Evening star., 1931-05-16
PILGRIMS FLOCK
TO HOLY MESHED
Trade, Religion and Politics
important in PerSia'S
Eastern Center.

MeShed, next objective OF the Trans
Asia expedition after it left Teheran. is
the northeasternmost Of the half dozen
or so important trade centers that over
land caravans have built up in Persia,
says a bulletin from the Washington,
D. c., headquarters of the National
Geographic Society The society is CO.
operating in the expedition which set
out from Beirut, Syria, several weeks
ago by auto caravan on journey
across the worlds greatest continent.
Meshed Is the last town Of importance
in which the expedition will pause be-
fore pushing over the Persia -Afghanis-
tan boundary and on to Herat, in the
latter kingdom.
while Meshed Is known best outside
Persia because it is a trade center,
continues the bulletin, trade must
share with religion ana politics as the
factors that make the place important
in Central Asian affairs. AS the hottest
city in Persia it attracts hundreds OF
thousands of pilgrims annually. IL
owes its political significance to the
fact that 1t dominates the important
Persian Province of KsloraSan and lies
within so miles of Russian territory
and within 100 miles of the Afghanistan
border. Both Russian and British con-
suls general have been maintained In
the city for the past 40 years.
Burial Place Of Imam.
"Meshed is holy because it is the
burial place of Imam Ria, eighth OF
the IL Imams who are revered by the
Shah sect, one of the two great dlVl-
sions of Mohammedanism. Ria Is o?-
lieved by the Shiahs to have been pol
soned, and the towns name means
place of the martyrdom.' A domed
tomb was erected over the Imam's body
soon after his death in 819 AID, ano
around this monument grew village
and then a city.
In the fact that under the same tomb
was buried Haroun- al -Rashid, romantic
ruler Of Arabian Nights fame. Througn
the centuries the Moslems have oullt'
over the Joint tomb-like medieval ca
thedral builders-a magnificent SnrIne
and mosque with a great gold-covereo
dome and minarets. This vast shrlnc
is the object of pilgrimage. and Is known
far and near as the glory OF the Shlan
world. Adjoining 1t Is the Mosque OF
Gauhar Shad with oeauti1ui dome oI
blue tile. -,
"Meshed lies in fertile, well irrl-
GATED upland valley with spurs OF
continuation of the ElburZ Mountains
rising on each side. In the fields OF
the valley are raised rice and otnef
grains. cotton, tobacco, opium poppleS
and wealth of fruits. To the city
market place come from SomeWhaI
greater distances wool, hides, salt, IRON
.turquoises, lead and gold, as well as tne
more typical Eastern products-sllk.
saffron. pistachio nuts, gums and
asafetida. Many of these are passed
on by caravan, but in the city are nu-
merous small industrial groups and in
dividual workmen who fashion raw
products into other goods. Out OF
Meshed by camel and mule back. by
cart and automobile truck. flow cotton
goods, silks. leather, carpets and other
manufactures.
Once Great Way Station.
"Once the streams of goods into and
out Of Meshed were greater: the city
was an indispensable way station on the
transasia trade route. But the iron
horse cut into the city's trade as the
sailing ships around Africa sapped the
commerce of Venice. After the building
Of the Transcaspian Railway by Rus
sia about 40 years ago a great deal of
the trade that had passed through
Meshed went by way of Bokhara and
Samarkand Russia quickened this de-
velopment by placing heavy duties on
goods carried across the Persia-Russia
border.
-Four main highways converge at
Meshed. There is the road extending
westward to Teheran, one southeast
ward to DuZdap on the Baluchistan
frontier, one eastward to Afghanistan
and one northwestWard to Askhabad, in
Soviet territory, on the Transcaspian
Railway. Although the traffic on these
highways is not so great as during
Meshed's golden days, there is still
much movement in and out of the city
and the numerous caravansaries are
patronized both by religious pilgrims
and travelling merchants and caravan
helpers. In the city are gathered Per-
slams, Turkomans, Turks, Kur5s, Balu-
chis, Afghans, Arabs, Jews and a
sprinkling of Europeans.
Mud walls with towers surround
Meshed. The main entrance is through
the Bala Kh;aban Gate along a fine
avenue planted with plane and null
berry trees. Through a parked space
down the center of this main street
flows a stream Of fresh water"