_ 102 _ where the domain of Lar comes to an end. From there in one day they go to Gium, a great city in the domain of Shah Tamás, which is well provisioned and has many orchards and a watercourse which drives many mills. From here many fruits and wines are sent to Ormuz. From here it is two days’ journey to Gahron, a large town, and from there a day’s journey to [Taduan], a large place with a big river which comes from the plain of Shiraz. From there it is three days’ journey, all the way through villages of many fruits and provisions, to the famous city of Shiraz(A). The province of Shiraz is very large and still retains the ancient name of Persia, little changed: Farsi. This is the capital city of Persia. Isfahan(B) is the capital of another region, which was formerly a kingdom, large of itself, and from here are sent provisions, meat and rice to the greater part of Persia. From Shiraz to Isfahan it is ten days’ journey through places which are all inhabited by Persians. This city and kingdom were captured by Shah Ishmael from Hassan Pasha and Hosum Hassan, “the long” Hassan, who was a very tall king. (A) Shiraz is said to be the former Cyropolis, called Agra (?) because of the well-tempered weapons made there. (B) Isfahan retains the name of Spaha, and was the capital of the Persians.
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