_ 111 _ Item: The great city of Sultaniyeh, formerly Tigranocerta, or built on the ruins of Tigranocerta, is situated to the south-south-east at forty-one degrees(A). It lies along a great range of mountains and has two or three thousand citizens, Moorish Persians and Turkmens, most of whom live by trade. Some say that this is the first city in Upper or Greater Armenia, although others still consider that it is in Mid-Persia. It was built by Greeks; there is much trade here, and it is surrounded by an ancient wall. From here there is another route to the sea in the Persian Gulf, at the end of which is the city of Basra(B) at thirty-two-and-a-half degrees. It is situated to the west, and carracks and ships arrive at its port with merchandise by an estuary which terminates a little below the city. It is encircled by a thick wall of wattle and daub and mud, and the houses are built of the same materials. Many merchants meet there, Turks, Jews, Armenians, with merchandise which arrives both by caravans across the desert and in barges coming down the Tigris from Baghdad. (A)This seems too high. Perhaps thirty-eight or thirty-nine. (B) Basra is on an island formed by the rivers, which was formerly called [Teredo].
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