"دليل بلاد فارس، الجزء III، وهو يتضمن محافظة فارس، لورستان، عربستان، خوزستان، يزد، كرمانشاه، أردلان، كردستان" [و‎‎٦‎٤] (٦٨٦/١٣٢)

105
Nafar
Beharlu
850 tents ( ; roam through different parts
LS t of Fars.
1,230 „ Turks.
Lihrawi (?) and Zaitun are two sub-districts of Bikbaban. [Layard.)
BIHBAHAN—Lat. Long. Elev.
A town in Ears, 1£8 miles west north-west of Shiraz, situated on
an extensive plain watered by the Kurdistan river, from the left bank of
which it is 3 miles distant. It is a moderate, pleasantly situated town
in the middle of an extensive valley, and is 3| miles in circumference,
surrounded by a mud wall, flanked with circular towers and bastions.
It is, however, almost a heap of ruins, and scarcely contains 4,000
inhabitants. Its bazar is small, and its commerce almost neglected.
It has few good houses, the streets are chiefly formed by wretched mud
hovels, which are in a state of lamentable dilapidation. All sorts of
supplies are here plentiful and cheap. Water is procurable from a
small stream, and fuel is abundant. Mules, asses, and horses for
baggage are also obtainable. It is the residence of a prince governor,
and there are usually a regiment and a few guns stationed here. Its
south-east corner is occupied by a castle called Kala Naranj. It is a
place of no great strength, but with thick and lofty mud walls, sur
rounded by a deep ditch. Its interior is small and confined, and not
capable of containing any number of troops. It is defended by five
or six rusty cannons, and might successfully resist the attack of un
disciplined troops.
The plain of Bihbahan is very fertile, being a rich alluvial deposit,
well suited for general cultivation, and watered at its west extremity
by the Kurdistan river. It is about 7 miles from the north mountains
and 18 miles from the Zaitun hills, and is between 21 to 25 miles in
length. Wild cabbage is the ordinary weed of the plain.
In the town of Bihbahan there are two parties, the Bihbahanis and
the Kanawatis. {Jones — Layard — Monteith — Stocqueler.)
Wells says “ The town has practically no walls. The population
is between 4,000 and 5,000; it seems thinly peopled and tumble-down,
yet clean. The water is poor ; water has to be stored in dbambars, or
subterranean chambers, for summer use. The Nasir-ul-Mulk, who is
Governor of Bihbahan, has a beautiful garden.” {Wells.)
Ross gives the following weights for Bihbahan :
For foreign goods— 1 Tabriz man = 760 miskals, or about 65 lbs.
For native produce — 1 man = 850 miskals, or about 8^- lbs.
BIJANlBAD—Lat. Long. Elev.
A village in Khuzistan, a few miles from Laulatabad at a little dis
tance from the road between that place and Bumjird. {Schindler.)
BIJAR—Lat. ' Long. ? lev ^ . , ,
A town of 1,000 houses, the capital of the district of Gams between
Azarbaijan and|Karmanshah. It is curiously situated in a hoi ow,
surrounded by barren peaks, rising at several points to a 011
1,000 feet. It has no defences, save a weak wall, enclosed, but not
effectively screened, by gardens. The 5,000 or 6,000 inhabitants are
occupied chiefly in agriculture. Save a few carpets nothing is manu ac-