'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎328] (437/496)

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tan, which are generally round, this exhibits a square form, with its an
gles pointing N. E. and S. W., IST. W. and S. E. Its surface is nearly
flat, 320 paces in diameter from north to south, and is elevated above
the surrounding plain about eighty feet. A ditch, defended by a wide
rampart of earth, surrounds the mound, but no traces of buildings are
visible adjacent to it, and the remains of three wells, now filled with rub
bish, are visible on its summit. Another tappeh* of a conical form is
seen to the S. W. of it, about a mile distant.
September 25th .—Left before dawn of day to complete our last stage
to the town. For an hour the road lay over cultivated land, plentifully
watered by cuts from the Tajrud. It then led through the small village
of Arbet, and over the skirts of the range, extending S. S. E. from the
peak of Gudrun. At 10, we entered the town of Sulimaniyeh, where
we found a house at our disposal, with tents pitched on an adjoining plot
of grass. The house, however, was abandoned for the more gay pavi-
however, makes Gholamber, a strong fort, now in ruins, situate in a gorge at the
foot of the Avroman range, where the Zalm river issues on to the plain, the capi
tal of the district.—Shahri-Zur implies a Ce stronghold ,? or “ city of strength,” and is
not inapplicable, considering the many fortified places situated in the district. The
plain is about thirty-five miles long by ten broad, and is bounded on three sides
by mountain barriers that are inaccessible except by a few very difficult and
easily defended passes; and on the fourth by the Abi-Shirwan.
The soil is everywhere fertile, and yields a rich harvest in its rice -grounds alone.
It is the abode of numerous families of Kurdish ryots, as well as of the Jaf, a large
and powerful tribe, who owe allegiance to the Pachas of Sulimaniyeh. These latter,
however, migrate in the winter to the more genial pastures to the west of the Abi-
Shirwan.
^ The whole district of Shahri-Zur is dotted with these ancient tumuli, and
single mounds are observable in other places,—indeed over all Asia Minor, from tie
borders of the Mediterranean to the banks of the Caspian Sea. Most of them aie
conical, and are generally erected on some level spot. Their average height may
be considered as 100 feet. Some have fortified summits, and are surrounded by a
ditch, while others present but a smooth conical outline. Of the fortified tumuli, l
may enumerate^ Arbil, (Anc. Arbela,) Yassin Tappeh, Bakr’awa, and the Tullui
Benat and Alij, in the neighbourhood of Samarrah and Dur. Mr Rich instanc 68
also Arbet and Kiz.Kalassi in this vicinity ; and many others yet unvisited by Eu
ropeans will doubtless be found in this part of Kurdistan.
Tellul is the plural of the Arabic Tel, a ^ mound,” equivalent to the Turkish Tap
peh. The present town was founded by Ibrahim Pacha, the father of Kurd Smnnai
Pacha, about sixty-two years ago. The Pachas formerly resided at Karachoia ,
on the other side of the Azmir range, but since the foundation of Sulimamye
(named thus in compliment to Suliman, then Pacha of Baghdad) the seat of ^
vernment has been transferred to the latter. On building the present Serai) ^
u Palace,” numerous urns containing bones, and a stone bearing an inscrip ^ >
were disinterred from a tumulus that occupied the site. See note in KiclTs Kui i
tan and Nineveh, Vol. I., page 119,