'IRAQ AND THE PERSIAN GULF' [‎335v] (673/862)

522 PORTS AND INLAND TOWNS
Turkey, and is thus connected through Aleppo in Syria with the
Bosporus.
Road. Mosul is the general route-centre of northern Iraq. The
most important roads are: fair-weather motor-roads [10] [n] north-
north-west to Dohuk and Zakho, north-north-east to Amadia, north
east to Aqra; an all-weather tarmac motor-road [6] south-east, cross
ing the Great Zab at Eski Kellek for Erbil, Kirkuk, and Baghdad;
a motor-road [5] south along the right bank of the Tigris to Baghdad,
metalled as far as Qala Sharqat; a new motor-road [13] west to Tel
Afar, Balad Sinjar, and thence through Syria; an unmetalled fair-
weather motor-road [12] north-west to Nusaybin in Turkey.
Water. The Tigris is navigable only in the flood season, and then
with considerable difficulty, up to Mosul for vessels of 3 feet draught.
Air. There is an airfield 1 mile south of the town.
GAZETTEER
Alton Kopru. 35 0 45' N., 44 0 08' E.; alt. c. 850 feet. Pop. 1,700. Nahiya
cap., Kirkuk Liwa.
Altun Kopru, ‘the golden bridge’, midway between Erbil and Kirkuk,
derives most of its importance from its position on the Little Zab where
throughout history the Erbil-Kirkuk road has crossed the river. It is in
habited mostly by Turkomans and Kurds, with a few Arabs.
The town is built on both banks and on a triangular island in the centre
of a south-westerly bend of the river (photo. 202). The island rises at its
northern end in high cliff banks, but slopes downstream to a tongue of
sandy ground and a shingly foreshore. For most of the year the western
channel is dry and the eastern fordable. Two steel bridges connect the
island with the banks (p. 569). Most of the 500 houses of the town, a
bazaar, and a hospital are in a compact group on the eastern side of the
island. The remainder, which include a few larger and better spaced
houses, are grouped on the mainland on either side. The sarai is on the
east bank at the entrance to the town. The state of the exposed foreshore
renders the town unhealthy at low water. Water is obtained from the
river. The chief articles of commerce are wheat, barley, wool, and timber.
There is some kellek traffic down the river from Taktak.
Communications
Land: Unmetalled dry-weather road north-west by Quwair on the Great
Zab to Mosul; all-weather tarmac road [6] 1 north-north-west to Erbil and
south-east to Kirkuk; alternative fair-weather route south-south-east to
1 The figures in square brackets are the Road numbers in Chapter XIII and
on the Communications map.