Page:From Constantinople to the home of Omar Khayyam.djvu/340

 192 AMONG HISTORIC SITES

The bazars of Shahrud, though small, appeared to be well stocked, and the tradesmen were busy and alert. Not the least attractive booth, we found, was one devoted to the sale of sweetmeats and savories ; particularly palatable was a dish made from rice (hirinj^^ though somewhat uncertain in its effect upon the digestion.

We arranged after luncheon to devote the rest of the day to the old city of Bustam, or Bostam, as it is now pronounced, the earlier form of the name being Bistam. It lies three or four miles north-northeast of Shahrud, in a valley surrounded by hills. Three spirited white horses were hitched to our phaeton and (in Persian style) dashed away before the driver had time fairly to grasp the reins and spring on to the box ; nor did they slacken their pace until we reached the historic city.

Bustam consists really of two parts : an ancient portion, now in ruins, and the later part of the town (though also old), which enjoys the sanctity of containing the pilgrim shrine of Shaikh Bayazid, a Moslem saint who lived in the ninth century of our era. These two sections are separated from each other by less than half a mile ; and I chose to visit the more ancient quarter first.

This older foundation, which formed the citadel, was mentioned by Mis'ar Muhalhil (941 a.d.) when he described the rest of the town. He wrote concerning the stronghold as follows : —

' Over against the city, on an elevation, rises a large strong citadel, pro- vided with solid walls, and girt with bastions and towers. Its foundation is attributed to [the Sasanian king] Shapur Dhu '1-Aktaf (Sapor 11, 309- 379 A.D.).' ^

The center of this ruined site is the stronghold thus referred to, and it is still called Kal^ah-i Kuhnah^ ' the Old Citadel,' being possibly even older than Shapur's time, for one local tradition associates Bustam with the mythical age of Hoshang at the be- ginning of Persian history.

1 This statement by Mis'ar Muhalhil Meynard, Diet. geog. p. 104 ; cf, also is quoted by Yakut, see Barbier de Le Strange, Eastern Caliphate^ p. 366.

�� �