"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد IV .١٩١٧" [ظ‎‎١‎٤‎٠] (٥٣٠/٢٨٥)

276
LAND ROUTES
Miles from
Mardm
particulars concerning it are available: it joins the
caravan-route mentioned in the introduction to 95 b.
Small well. Eoad descends gradually, crosses small valley
and climbs ridge, making detour to 1.
On summit of ridge, to r., ruins of Qal'ah Mir Khedreli,
a good landmark, Diarbekr may be visible from it.
On farther side of ridge is a clear pool under limestone rock.
Route now bends NW. by W. and drops sharply into a de
pression, whence it descends gently to a plain, heavy in
wet weather.
Sipiyan, on 1. of track. Good water from spring. Some
trees, and a khan. Grherb Kurds.
After a level tract the road crosses some low rising ground
and becomes less stony. Diarbekr lies due N.
Cross the Quru Chai (dry at end of June, 1907) in deep
nullah about ^ m. wide with steep sides.
Cross stream-bed, dry in June.
Sehperteh, broad stream in 3 channels in December.
Spring. Village | m. to r.
Qazuq Tepeh. The track descends to the Mardm—Diar
bekr chaussee, near bend of Tigris. Follow this road
into Diarbekr. Itoute 95 a is apparently joined between
m. 44 and m. 49.
Diarbekr.
EOUTE 96 a
JEZIRET-IBN-'OMAR—MIDIAT (65 m.)
Authority Military Beport onE.T.A., vol. iv. Route 178 (report of 1885); report
of 1895.
The tracks from JezIret-ibn- c Omar to Midiat traverse the Tur Abdin
plateau, which stretches from the Tigris on the N. and E. to Mardln
and Diarbekr on the W. and Nisibin on the S. On this last side it falls
steeply to the plain of the Jezlreh. The summit of the plateau is
a stony down country interspersed with numerous oak woods.
Water is scarce outside the villages and monasteries, where the
supply comes largely from pools fed by winter rains and snows.
Most of the plateau is very thinly populated. The inhabitants
are mainly Jacobite Christians, and there are numerous Jacobite
monasteries {deirs). The country has been in a state of unrest during