Page 78 - Arabiab Studies (IV)

68 Arabian Studies IV

site is in the ‘uzlah of ‘Iyal IJatim of the nahiyat Jabal ‘Iyal Yazld
and may justifiably be included in this survey/
Nahirah (without the article) is mentioned in the $ifah in two
places6 and is certainly the same as the present al-Nahirah.
Al-HamdanI tells us little about the settlement, however, except
that it is on the eastern side of the watershed and had a mixed
population7 in his day.
The site is a short distance below and south-east of the present
settlement of Dharljan and is now indistinct, being no more than a
rubble-mound topped by a small stone shelter (saqif) at the side of
the track from ‘Amran to Kuljlan. A small number of well cut
stones may be seen on the surface, and wheel tracks indicate that
vehicles have been brought to the site to take blocks away. Some of
the stones have been reused in Dharljan, particularly in the
mosque where a number of good blocks with the pecked
decoration and plain border characteristic of pre-Islamic buildings
is in evidence. There are a few fragments of inscribed stones in the
village of Dharljan, but the only one of any length is to be found
built into the wall over the southern doorway of the mosque.
The rubble mound is quite high, and the quality of the stones in
Dharljan indicates that there was at least one building of some
importance in the ruin site.

Al-Madlnah
379748
Al-Madlnah, also called Madlnat al-Ziyal, is situated on the
plateau at its southern end and is the largest and most complete of
the deserted sites seen on J. ‘Iyal Yazld.
The site is on a rise partially isolated by some particularly rough
stony ground. This has almost certainly helped to protect the site
from the plunder which has taken place elsewhere. It is true,
however, that stones have been carried to the nearby village of
al-Khadirah and incorporated in recent buildings there. Villagers
reported that inscribed stones were being taken for use in the
construction of the new school and that the writing was first
chiselled off before the stones were used.
In al-Khadirah are many inscribed blocks said to have been
brought from al-Madlnah and the writer noted seven during one
visit. A particularly fine ‘trophy’ is a complete, monolithic stone
altar with a rudely scratched and largely erased inscription which
has been abutted to the outside of the eastern wall of the principal
mosque there.

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