"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد I. ١٩١٨" [‎٥‎٨] (٥٦٨/٦٧)

58
MINERALS
Silver-lead is found in central Kurdistan (in the Shattakh district
and near Sairt).
Silver exists near Amadiyeh, and is reported to be found in the
Dohuk district. It used to be mined in the lower Bohtan valley.
Gold was formerly worked in the lower Bohtan valley, and may
exist in the eastern Taurus.
Platinum and zinc are mentioned as occurring in the eastern
Taurus. %
Copper is found at Arghana Ma'den in the Taurus N'W. of
Diarbekr. It was worked there on a considerable scale, though by
clumsy methods (see p. 229). Copper and tin are reported from the
Shemdinan and Oramar districts in central Kurdistan towards the
Persian frontier. In the Dohuk district SW. of Amadiyeh there are
said to be copper-ores.
An orpiment mine in the Julamerk region was abandoned some
forty or fifty years ago owing to lack of transport.
Ozokerit is said to be obtainable in large quantities at Gulraman
in the Dohuk district.
_ There is apparently a good deal of borax in the desert between the
rivers NW. of Baghdad and W. of the Euphrates near Kerbela.
Borax has been worked at Bash Qal'ah.
Suit-fields, where salt is produced over large areas by evaporation,
yre frequent in the plains both in Irak and in upper Mesopotamia,
and especially in the desert of the Jezlreh between the Jebel Sinjar
and Baghdad. In Irak the principal salt-fields S. of Baghdad are
those in the neighbourhood of Azlzlyeh, Kerbela, Nejef, Sarnaweh,
and Shatrat el-Amareh. There is a less important field near Baghdad
outside the Bab et-Tilism. In the Jezlreh N. of Baghdad there is a
large field at the southern end of the Wad i Tartar; others are El-Ashkar
(80-35 miles SW. of El-Hadhr), El-Edejd (SE. of Meyyadln), and
Bevara (ENE. of Meyyadln, S. of the Eoda hills). There are also
salt-beds S. of Hit, E. of Samarra, and near Beled Ruz and Mandali.
In the northern hills the largest group of salt fields is that round
Sairt on the lower Bohtan in central Kurdistan ; the produce obtained
here is exported to other districts. Eock-salt occurs at Tuz Khur-
matli S. of Kirkuk and elsewhere.
Gypsum abounds along the foot-hills under the mountain-belt from
the Persian Gulf up to the neighbourhood of Kirkuk. It is also
found on the edge of the Arabian Desert and elsewhere in the
plains.
There is naturally a lack of easily available 6 u ildi) icj - si o} i e in Irak.
Below Baghdad stone is to be obtained near Samaweh and at the
Jebel Sinam, a volcanic hill some 30 miles SW. of Basra. Lime-