Gorgan On the eastern banks of the large Asterabad lagoon the countryside again undergoes a change.There is still 45 inches of rainfall at Gorgan, but it diminishes rapidly towards the east and north-east.The forest line runs along the foot of the mountain ranges, and the river basin of the Atrak, which forms the frontier with the USSR, is already steppe country.
The Gonbad-e-Qabus (tomb tower of Qabus) in Gorgan bears the inscribed sate A.H. 397 (A.D. 1006-7). The building has a diameter of 50 feet (17.08 m.) at the foundation course and a heightof 167 feet (51 m.) from the plinth to the top of the roof.
The tower goes down for about 35 feet (10.7 m.) more beneath an artificial hillock, which would make the original height above ground approximately 200 feet (61 m.). |  |
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