MAZAR-I-SHARIF

mazar-i-sharif, a town of afghanistan, the capital of the province of afghan turkestan. owing to the importance of the military cantonment of takhtapul, and its religious sanctity, it has long ago supplanted the more ancient capital of balkh. it is situated in a malarious, almost desert plain, 9 m. e. of balkh, and 30 m. s. of the pata kesar ferry on the oxus river. in this neighbourhood is concentrated most of the afghan army north of the hindu kush mountains, the fortified cantonment of dehdadi having been completed by sirdar ghulam ali khan and incorporated with mazar. mazar-i-sharif also contains a celebrated mosque, from which the town takes its name. it is a huge ornate building with minarets and a lofty cupola faced with shining blue tiles. it was built by sultan ali mirza about a.d. 1420, and is held in great veneration by all mussulmans, and especially by shiites, because it is supposed to be the tomb of ali, the son-in-law of mahomet. mazarron, a town of eastern spain, in the province of murcia, 19 m. w. of cartagena. pop. (1900), 23,284. there are soap and flour mills and metallurgic factories in the town, and iron, copper and lead mines in the neighbouring sierra de almenara. a railway 5 m. long unites mazarron to its port on the mediterranean, where there is a suburb with 2500 inhabitants (mostly engaged in fisheries and coasting trade), containing barracks, a custom-house, and important leadworks. outside of the suburb there are saltpans, most of the proceeds of which are exported to galicia. mazatlan, a city and port of the state of sinaloa, mexico, 120 m. (direct) w.s.w. of the city of durango, in lat. 23° 12 n., long 106° 24 w. pop. (1895), 15,852; (1900), 17,852. it is the pacific coast terminus of the international railway which crosses northern mexico from ciudad porfirio diaz, and a port of call for the principal steamship lines on this coast. the harbour is spacious, but the entrance is obstructed by a bar. the city is built on a small peninsula. its public buildings include a fine town-hall, chamber of commerce, a custom-house and two hospitals, besides which there is a nautical school and a meteorological station, one of the first established in mexico. the harbour is provided with a sea-wall at olas altas. a government wireless telegraph service is maintained between mazatlan and la paz, lower california. among the manufactures are saw-mills, foundries, cotton factories and ropeworks, and the exports are chiefly hides, ixtle, dried and salted fish, gold, silver and copper (bars and ores), fruit, rubber, tortoise-shell, and gums and resins.