Ura-tyube, Russian Turkestan. 41N. 68E. Alleged to have been f. by Cyrus; captured by Russians, 1866.
Urfah, Asiatic Turkey. 37N. 39E. Captured by Seljuk Turks, 1040; by Crusaders, 1097; by Mussulmans, 1144. Ancient centre of Syrian learning; bp. of St. Ephraim Syrus, and said to have been res. of Abraham.
Urga, Mongolia. 48N. 106E. Sacred city of Mongols, and is the seat of the Kutuktu, deified Lama. Contains famous temple of Maidar. (See Sheepshanks' 'My Life in Mongolia and Siberia.')
[Urumiyah], Persian Armenia. 37N. 45E. Alleged bp. of Zoroaster.
[Utakamand], Madras. 11N. 77E. Town in which Sir R. Burton resided, described in 'Goa and the Blue Mountains.'
Utch ('high place'), Punjab. 29N. 71E. Contains fort built by daughter of Deo Singh. Captured by Mahmud of Ghazni, 1006. Res. of Persian historian, Minhaj-ud-din.
[Van], Asiatic Turkey. 38N. 43E. Alleged to have been f. by Semiramis; rebuilt by Van; by Valarsaces, 149 B.C.; taken by Arabs, c. 640; by Osmanlis, 1514; by Persians, 1636; by Kurds, 1845.
[Vellore], Madras. 13N. 79E. Said to have been f. by Bommi Reddi, c. 1274; besieged by Mahrattas, 1676; taken by Daud Khan, 1708; Safdar Ali murdered here by Murtaza Ali, 1742; occupied by British, 1760; by Hyder Ali, 1780.
Vijayanagar ('city of victory'), Madras. 15N. 76E. F. in 1336; contains celebrated ruins, and is famous as res. of Sayana, the Vedic commentator.
[Vladivostok], Asiatic Russia. 43N. 132E. Occupied by Russians, 1860; free port, 1873; capital of Littoral, 1888. (See Fraser's 'Real Siberia,' Little's 'Far East.')