'Military Report on S.-W. Persia, Vol. I. Bakhtiari Garmsir' [‎54v] (113/168)

96
In view of the friable nature of gypsum stone, it ia astonishing that *-
the building should have stood so well and so long. See also De Bode,
i, 390, whose illustration is grossly exaggerated.
DZARREH— Lat. 39° 2S'. Long. 49° 50'.
A point at which the Rud-i-Zard flows in a narrow gorge some 50' deep
and in places only G broad at the top, as the rocks overhang in a
striking manner.
It is notable for the remains of a dam or barrage, probably dating from
Sassanian times, and now broken.
The dam is about 40' high, 13' w de at the top, splaying to about 18'
at water level. One half of the dan has been carried away, but the east
ern half still exists and is in fairly good repair. The dam was no doubt
utilized to raise the water of the river into an irrigation channel, the remains
of which can still be traced for some distance along the precipitous face
of the gorge.
KALEH GAZHDIAAK— Lat. 31° 55'. Long. 49° 57'. Elev. 3,600'.
A ruined fort on the top of a rocky limistone promontory bordering
on the north edge of Malamlr lake.
The name moans “scorpion fort.” The south face is too steep to climb,
and the lake occasionally rises so high as to make it almost inaccessible. When
the fort was built, the water level was no doubt higher than it is at pre
sent, for old markings of the lake are visible 10' above the present lake
level on the face of the rock. A zigzag path of unhewn stone, in fair pre
servation, leads to the top of the ridge, on which a series of buildings must
have stood. Several underground rooms, 6' broad, 6' high, and 10' to
30' long, still exist, the roofs being in sound condition. There is one cis
tern, and in the wall of a house near by is a red clay drain-pipe, which ap
parently brought the water from the roof of a house into the cistern.
The fort is said to possess magic qualities. Stones from the locality
are in occasional request to be carved into the quaint stone lions which
decorate the graves of eminent Lurs. The fort bears 350° from Malamir 4 v
village.
KALEH TOE— Lat. 31° 38'. Long. 49° 59' Elev. 3,400'.
A large village with a fort standing on a mound in the centre
of the Kaleh Tul plain. For details of the village see App. III. The fort
is 50 yards long by 20 yards broad, rectangular, with 6 bastions,
one main entrance being at the south end ; another main entrance
also exists at the north end. The mound is about 50' high, and
the walls of the fort are about 15' from the top of the mound. The lower
part of the walls is of gach and stone, but when rebuilt about 20 years
ago, brick was used instead. The towers are cracked. A well about 60' deep
inside the fort supplies the occupants with all the water they require.
Khuda Karam Khan, the present owner and occupier of the fort, stated
that when digging the well, ruins of successive buildings and pottery, etc.,
were found to a depth of 45' or 50' below the present summit of the mound.