Norwich bulletin., 1915-12-15
THE WAR PRIMER
BY National Geographic Society

- ne PERSIAN highway to ! abTiZ ana
Teharan, constructed By Russian cap
itaI and Russian engineers is now
rendering back full value to the en-
terprise of the Moscovite; for Russia
has moved into Persia along this way,
in order that her southeastern flank
shall be doubly safe guarded, and
Tabriz not far from the Russian Dor
der, the first large station on the
highway, has become the base of Rus
sian operations" begins q statement
given out today by the National Geo
graphic Society.
birth place are unknown; for. like
Moses, it was found in the bulrushes
of the Dark Ages, thing OF some
maturity then but of uncertain ante
cedents. 1t is the commercial center
of Azarbaijan, and it is the most i'm
west. One tradition ascribes its
founding to Zobeidah, the wife of
Harun al - Rashid, the Calf of the
Arabian Nights. This date is, prob
ably, much too late one. as those
who know Tabriz count a thousand
years but a fraction of the city's life.
1T is a monotomous expense of
flat-roof, single-story houses, strewn
haphazardly over the plain. The
buildings are dull in appearance, and
ter, the outer walls windowless and
almost unadorned. Implanted, heavy,
wooden doors. studded with nails,
form the entrance ways; and, within,
the houses face upon their exclusive
brick and plaster courts. In the dis
there rising in majestic cones, relieve
the tedium of the dull-colored, heavy
featured city.
"As in the earliest times, so today,
walls surround Tabriz. without which
| gardens, vineyards and orchards
thrive This raori0T has long hnPn
| famous for its fruits and vegetables,
though they are not grown in abund-
ance. Within the city's walls, there is
| a mysterious labyrinth OF Streets mar
blind pathways. The streets, in most
cases are unpaved, and the snow and
| the slush of winter, and the dust and
| dirt of summer, are allowed to collect
| and freely remain upon them. In
| some cases, cobble-s stones have been
laid but. mostly, this pavement serves
only to add to the misery of the way.
| People make their way about the city
| at night carrying huge cylindrical
| lanterns made of thin muslin. The
municipality of Tabriz has not taken
up street lighting.
| There is one interesting architec-
tural monument in this northern Per-
sian city, and that is the Ark or Cita-
| del which dominates the town. 1t is
a massive structure, built of red brick
|
rise more than 100 feet in height
while it's walls are fully 20 feet in
| thickness. 1t is a solemn pile and a
gloomy one. Fable has it that crinni-
| nails were formerly executed by being
| thrown from it's roof, and that one
| condemned woman escaped this horri-
! Bile death, as her skirts and balloon
| like pantaloons acted as a parachute
| to break the fall.
There are 31S Mosques in Tabriz
among them the wonderful blue Mos
| que, known as Masjid-i Rabud. This
wonderful speciment of Mohammedar
architecture is falling to decay, though
| it still claims a full mete of admira-
ton from the visiting westener.
THE BazaarS of Tabriz are we'll
known in the East. They are of me
| characteristic oriental type, consist
ing Of many miles of narrow arche6
ways, where light and air are exclud-
| ed and smells and darkness religious
ly kept in. The shops are situated in
aIcoves along the ways, while crowds
of purchasers on donkeys and on foo
block all the passages. The Bazaars
open shortly after sunrise and close
at sunset.
'"Tabriz is the commercial center OF
northwestern Persia, and much of it:
| trade with Russia passes along thi:
way. This is an important transit
trade as Russia takes the bulk of Per.
sia's export and import business, abou
so per cent There is some house
hold manufacture in Tabriz, includ
ing that of rugs and silver filigree
Americans have hardly begun to opeI
up this market, though their business
is welcomed by the purchaser TIL,
following is the beginning of thu
Treaty of Friendship and Commerce
concluded between the United State
and Persia in 1855:
In the Name Of God, the Clement and
MercifuP
The President of the United State
of America and His Majesty, as ex
allied as the planet Saturn; the Sow
ereign to whom the Sun serves as
| standard; whose splendor and mag
nificence are equal to that Of the skies
the Sublime Sovereign and the Mon
arch whose armies are as numerous a
the stars; whose greatness calls t
mind that of Jemshid; whose magni
ficence equals that of Darius; tn
Heir of the Crown and Throne Of tn
Kaianians; the Sublime Emperor o
, all Persia; being equally and sincerel
DESTROYS of establishing relations O
friendship between the two govern
ments which they wish to strengthe
. by treaty of commerce and friend
ship and useful to the citizens an
subjects Of the two high contractin
parties-have for this purpose name
for their plepfpotentiaries.'
- - slaR