"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد IV .١٩١٧" [و‎‎١‎٠‎١] (٥٣٠/٢٠٦)

EOUTE 85
197
Miles from
Jeziret-
ibn-
'Omar
80
81i
82i
83i
84|
86|
86|
88
Ziyaret Waiz el-Qur'ani (or simply Ziyaret), a shrine
with some houses round it, in a wide basin, affording
good camping- and grazing-ground in spring. Here the
Diarbekr-Bitlis road comes in from the W. (See
103 a, m, 109^.)
Eoad turns in a north-easterly direction, and enters the valley
of a large stream flowing from the NW. Kosiar, a Chris
tian village, is visible some 4 m. up the valley on a spur.
Cross stream by two old 20-ft. stone arches reported in
1899 to be just passable for guns. The made road at that
date here ceased for a short distance.
Follow an easy clay track practicable for guns.
Enter valley of the Bitlis Su, and follow a road which in
1899 was made but not metalled nor completed : a
12-15-ft. roadway had been cut in the slope. Many
small springs cross the road, difficult in wet weather,
but drying later. No bridges nor culverts had been
made in 1899. Oak scrub.
The Bitlis Su now 300 yds. to r. in a deep gorge. On the
1. bank are steep wooded spurs rising to a higher range
beyond. Lower wooded hills are visible m. to 1.
Cross some craggy ravines from that direction.
Valley opens with easier slopes; approach closer to the
river, about 150-200 ft. above it.
Narrower defile with cliffs on far bank.
Valley opens. High wooded spurs to r. Hills on 1. become
gradually lower. The country is not difficult, but much
cut up by ravines, and guns could not move far from
the road.
Chapiran bridge across the Bitlis Su. The made road
continues up the r. bank (see under m. 90): the track
used by the authority here followed crosses the river by
the bridge.
The bridge in 1899 was half-ruined. The main span,
a 50-ft. arch, was then in fair repair: the foundations of
the arch rest on a rock in mid-stream. Two small arches
next the 1. bank were much broken, and although it had
been repaired the bridge was difficult even for mules.
It is better, when possible, to ford the stream 100 yds.
lower down. The ford is easy except in flood.
300 yds. beyond the bridge cross another bridge of one