'Field notes. Mesopotamia' [‎19r] (42/230)

TOWNS ON OR NEAR THE EUPHRATES.
(See also Route reports, page 123 et seq.)
Ourmat 'Ali .—A large village built on high ground in the
marshes, connected with the Tigris by a large water-channel and
with Basrah by a carriage road through marshes and date
groves. The country on either side of this road is not passable
for troops. To the north-west are reed-covered swamps with
many island villages standing like towers out of the water. To
the west is the khor or open water.
Suq-ash-Shuyiikh .—An important town situated for the most
part on the right bank of the Euphrates ; it derives its name from
the fact that the desert tribes resort to it for trade.
The town has numerous fruit gardens, and its date plantations
extend up the left bank of the Euphrates till they meet those of
Nasiriyah ; the neighbourhood, unfortunately, is marshy and the
climate unhealthy. The Euphrates is spanned at the town by a
bridge of about 12 pontoons, the number of which is increased to
15 or 16 when the river rises.
The population of Suq-ash-Shuyukh amounts to about 12,000
souls, about three-fourths of whom are Shi’ahs; but it includes 700
Sabians and 300 Jews. The religious head of the Sabians lives
here ; the community, who have a small primary school for their
children, are mostly goldsmiths, blacksmiths and builders of
Mashhuf canoes; they inhabit a quarter on the left bank of the
river which is connected with the main town by the bridge of
boats.
There are over 200 shops at Suq-ash-Shuyukh, but, except with
the Arab tribes, there is no considerable trade.
Suq-ash-Shuyukh is the head-quarters of a qadha of the same
name in the sanjaq of Muntafik, and it is connected by a single hue
of telegraph with the town of Nasiriyah above, and with Qurnah,
but not direct with Basrah. There are post and customs offices,
while the affairs of the river are controlled by a harbour-master.
Aastnt/a&.-^-Nasiriyah is a comparatively modem town of some
10,000 inhabitants, founded on tire left bank of the Euphrates,
about 19 miles from Suq-ash-Shuyukh, by Nasir Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , chief of the
Muntafik Arabs, to perpetuate his residence. It usually had a
garrison of one or more Nizam battalions, and was the place of
assembly for the various expeditions designed from time to time
to overawe the Muntafik (see page 59).