‘The Oriental geography of Ebn Haukal, an Arabian traveller of the tenth century’ [‎100] (153/388)

( 100 )
Description of the great Cities and remarkable Edifices,
Istakhar* is a city neither small nor great, more ancient
than any city whatsoever of Pars. The extent of it is about one
mile; and the sovereigns of Pars had their dwellings there, and
Ardeshir resided in that place; and there is a tradition that Solo-
^ -
mon, the Prophet (the blessing of God be on him !) used to set
out from Tahertha\ in the morning, and at night arrive at
Istakhar. There is in Istakhar a mosque, which they call the
Mosque of Solomon, the son of David: and some people affirm
that Jem, who reigned before l J Zohak y was Solomon;
but that opinion is erroneous. In ancient times Istakhar was
well inhabited; and the bridge called Pool-i-Khorasan
or the Khorasan bridge, is without the city.
Beshadour was built by King Shapour. It has
strong ramparts, and a ditch with water, in which weeds and
thorns grow as high as the waist of a man, so thickly entangled,,
that one cannot, without considerable difficulty, be extricated
* The reader will find the original Persian of this passage in my " Epitome of the
Ancient History of Persia," Appendix, p. 91.
t Ot Tiheriah.