The native bazaars are supposed to be identical with the town of Gaza through which the armies of Alexander passed in the fourth century B.C. More recently the Russians converted it into a strong military post. At the time when it was assaulted by the Russian forces under General Romanovski, upon October 18, 1856, it was regarded as one of the most powerful fortresses in Central Asia. In those days the town was surmounted by a triple wall, 4 sagenes in thickness and 3½ sagenes in height. High towers defended the interior walls, while upon the outer wall were mounted fifty-three pieces of artillery. At that time the strength of the garrison under the command of Alayar Khan was returned at 10,000 men. [Illustration: THE COLUMN OF TAMERLANE, SAMARKAND] A few versts before Jizak the line, running in a westerly direction along the southern border of the Golodnaya desert, crosses by an iron bridge, 8 sagenes in length, the Sais Khaneh ravine. Beyond Jizak and after passing through Milyautinskaya it enters the Ilyan Uta defile, through which flows the Sanzar river. This defile is the only existing pass in the Nuratinski range and contains the famous Gates of Tamerlane. Beyond the gates there is the station of Kuropatkino, named after General Kuropatkin who so long presided over the destinies of Russia in Central Asia. From here, the line proceeds to cross the eastern slope of the Nura range; barely thirty versts further on it arrives at Rostovtsevo which takes its name from a former Military Governor of the Ferghana province, Count Rostovtseff. Between Kuropatkino and this station the line crosses at the foot of the ascent of the Golun mountains a bridge, 5 sagenes in length, over the Balungur arik. From the slopes of the Golun Tau the railway traverses the watershed of the Zerafshan and Sanzar rivers, reaching at 10 versts from Kuropatkino the highest elevation on the whole line, 403 sagenes above sea-level. From this point the line then descends to Rostovtsevo from where, after a short run of 30 versts, it arrives at Samarkand. [Illustration: THE REGISTAN, SAMARKAND]