Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan, Volume 2 (of 2) Including a Summer in the Upper Karun Region and a Visit to the Nestorian Rayahs

A determined traveller sets out for a sweltering summer in Persia’s upper Karun region, navigating a landscape where the sky burns like brass and the earth radiates a relentless heat. The journey moves from the scorching plains of Chigakhor, through the dust‑raised Seligun valley, up the wind‑blown Naghun Pass, and down into the stark Ardal plateau, where towering ranges loom but rarely reach permanent snow. Along the way the narrator sketches vivid scenes of flocks of Ilyats marching through parched marshes, riverbeds that have vanished, and the stark beauty of distant peaks that still hold a promise of cool refuge.

Along the route, a modest Kurdish chief, Aziz Khan, joins the expedition, offering local insight and occasional assistance. The traveller notes an unusual plant resembling a pitcher‑plant and the sudden dominance of “sweet sultan” herbs across the arid plains. Visits to remote villages and the ancient stone churches of the Nestorian Rayahs introduce a quiet, melancholy humanity that endures despite the harsh climate, hinting at deeper cultural stories waiting to unfold.