Jews' city), formerly the chief seat of the Karaite Jews
of the Crimea, situated on lofty and almost inaccessible cliffs; it is now
deserted except by the rabbi. Between Bakhchi-sarai and Chufut-kaleh is the
Uspenskiy monastery, clinging like a swallow's nest to the face of the
cliffs, and the scene of a great pilgrimage on the 15th (29th) of August
every year.

BAKHMUT, a town of Russia, in the government of Ekaterinoslav, near the
river from which it derives its name, 136 m. E. of the town of
Ekaterinoslav. It owed its origin in the latter half of the 17th century to
the discovery of salt-springs, and now produces coal, salt, alabaster and
quicksilver, and manufactures steel rails. Pop. (1897) 19,416.

BAKHTIARI, one of the great nomad tribes of Persia, whose camping-grounds
are in the hilly district, known as the Bakhtiari province. This province
extends from Chaharmahal (west of Isfahan) in the E., to near Shushter in
the W., and separated from Luristan in the N. by the Dizful river (Ab i
Diz), and in the S touches Behbahan and Ram Hormuz. The Bakhtiari are
divided into the two great divisions Haft-lang and Chahar-lang, and a
number of branches and clans, and were known until the 15th century as the
"Great Lurs," the "Little Lurs" being the tribes settled in the district
now known as Luristan, with Khorremabad as capital. According to popular
tradition the Lurs originally came from Syria in the 10th century, but it
is now held that they were in Persia long, perhaps fifteen centuries,
before. They speak the Lur language, a Persian dialect. The Bakhtiari
number about 38,000 or 40,000 families, under 200,000 souls, while the area
of the district occupied by them is about 25,000 sq. m. In the middle of
the 19th century they could put 20,000 well-equipped horsemen into the
field, but in consequence of misrule and long-lasting feuds between the
different branches, which the government often fostered, or even
instigated, the district has become poor, and it would now be difficult to
find 4000 horsemen. The province is under the governor-general of
Arabistan, and pays a yearly tribute of about L5000. The chiefs of the
Bakhtiari in 1897, having obtained the shah's permission for improving the
road between Shushter or Ahvaz and Isfahan, an iron suspension bridge with
a span of 120 ft. was erected over the Karun river at Gudar i Bulutek;
another, with a span of 70 ft., over the Bazuft river at Pul i Amarat; and
a stone bridge