V ANCIENT CARAVAN ROAD TO TABRIZ 51
by a stone bridge, and at its terraced margin the village Ashkale suddenly appears in sight, situated on a small tributary to a river which perhaps has a greater and more ancient history than any other on the earth, at least in Christendom ; its name is Frat-su, or Euphrates. The inn stands on the right bank, but the village itself is on the left. The inhabitants are mostly Turks, but there are also a few Armenian families ; they are called " Ermen," and live at feud with the Turks, as is only natural, for the Mohammedans are heathens to the Christian Armenians, and these are kaj5er or kafir (unbelievers) to the former.