'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎310] (341/582)

310
SHIRAZ.
gold, a handsome dress, and made him his chief Cawass. Three
or four months afterwards, came a man from a place called Dejeil
near the Tigris, and at a distance of ten hours' journey from Bag
dad, on the road to Samara. He offered to combat the Casvin
Melek Mohammed, A second combat took place, and though
this new opponent was thought to be a man of uncommon strength
the victor caught him by a single grasp, whirled him in the air
and threw him so violently on the ground that he expired on the
spot. After this, the champion was advanced in the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. 's
favour, and now receives about fifty piastres, or nearly five pounds
sterling, per day ; twenty-five for his pay as Cawass, ten as cham
pion of the Zoor Khoneh, and fifteen for his expenses in women,
wine, and forbidden pleasures!—From this exhibition we went
to the Medresse Khan, or chief college of Shiraz. It was origi
nally constructed in the style of those at Ispahan, having two
minarets without, coated with coloured tiles; and in the centre
of a square court, a fine garden, with two stories of chambers,
facing it all round. It is now much decayed, and the lower
chambers only are occupied by a few children under the tuition
of Moollahs, their parents paying the charge of their education.
There are several other Medresses or colleges,—some inhabited
and others deserted, but all of them are smaller and inferior
to this.
The streets of Shiraz are like those of all Eastern cities, nar
row, dark, and generally unpaved: the new bazaars are how
ever sufficiently wide for business and comfort. One of the great
peculiarities of the place is the appearance of high square towers,
with apertures at the top for catching the wind and conduct
ing it to the lower apartments of the houses. They are called
Baudgheers, or wind-catchers, and look at a distance like ordi
nary towers. The domes of the mosques at Shiraz embrace at least
two-thirds of a globe in their shape, being small at the bottom,
expanding in the centre, and lastly closing in at the top. Some
of them are ribbed perpendicularly, and painted green ; others