five versts. The city of Mestorian appears to have consisted of a citadel and of two other inclosures with thick, high walls built of enormous bricks. The mass of the débris at the place is so extensive and in such good preservation, that it would be possible, we are told, to make use of it for building a large new town ! The bricks, it may be added, are stated to be as hard as stone, and often carved and ornamented with friezes in relief, arabesques, and well-executed inscriptions; the last are sometimes in various colours, illuminated with flowers, and the letters about seven inches in height. Five versts from Mestorian is another remarkable place, known in the country as Meshed; it is, strictly speaking, an ancient necropolis. Here, according to report, is an open coffer holding the sacred books, a hanging lamp, and vases for ablutions, and although in a desert place and wholly unprotected, no one dreams of touching its contents. Sir Henry Rawlinson afterwards dealt at some length with the geography of the country further to the eastward, more especially with that on the northern slopes of the Attock, which is inhabited by three divisions of the Tekké Turcoman tribes.
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Geographical Notes . Nature 19, 297–298 (1879). https://doi.org/10.1038/019297a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/019297a0