Azdar Chasm

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

There is a sacred Muslim shrine (note 1) at a deep, very long, and smooth rift, chasm or crack (note 2) in dubious matrix (note 3). The limiting walls are close to each other and very irregularly shaped. Below the same rises strongly mineralised, not drinkable water from a spring (note 4) with legendary healing powers (BURSLEM 1846, chapter 5: A tale of the Dragon's Mouth). SITUATION: In the Sela-i- Azdar (Shelah-e Ezhdar) or Valley of the Dragon (note 5), which lies a few miles (within walking distance) west of the village and rock chambers or caves at –>Bamiyan (Bamean, Bameean, Bamian, Bamyan N34°49': E067°49') but on the opposite (south) side of the valley (note 6). The locality, reminiscent of a giant lizard, described LEVI (1972 edited 2002: 42) as a long, stony, mysterious canyon that opens like any other, curving away under cliffs smeared with volcanic ash. BURSLEM (1864, chapter 5) places the … Dragon's Mouth … four or five miles [6.4 or 8 km] to the north-west of Bamean [sic!], high up in the mountains in the direction of the Yookaoolung [Yakawlang] country. After a toilsome and somewhat perilous ascent the traveller finds himself at the edge of a deep ravine. KAYE (1879: 249 ) places it on the opposite side of the valley [from the great standing image], about a mile to the west, a stony gully leads into the hills: a short way up this, there is a nearly insulated rock … CULTURAL HISTORY - folklore: General KAYE (1879: 249) was told the dragon had been slain by an unacknowledged Muhammadan pir (no name mentioned). According to HACKIM & KOHZAD (1953: 5-6), the story is that Hazrat Ali, the Prophet's nephew, rescued a girl by turning a dragon into stone and one can see his blood and his shape in the red and white volcanic ash and the springs are the dragon's tears. HOLDICH (1910 edited 2002: 380) referring to Charles MASSON (where?) describing the -Azdha of Besut- points out The Azdha afterwards seen and described at Bamian is of more imposing sze.ean [sic!], high up in the mountains in the direction of the Yookaoolung [Yakawlang] country. After a toilsome and somewhat perilous ascent the traveller finds himself at the edge of a deep ravine. KAYE (1879: 249 ) places it on the opposite side of the valley [from the great standing image], about a mile to the west, a stony gully leads into the hills: a short way up this, there is a nearly insulated rock … CULTURAL HISTORY - folklore: General KAYE (1879: 249) was told the dragon had been slain by an unacknowledged Muhammadan pir (no name mentioned). According to HACKIM & KOHZAD (1953: 5-6), the story is that Hazrat Ali, the Prophet's nephew, rescued a girl by turning a dragon into stone and one can see his blood and his shape in the red and white volcanic ash and the springs are the dragon's tears. HOLDICH (1910 edited 2002: 380) referring to Charles MASSON (where?) describing the -Azdha of Besut- points out The Azdha afterwards seen and described at Bamian is of more imposing sean [sic!], high up in the mountains in the direction of the Yookaoolung [Yakawlang] country. After a toilsome and somewhat perilous ascent the traveller finds himself at the edge of a deep ravine. KAYE (1879: 249 ) places it on the opposite side of the valley [from the great standing image], about a mile to the west, a stony gully leads into the hills: a short way up this, there is a nearly insulated rock … CULTURAL HISTORY - folklore: General KAYE (1879: 249) was told the dragon had been slain by an unacknowledged Muhammadan pir (no name mentioned). According to HACKIM & KOHZAD (1953: 5-6), the story is that Hazrat Ali, the Prophet's nephew, rescued a girl by turning a dragon into stone and one can see his blood and his shape in the red and white volcanic ash and the springs are the dragon's tears. HOLDICH (1910 edited 2002: 380) referring to Charles MASSON (where?) describing the -Azdha of Besut- points out The Azdha afterwards seen and described at Bamian is of more imposing sean [sic!], high up in the mountains in the direction of the Yookaoolung [Yakawlang] country. After a toilsome and somewhat perilous ascent the traveller finds himself at the edge of a deep ravine. KAYE (1879: 249 ) places it on the opposite side of the valley [from the great standing image], about a mile to the west, a stony gully leads into the hills: a short way up this, there is a nearly insulated rock … CULTURAL HISTORY - folklore: General KAYE (1879: 249) was told the dragon had been slain by an unacknowledged Muhammadan pir (no name mentioned). According to HACKIM & KOHZAD (1953: 5-6), the story is that Hazrat Ali, the Prophet's nephew, rescued a girl by turning a dragon into stone and one can see his blood and his shape in the red and white volcanic ash and the springs are the dragon's tears. HOLDICH (1910 edited 2002: 380) referring to Charles MASSON (where?) describing the -Azdha of Besut- points out The Azdha afterwards seen and described at Bamian is of more imposing sze.