'Reconnaissances in Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, North-West Persia, and Luristan from April to October 1888. By Lt F R Maunsell, Intelligence Branch. In Two Volumes. Volume I: narrative report, description of larger towns and routes leading from them. Simla: Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General's Dept, 1890' [‎75v] (155/312)

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Amadiyeli to Bashkala.
The following is a precis of Ainsworth's journey along this route by the
Zab Valley :
13th .Ume 1840, 1st stage .—Left Amadiyeh, and ascended the mountain behind it, called the
Tura Matineh by the Christians. The pass itself is called Geli Mazukah.
Near the foot of the pass is a mountain torrent, the Sulaf Chai, which comes tumbling over
rocks amid steep cliffs on either side. After half a mile of open valley, the second part of the pass
is reached. It is a narrow gorge in the limestone rock. . r
When we reached the crest of the chain we found patches of snow at an elevation of 5,840.
This is Zozan Naodashti, the summer quarters of the Amadiyeh people.
From this point the extensive district of Berrawi extended before us, and close by was^ a long
valley dotted with Christian villages, at the head of which was a peculiar rounded mountain above
the village of Duri, where the Bishop of Berrawi resided. #
Beyond were two distinct lofty and snow-clad chains of mountains, the one Tura Devehh
extending from N. 5 E. to N. 25 W. and the other Tura Shina, the extent of which was not well
defined. To the west the valley opened amidst mingled forests, rock and arable land ; above
which rose a group of rude peaks, on one of which was Kumri Kala, a place of refuge of the
Kurdish chiefs of Bahdinan, and beyond which rose another group of snow-clad mountains the name
of which could not be ascertained. ,
They were the mountains at the head of the Buhtan country. The chain of Matineh (her
Amadiyeh) which we are now crossing is the continuation south-eastward of the Jabal Judi which
divides to the north Buhtan from Bahdinan and in the centre that of Hakkiari from the same
About an hour’s descent brought us to the Nestorian village of Hayis, where we found the
Bishop of Berrawi waiting for us. An hour’s journey brought us to a perpendicular precipice of
tabular slaty limestone about 250 feet deep, at the bottom of which flowed the Rudbar Elmei,
a torrent about 12 yards wide and 3 feet deep which flows towards the Zab. On the opposite side
of the river was a conical hill with a ruined castle called Beitannun, ^ ^
Our road lay down the bank of the Elmei, which we crossed on a wooden bridge, passing several
Chaldean villages, and then up a tributary stream to the large village of Duri. We walked from
Dari about half a mile to a picturesque wooded glen wherein were a few hamlets, one of which
was the Bishop’s residence, while up above surrounded by trees at the foot of a cliff was a little
whitewashed church partly hewn out of the rock. This is Mar Kiyomah where the Bishop gener
ally officiated. .... . <• t,
15th June, 2nd stage .—We started early in the morning to visit the iron mines of Berrawi in
the mountain of Duri. ,
We found these mines to be worked on the surface in beds of oxide of iron. The people are
onlv acquainted with five mines in all Hakkiari, and of these three were visited by us with the
result that probably they possess no such advantages as would make it profitable to transport
their ores over the mountain roads. , m, ,
We had a steep descent from the Tura Duri and reached a valley nearly filled up with snow
upon which lay a whole grove of trees that bad been carried down by a landslip.
Duri was situated at an altitude of 4,917 feet, and the crest of the Duri Mountain at 5,792 feet.
The snowy valley was 5,133 feet and from thence we ascended again over rocks of blue lime
stone to the crest of the Deralini hills (altitude 5.811 feet), from whence we had a prolonged descent
of 11 hours, at a quick pace, to the village of Gunduk, inhabited by tributary Kurds.
This deep valley reaches down to the banks of the Zab and is bounded to the north by the
great range called the Karasi Tiari which forms the western boundary of the Tiar district,
although the outlying village of Gunduk is tributary thereto. , r ,
On the south side of the Zab and opposite to this valley is a well-watered verdant vale inhabited
by dial Kurds. Leaving Gunduk we travelled along a narrow mule path, for it was never any
thing more, which took us round the southern slope of the Karasi Tiari, where its huge shoulder
presses down upon the valley of the Zab.
This rapid river rolled along amid impracticable precipices nearly 1,000 feet below us.
Its course could be traced for some distance, but, except two narrow vales watered by mountain
torrents and inhabited by Chal Kurds, there was nothing but bold masses of rock vising one above
the other and increasing in height eastward to the mountain of Tsariyah and the l uraShma.
As we opened upon the valley of Lizan, a scene presented itself more interesting than any we
had met yet. Before us was a steep range of rocks stretching E.N.E. and W.S.W., with lofty
nrecipices fronting the west and appearing to form a barrier against all further progress. Thero
was however one gap through which the Zab found its way past Lizan where its bed is wide and
less rocky. It is crossed by a bridge of ropes, and on the left bank is the Kurdish village of
Jenan, while on the right is the great Nestorian village of Lizan.
The houses of Lizan are scattered among groves and gardens, and are about i a mile from the
river which flows past here at a rate, of 6 £ miles an hour. Lizan Church was found to be in north
Lat. 3t!° oS' 50". There are several roads from thence into the Hakkiari country, but all of them
have to compass the ascent of the great limestone range immediately east ot the valley. One leaps