Shir Madakhs

Shir Madakhs was the capital city of the Madakhsi State, and important trade hub of high religious significance in almost all religious traditions of Šalmaram. Since the Aminad became the prevalent religion in the north, pilgrimages became a prevailing element in the city alongside administrative functions. Merchants usually estimate it to have four hundred thousand to half-a-million inhabitants, or roughly the same size as Tir-Našadar.

It is situated in a dell, protected by a long wall made of yellow sandstone. Strategic excavation made the area even better guarded. Surrounded by green field and orchards the city draws water from particularly deep wells. Houses are made of stone, in a flat-roofed, densely packed manner. Streets are narrow, full of traders and shaded by cloths strung between the houses. There are at least a thousand holy places in the city, all of them marked by a simple meeting house. Churches are amply adorned, marked by tall towers ending in bulbed domes. The larger a temple is, the more towers it has with largest reportedly having sixteen.