"الجغرافيا الشرقية لابن حوقل، رحّالة عربي من القرن العاشر" [‎٦‎٣] (٣٨٨/١١٦)

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breadth of Basrah, from the city of Basrah to the borders of Hev,
is one merhileh.
Such are the distances of places in Irak ArabL
Account of the Cities and Towns of Irak Arahi.
Basrah is a considerable city, the foundation of which
j (
was laid in the time of l - j LL izs : ^ Omar ehn Alkhitah—
(may God reward him!)—and the building performed by
^sjl Athah elm Ghazouan. On the western side
of Basrah the desert approaches, which is without water. " It is
" said, that the rivers or streams of Basrah were reckoned in the
" time of Belal ben Abi Bordeh, and amounted to the number of
" one hundred and twenty thousand streams, on which boats were
" employed. This anecdote astonished me : I went there, and be-
" held, within the space of about an arrow's single flight, several
" small streams, on which little boats were employed*."
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