"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد III. ١٩١٧" [‎٢‎٤‎٣] (٤٣٢/٢٥٢)

KOUTE 37
243
Miles from
Kirkuk
mountain guns. In 1909, 8,000 troops were collected
here to deal with the Hamawand brigands.
From Chemchemal the road continues over gravelly hills.
38 Baziyan Pass, an opening in the Qara Dagh, with
room for two caravans to pass. There are still to be
seen the ruins of a wall built across the neck of the pass
by 'Abd er-rahman Pasha of Suleimaniyeh in 1805, in an
attempt to assert the independence of this part of
Kurdistan. NW. of the pass are the Chemala and
Khalkalan ranges of earth hills, of no great height, with
furrowed sides.
41 Deir Gezin, Kurdish village, with streams from the Qara
Dagh. The road now enters the Eaziyan Valley, or
plain, down the middle of which runs a line of hills
lower than the Qara Dagh. The road passes N. of the
end of this ridge.
Baziyan village, the chief Hamawand village, lies a little
way up the plain.
50 The road crosses the hills by an easy pass near the Taslnji
Tepeh, down to the Suleimaniyeh Plain, open undulating
ground, with several streams, all fordable, though the
Ehanjiru or Bakhan is deep and swift as late as May.
66 Suleimaniyeh.. 2,500 houses. T.O.
(B)
Authority ; —Sykes, Dar-ul-Islam (the journey therein described from Kirkuk
to Suleimaniyeh took place in the spring of 1903). Total time, 20 hrs.
Just passable for carriages. Water scarce.
Hrs.
0 Kirkuk. The route to Chemchemal apparently goes some
what N. of that followed in 1887, perhaps by Gulen Ova.
5 Kurga.
8 Chemchemal. Over Baziyau Pass to
14 Sebejek.
20 I Suleimaniyeh.
(C)
Eeport of a journey made apparently in 1909 (the report is dated
February 1910).
This track as far as Chemchemal is described as absolutely im
passable for guns, and in need of repairs for camels. Nothing short
oi making a new road would make it practicable for guns. From
Q 2