The Arshīn or Halebi pík = 27·9 inches. 5-1/2 Arshīns = 1 Qasáb.
The Hendázi or Stambūli _drá_ = 25·688 inches, very nearly the Hashími cubit = 25·56 inches.
All these are divided into either 16 nails or 24 qirát.
1. That of the Black cubit = 21·28 inches. 2. That of the Royal cubit = 20·65 „
There is also a commonly used pík = 26·8 inches, probably a low standard Flemish ell.
The geodesic traditions of the ancient Oriental monarchies maintain many of their standards. The principal is the Guz or Yard of 2 common Egyptian cubits 2 × 18·24 = 36·48 inches. It is 1/6000 of the Farsakh, the ancient Parasang or league of 3 meridian miles.
A Cloth guz = 1-1/2 Hashími cubits = 38·3 inches. Another guz = 1-1/2 Persian cubits = 37·9 „ „ „ = 1-2/3 Hashími cubits = 42 „
The measures differ little from those of Turkey.
The Halebi pík = 27·6 inches. The Hendázi „ = 26·03 „
The Hendázi _píchus_, of Hashími standard = 25·51, is the usual measure.
The Moorish drá = 18·94 to 19·2 inches (3/4 of the Hashími cubit), the usual standard. The multiples by 8 show the influence of the Cano of 8 spans from Southern France and Italy.
The ancient Roman mile still exists in Tunis, with a length = 1610-1/4 yards.
After the Moslem conquest of the countries of the Eastern great monarchies, the 25·26 inch standard of the Persian cubit was raised to 25·56 inches. This is the Hashími, or Hashemic cubit, named after Hashim, the chief of the Arab tribe to which the prophet Mahomed belonged. It is the cubit mentioned in the ‘Arabian Nights’ (524th night). But the cubit or the foot of the Nights, when not specified, is usually either of the Olympic or of Al-Mamūn’s standard. The increase of the Persian cubit was probably to bring it, together with the Beládi cubit and the Arshīn (to be described presently), into simple relation with a Qasáb of length slightly increased so that this should, for building and land measurement, be a common multiple of the three cubits. This is the Turkish qasáb, the qasáb qabáni = 153·45 inches.
7 Beládi cubits at 21·888 inches = 153·216 inches. 6 Hashími „ „ 25·56 „ = 153·36 „ 5-1/2 Arshīns „ 27·9 „ = 153·45 „
By taking the 7 Beládi cubits at the equatorial standard of the Jewish cubit, 21·914 inches, they would give 153·34 inches, and taking 5-1/2 arshīns at the slightly diminished length of 27·88 inches, the qasáb would be an exact common multiple of them at 153·36 inches.