"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد IV .١٩١٧" [و‎‎١‎٠‎٨] (٥٣٠/٢٢٠)

EOUTES 87 a, b
211
the
LOW-
the
)wn
md,
ent,
lall
tie.
Hey
is a
0 a
1 in
md
Miles from
Sairt
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12
18
24
29
33
36
41
m,
ukus
jtion
Sairt. The route follows that to Van {Route 87 a) to near
Shirwan or Qurnias, where it descends into the Qurmas
plain, and keeping W. of the village and heading NE..
goes down to
Ma'den, a poor Nestorian village, near which are former
gold workings. Route then crosses a rough watershed,
with streams going to the Ghindig Su and Keser Su on
either hand. It descends the deep valley of one of these
streams, in the Yerun district, and reaches the gorge of
the Ghindig Su, keeping the steep, rocky slopes of the
Beibo Dagh to the NW.
Ent, small village.
A rough hill track follows round the eastern end of the
Beibo Dagh overlooking the Ghindig gorge far below to
the r. Follow a steep descent.
Cross the Kamatan Dereh, a tributary of the Ghindig
running in a rocky valley. Pass the deep, narrow valley
of Yerun close to its junction with the Ghindig.
Pass Yerun, a Kurdish and Armenian village some distance
above, whence rough tracks lead direct to Bitlis.
Ascending from the valley the track is narrow and goes
high above the river gorge. Cross a low wooded ridge.
Enter the Kiliisan plain near the village of the same namej
situated among the ruins of an earlier Moslem city'.
A little farther up the plain is Ghaida Tekkeh (alt.
4,030 ft.), an important Kurdish place of pilgrimage,
where travellers are expected to dismount m. off.'
A Sheikh who fought in the last Russian war is buried
here, and the place is a Kurdish political centre. The
soil and climate are good, and rice, wheat, rye, and vines
and other fruits are cultivated. There are several villages.
Ascend some low, wooded hills by an easy track and
descend to
Qara Su (alt. 4,610 ft.), lying in a valley, 50 Kurdish and
Armenian houses. Qara Su is the head-quarters of the
Kaza of Khisan, and the Kaimmakam resides here. The
country is well-wooded and fertile and has many villages
of Kurds and Armenians. Vines in particular do well,
and there is a large production of raisins. Wheat and
other crops give good returns, but there is little surplus
produce, and supplies could not be counted on. Firewood
low oak, and scrub, is plentiful.
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