Fars

Fars, or Farsistan, a province of Persia extending over some 55,000 square miles, on the E. coast of the Persian Gulf, whence it stretches up to an elevation of nearly 3,000 feet, embracing part also of the sandy plateau beyond with the saline lake of Bakhtegan. The valleys of the intermediate region are picturesque and fertile, producing tobacco, wine, rice, dates, cotton, cochineal, and roses for the manufacture of ottar. Borax and naphtha are found in the plains, and the hills contain iron and lead, marble and alabaster. The rivers Nabon and Tab (ancient Arosis) flow into the Persian Gulf, and the Bundemeer (ancient Araxis) feeds the lake of Bakhtegan. Shiraz, Darab, Babahan, and Bushire are the chief towns. Near the former stand the ruins of Persepolis and its sculptured rocks, and the remains of Shahpur lie to the north-west.