The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-07-18
TAbR|Z SCENE Of
TURKISH OUTRAGE.
ONE OF THE CHIEF CITIES IN THE
PERSIAN EMPIRE.
KNOWN AS A HEALTH RESORT
Has Been Visited BY Many Destruct.
i've Eartquakes.-of the 300 Mos
CUES in the City Only One Is
: Famous.

Washington, d. c., July 13.-Tabriz
where the The Turks committed out
raegs against the American consulate
is thus described in a war geography
bulletin issued by the National Geo
graphic Society
with a population of 100000, Ia,
briz is one of the most important
cities in Persia. Teheran, the capital
Is the only place in the dominions OF
the Shah which exceeds 1t in size.
1T is beautifully situated in a wide
valley on the River Ali. which flows
into the salt lake of Uruhiah SO miles
10 the west. Although apparently sur.
rounded by mountains, TabriZ has an
elevation of more than 1000 feet and
the climate in winter is extremely
severe.
Known as Health Resort.
Hundreds of springs and fountains
water thousands of beautiful gardens
in this ancient city which for centur,
'e8 has enjoyed a deserved reputation
IS health resort. Indeed, tradition
cars that the place was founded by
Hobedeh, the wife of Harun-al. Rashid
hero Of the Arabian Knights Ac-
cOrding TO this legend, Zobeideh came
hera to recuperate from fever in the
year 791, and a cure was quickly eff.
fected, thanks to the salubrious eli.
mate, hence the name Tab Gever) ri2
tporer away, or fever destroying.
rs p matter of cold history, however,
Tabriz was in existence four centuries
Eefore the birth of the beautiful 10.
beideh.
Emporium of Persia.
up to the time of the completion
of railway through the Causasus and
the. improvement of transportation ia
cilities on the Caspian Sea, Tabriz
was the emporium of Persian trade
with the west Now, however. most
Of the trade has been diverted to AS.
tara. on the Caspian, $50 miles to the
east. and to Resht geo miles to the
southeast.
"The Black Sea port of Batum L.
to the northwest a distance of $50
miles.
There are few buildings of interest
in Tabriz, for it has suffered from the
rack of elements and the rwthlessness
of many conquerors. 1t has been held
at varios times by the Arabs, the Sell
49,, AA ID hn Tnrlynn1 n
Persia took it from the Turkomans,
but it is essentially a Turkish rather
than a Persian city today, and Turk
ish is the prevailing language. At the
beginning of the world war it was &C.
cupied by a Turkish army, but subse-
ouently the Russian forces took pos
session.
Man has not played as great havoc
with the buildings of Tabriz, however,
as have earthquakes. 1t has been Wis.
tied many times by quakes, the most
disastrous being that of 1921 when
more than 10000 persons are said to
have been killed. This disaster oc-
Cured at the height of the city's pros
perity, for at about this time the popu-
lation of the city is said to have reach
ed $4,000.
"Of. the three hundred mosques of
which boasts only one deserves spe-
'cial mention. 1t is the famous Blue
Mosque, so called because it is covered
with blue tiles. 1t dates from the 18th
century and is now in ruins. The ark
or citadel is brick building of mas
sive walls. with tower 100 feet high.
More than half of the trade of Ia
briz is with Russia. It's chief imports
are cotton and wooden tissues, sugar
and tea"