Sykes' History of Persia Vol 2 (pdf) - Heritage Institute

1 82 HISTORY OF PERSIA
had been established some years before. He states that
its inhabitants " get their living by trade and handicrafts,
for they weave many kinds of beautiful and valuable stuffs
of silk and gold.
The city has such a good position
that merchandize is
brought thither from India, Baudas
(Baghdad) and Cremesor (the Garmsir or Hot Country ')
and many other regions, and that attracts many Latin
merchants, especially Genoese, to buy goods and transact
other business there." Marco Polo incorrectly describes
Tabriz as being in the province of Irak, and equally
it
incorrectly supposes to be outside
"
Persia. Persia," " he
is
says,
a great country which was in old times very
illustrious and powerful but now the Tartars have
;
wasted and destroyed
it." The next city
mentioned is
Saba, now Sava, from which, owing to the resemblance
of its name to Sheba, the three Magi were supposed to
have set out to 1
worship the new-born Saviour.
Marco Polo, believing that he had entered Persia at
Sava, describes the country as divided into eight kingdoms,
a wholly inaccurate division, which does not call for further
notice.
He refers to the fine horses and the " finest asses
in the world," and goes on "
to say, In the cities there
are traders and artisans who live by
their labour and
crafts, weaving cloths of gold, and silk stuffs of sundry
kinds.
They have plenty of cotton produced in the
country and abundance of wheat, ; barley, millet, panick,
and wine, with fruits of all kinds."
From Saba the Venetian visited Kashan, still famous
for its velvets and silks, and from this important commercial
centre he marched south-east to Yezd. From
Yezd to Kerman there are two routes, by both of which I
have travelled, and I have identified the more easterly of
the Venetian and
the two, via Bafk, as that traversed by his companions. Not only
are there date palms to-day
at Bafk, as mentioned by Marco Polo, but the altitude
of the alternative route is too high for dates to grow
there. Kerman, which was twice or even three times
visited, is described at greater length than any other city
Isaiah Ix. 6 " runs, The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of
1
Midian and Ephah ;
all they from Sheba shall come : they shall bring gold and incense ;
and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord."