NATANZ  , a

minor province of Persia, situated in the hilly district between Isfahan and Kashan, and held in fief by the family of the Hissam es Saltaneh (Sultan Murad Mirza, d . 1882) . It contains eighty-two villages and hamlets, has a revenue of about £4000, and a population of about 23,000 . It is divided into four districts: Barzrud, Natanzrud, Tarkrud and Badrud . Natanz pears are famous throughout the country . The western part of the province is traversed from north to south by the old high-road between Kashan and Isfahan, with the well-known stations of Kuhrud (7140 ft.) and So (7560 ft.) . This road was practically abandoned when the Indian government telegraph line, which ran along it, was removed to a road farther east in 1906 . The capital of the little province is NATANZ, a large village with a population of about 3000, situated 69 m. north of Isfahan, at an elevation of 5670 ft . It has an old mosque, with a minaret 123 ft. in height, built in 1315 .