"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد IV .١٩١٧" [ظ‎‎١‎٠] (٥٣٠/٢٥)

16
INTEODUCTION
routes: there are many alternative tracks and connecting branches,
some of which are described. Nothing is known of any improve
ments which may have been made in these routes since the war
began; possibly a good deal of road-making has been carried out I
along the Persian frontier and in the neighbourhood of Lake Van, of '
Sairt, Bitlis, and Jezlret-ibn-'Omar.
Of the principal lines of communication four run from N. to S.,
viz. (a) Kaniyeh or Eowanduz to Urmia; (&) Mosul to Van
Amadiyeh and Bash Qalah ; (c) Jezlret-ibn-'Omar to Van via Shat-
takh ; and {d) J eziret-ibn-'Omar to Bitlis Sairt; while one runs
from E. to W. from Urmia via Van to Bitlis,
(a) Baniyeh or Rowandus to Urmia. 1 —'From. Eaniyeh to Urmia
runs the route by the Wazneh Pass, El-Watan, and through the
Lahjan and Urmia plains by Chianeh 60 a), which has been
pionounced to be the best line for a military road or railway from
Mesopotamia to north-west Persia. Before the war, however, it was
not passable throughout for wheels: it was steep and difficult in
places in the hills, and marshy in parts of the plains: and recent
repoits indicate that the Wazneh Pass is more difficult than the
Gaiau Shinkeh Pass on the Eowanduz—Suj Bulaq road (see below).
The passes are blocked with snow in winter, and the Shulduz Chai,
Lesser Zab, and N is tan Su are unfordable when in flood. An alter
native route to El-Watan goes by Ser Desht (see vol. hi, 41, and
this volume, Houte 60 b), but this is nearly twice as long as the route
by the Wazneh Eass and does not seem to be a better road. Other
variants are provided by cross-tracks between these two routes to
El-Watan. Erom Chianeh, about 62 m. beyond El-Watan, an
alternative route to Urmia branches off, leading by Ushru, from
which point onwards it may be passable for guns: but there is no
recent information on the subject (see 60 c).
From Eowanduz to Urmia a route leads by Neri and Dlzeh, It
follows the western slopes of the divide between Lake Urmia and
the Great Zab to Dlzeh. Thus far it is an extremely bad track
through sparsely populated, rugged mountains, with fair grazing,
poor fuel-supply, and plenty of water. From Dlzeh the route by
Bazirgeh is good, being capable of use by light vehicles. This part
of the loute is used by traders, and forms part of a fairly frequented
trade route between Urmia and Bash Qal'ah on the Great Zab. It
crosses the watershed between the Zab and Lake Urmia by a fairly
easy pass (see Route 61a). A much more difficult route leads from
Dlzeh to Urmia through the Marbishu District (see Route 61 b).
Th© routes fioni Mosul to Raniyeh cind Rowanduz are given in vol. iii.