Chapter XII: Part 12

It is built in a square form, on a high rock; an iron gate opens to the east; in the castle is a mosque of Sultán Súleimán’s time, and in the lower town is seven hundred houses and seven mosques, two baths, two kháns, twelve schools and seventy shops, but no stone bezestán, imáret or medresseh. The pears, grapes and peaches are much praised; as it is only two journeys from Erzerúm, the merchants send chests full of fruit to that place; the inhabitants are righteous, hospitable men; the river which flows through it goes into the Black Sea; in the town of Tortúm saltpetre is produced for Government. While I was collecting troops here, and visiting the town, news arrived to Ghází Sídí Ahmed, the Páshá of the place, that the Cossacks had assailed the castle of Gonia; he instantly put on his armour, mounted on horseback, summoned all the Zaims and Timariots who wished to volunteer in this expedition, assembled about a thousand men, and started with his troop under the triple shout of Allah. We marched a whole day and night, reinforcing our number on the road, and halted next morning in a valley. We continued our course to the north for the whole of the second day, passed on to the frontier of Trebisonde and entered that of Gonia: here we met the Mingrelian troops, which came to join the Páshá, and were honourably received, they consisted of three hundred well armed horsemen with lances, and about a thousand riflemen with flying hair, between forty and fifty years of age, with strange figures and ugly faces, whom the Páshá flattered with good words. This night we passed along the river Jorúgh, and arrived next morning at the castle of Gonia on the Black Sea, which we saw filled with Infidel Cossacks, who at the moment they saw us roared out, Jasus! Jasus! (Jesus); seventy Chaikas were moored behind the castle. The Páshá with a hundred and fifty Aghás, and all the troops which had joined him on the way, with loud cries of Allah, attacked the ships lying in the river, cut the cables, and let the boats float out into the Black Sea, cutting down or making prisoners, those who were left to guard the boats, and towing the Chaikas into a bay at a gunshot’s distance from the castle; the Infidels, seeing they could not escape in their boats, acted like swine that are laid hold of, and began to fire. The Moslim troops on their side prepared every thing for an assault; and made ladders of the masts and rigging of the captured ships. The Mingrelian and Georgian troops entered the trenches in broad daylight, the walls were fired upon, and the assault was made from all sides. The Páshá led the assault himself with such courage and spirit, that the Infidels had not time to recollect themselves, but fled to some ships, which were left on the Jorúgh. Some of these boats being overloaded went to the bottom, those who by swimming reached the opposite shore were received by the muskets of the Moslims and went to Hell: seventeen of the ships on the Jorúgh were burnt, and two hundred Infidels, who could not re-enter the castle, were taken prisoners; seventy Moslims fell martyrs in this triple assault. The Páshá now pressed the arrival of the troops from the district of Sanjak Batúm. Finally there arrived some thousand Lázes armed with lances, casques, muskets, and sounding their war fifes, called Zígúla, with white banners waving; they joined the Páshá, halting on the bank of the river. The Páshá left them not a moment’s rest, but encouraged them by addressing them in the Circassian language. Thus a crowd was collected who threw up earth and faggots in mounds before the castle, on which the storming ladders were fixed. The neighbouring mountains re-echoed the shouts of Allah! the Moslims heaped bundles on bundles of twigs, and began to climb the ladders like spiders and goats of Isper; the bundles heaped up before the gate were set on fire. Ghází Ahmed Páshá himself mounted on the tower at the eastern corner, and by his example encouraged the general assault. From early dawn till the afternoon, neither the Páshá nor his troops had tasted a bit of bread; in the afternoon the castle was conquered, and I, poor Evliya, had the advantage of first proclaiming on its walls the sound of Ottoman prayer. The castle being now filed with victors, seven hundred Infidels were taken prisoners, and eight hundred heads cut off, and planted on the walls; the seventy-seven boats were towed back to the castle, and moored ready with all provisions and munition. The rejoicings lasted three days and three nights, during which the castle was illuminated. God be praised that I witnessed such a conquest. At the moment when prayer was first proclaimed on the wall, there appeared, on the eastern side of the Jorúgh, some thousand standards and banners, who answered the report of the salutes fired with the shouts of Allah; these were the troops of the Páshá of Karss, who had arrived before Gonia after a flying march from Erzerúm, and now encamped on the bank of the Jorúgh.

Gonia now became the meeting-place of the whole army summoned by the governor of Erzerúm; forty or fifty boats of Láz Mengesile, who descended the river of Jorúgh, took to flight as soon as they were aware, that the castle was again in the hands of the Moslims, and that an Ottoman army was encamped along the shore of the river. They were pursued by Sídí Ghází Páshá, who captured forty-seven boats, made three hundred Mingrelians prisoners, and drowned about six hundred in the river. This expedition was thus crowned with three victories: 1. The conquest of the boats; 2. that of the castle; 3. the conquest of the Mingrelian boats, which had arrived to the assistance of the Cossacks with provisions. Sídí Ahmed Páshá distributed those provisions amongst the Moslim victors, so that plenty now prevailed in the Ottoman camp. The night was again passed with illuminations and feasting; the shouts of Allah, and the sounds of the Ottoman drum interrupting the silence of the night. The next day clouds of dust rising on the side of the Jorúgh announced the arrival of a new army, whose glittering armour dazzled the eyes; it was that of Koja Sefer Páshá, the Vezír of Chaldir, who summoned by the command of our Lord the Páshá of Erzerúm, arrived with the Georgian army in great speed to the assistance of the Castle of Gonia; Sídí Ahmed Páshá went with the other Páshás to meet them, and it was a grand sight to see these troops on fine horses, well armed with spears, swords, shields, and muskets, with flying hair and strange figures. When Sefer Páshá himself came with the train of his guards (Matarají, Tufenkjí, and Shátir), he received Sídí Páshá’s salute, and then rode on his right, Báki Páshá keeping on the left. When they approached the castle a general salute of guns and musketry gave them welcome. Provisions now arrived in abundance at the Imperial camp from Georgia, Mingrelia, Láz, and Batúm. Next day fresh troops appeared to the south of Gonia, it was the Páshá of Trebisonde, who came with three thousand good troops; in seventy boats (sandal) and a hundred ships of the Lázes, called Mengesila, he carried plenty of provisions, and ten guns. Sídí Ahmed Páshá being acquainted with his arrival neither went himself to meet him, nor sent any troops to perform that ceremony. He halted with his troops on one side of the castle. Having waited on Sídí Ahmed Páshá he received him without the least honour, but with the following speech.

“I am the Páshá of Tortúm, which is from four to five journeys distant from Gonia, and it was not my duty to hasten to its assistance; but I did it for the sake of the faith and the Empire. You, Páshá, who are the Governor of Trebisonde, and Begler-beg of two tails, and at only two journies from Gonia, why did you not arrive till within these seven days to its assistance. Quick, executioner!”

The Páshás of Pássín, Akhiska and Kaighí interfered, saying, that it was against constitutional law, that he being only a Páshá of one tail, should kill one of two. He replied, “By God! if it is righteous, according to religious duties, I’ll cut off his head, even if he be a Páshá of seven tails; in consideration, however, of your intercession, I won’t kill him, but relate the business to the Emperor; call quickly for the Diván Efendí (Secretary).” While the dispatch was being drawn up, orders were given to put seventy of the principal officers of the troops of Trebisonde into prison, and they were accordingly shut up in the castle, for not having urged the Páshá to hasten to the deliverance of Gonia. The Diván Efendí made out the account of the conquest of Gonia, and the accusation against the Páshá of Trebisonde; it was signed and sealed by the three Begler-Begs, by the Judges of Gonia and Trebisonde, and was ready to be sent off, when the inhabitants of Trebisonde threw themselves at the feet of Sídí Ahmed Páshá, supplicating not to be accused to the Porte. Sídí Páshá persisting in his resolution, showed all the obstinacy of a Circassian. The principal men of Trebisonde however, solicited the Páshás to intercede with the Commander-in-chief Sídí Ahmed; and it was ultimately arranged, after three days negotiation, that the Páshá and principal men of Trebisonde should give forty-three purses of money, three sable pelisses, twelve beautiful boys, twelve girls with eyes like Narcissuses, and of sweet language, a silken tent richly embroidered with gold, a sword set with jewels, a mare, seven quivers, vases of silver, the work of goldsmiths of Trebisonde, bridles, hatchets, candlesticks of silver, three strings of camels, three of mules, and a hundred and twenty horses. By these gifts they obtained the favour of not being named in the report to the Emperor; to whom only were mentioned the Begler Begs, Alaï and Sanjak Begs, who had hastened to the deliverance of Gonia, and this report was sent by Gurji Beg Zadeh to Constantinople. Another Kapijí Báshí was despatched with the same news to the governor of Erzerúm, but at the moment he was setting out, clouds of dust announced the arrival of fresh troops on the banks of the Jorúgh; these were the troops of Erzerúm sent to the succour of Gonia, under the command of Hassan Atlí Aghá. The Zaims, Timariots and Jebellis of Erzerúm with half the garrison, and the guards of the Páshá, forty banners of Segbán and Sáríja (irregular levies of the Páshá), led by their colonels (Bolúk Báshí). They were followed by a squadron of Delí, by another of Gonullí (Volunteers), six squadrons of Tatar horsemen, a squadron of six hundred Moteferrika, a squadron of two hundred Cháshnegírs (carvers), a squadron of two hundred Serraj (saddle-men), squadron of two hundred Kílarjí (men of the cellar), and lastly a squadron of two hundred Ichaga (indoor servants), led by the Key-keeper (Miftáh ghúlám agassí). They were also followed by forty chamberlains, each one surrounded by from forty to fifty men clad in armour, on horses of the finest breed, caparisoned with silver, and ornamented with sea-horses bristles; they rode two and two, and immediately after them came Hassan Atlí Aghá himself, with trumpets sounding, and took up his encampment on the border of the fortress. All these chamberlains were men, who had seen service in the quality of Kiayas (substitutes), Kaima Káms (Lieutenants), Motessellims (Vice-governors) and Administrators of provinces. Sídí Ahmed Páshá gave them a great repast, and next day assembled all the architects of the country to repair the castle of Gonia. The Turkish music played from seven sides, seventy tables were spread, and day and night was spent in festivities. The side of the castle that was damaged by the fire, and the mosque of Bayazíd II. was first put in repair. Seven hundred men forming a new garrison, with a new Beg, as Commander, were put into it with sufficient stores, and all the arms taken from the enemy. Thus the castle of Gonia shone forth in greater splendor than before. God be praised that I, poor Evliyá, was so fortunate as to proclaim the first prayer on its newly conquered walls!

The troops of the sanjaks of Trebisonde and Bátúm were left for the safety of the castle of Gonia, and the whole army of sixty thousand men, then began to march along the banks of the river Jorúgh towards Erzerúm. The army having halted on the bank of the river Jorúgh on a large meadow surrounded with trees, a council was held, and Sídí Ahmed Páshá, said:—“The Mingrelians, though belonging to the Province of Trebisonde have rebelled, and I have related to the Emperor, that we took their boats; which, together with those of the Russians, may now wait in the port of Gonia for the Emperor’s decision. I have also acquainted His Majesty that so many thousand Cossacks and Mingrelians have fallen to the share of the Ottoman victors, as prisoners, and I now intend to take vengeance on the Mingrelian infidels with this army, ready for expedition, that it may gain some booty as compensation for its journey.” The governor of Georgia, Sefer Páshá, who was very angry at the Mingrelians, proposed that all the horsemen should join the foot and undertake an inroad for booty, the Moslims of Akhiska and Georgia leading the way, who were then also to share the spoil. The Council broke up with this resolution, for the happy execution of which I said a Fátihah. The cryers gave notice, that all Moslims who wished for breeches and horses, for boys and girls, for money and booty, should be ready in arms. This notice produced an astonishing effect, the Moslim victors roared like lions, armed and washed themselves, and waited for the orders of the Commander.

_Account of our Inroad into Mingrelia._

Ketgáj Páshá led the van of three hundred men, towards the Kiblah, followed by three thousand men of Georgia and Akhaska, and by Sídí Ahmed Páshá, at the head of nine thousand men. Bákí Páshá commanded the rear of three hundred men; the troops of Erzerúm and Kara Hissár formed the two wings; the sanjak Begs of Khinissin, Tekmán and Melázjerd were deputed to provide the forage. We marched this day ten hours to Zárchairí, a pleasant position between Mingrelia, and the sanjak of Batúm. The next day we passed the Jorúgh, and Sefer Páshá began to pillage the district of Darína; the twenty-two companies of Sárija (irregular levies) of the Páshá, our gracious Lord, two thousand two hundred brave men, pursued the fugitives in the mountains, made seven hundred prisoners, and lost seven men as martyrs. The troops proceeded till they arrived under the walls of castle of Merava, which was taken by assault, with the loss of seventy Moslims, who drank the sherbet of martyrdom; seven hundred men, five hundred women, two hundred girls, and six hundred boys, were made prisoners. The pillage was pushed as far as the districts of Georgia, and we arrived at the end of nine hours, at the field of Boghdú; here a Soffa (or meadow seat) is shown, where Sultán Selím I. was seated when Governor of Trebisonde. Two spies sent by the Prince of Mingrelia, were taken prisoners, and they showed the way (the necessary precautions being taken) to the district of Tamaras Khán, whose son with a thousand horsemen and two thousand infantry, met the Commander-in-chief, and led the Ottoman party of pillage further against the Mingrelians, with whom he was angry.

The pillaged districts were those of Pernák, Selsel, Perkán, Penák, Gúmle, and Samárgha; we halted before the castle of Akhár, a small round castle on a hill, built by Hormúz the son of Núshirván; the inhabitants are not very brave, but great thieves; two hundred and fifty castles and villages were pillaged, and nine thousand prisoners taken. Ketgáj Páshá, the leader of the van, alone took two thousand beautiful girls, whom the commander-in-chief bought for a thousand piastres, and sent them to Sultán Ibrahím with twenty other fine maidens; they were so beautiful that the text of the Korán, “We have created man in the finest shape,” seems to have been revealed only for their praise. The booty was so rich, that a slave was sold for ten piastres, an ox for half a piastre, and a sheep for five aspers. The Beg of Báshajik sent to the Commander-in-chief a present of five boys and five girls, and also gave me a boy and girl. We arrived after eleven hours predatory march at a plain, in the middle of which was a building raised by the Beg of Mingrelia, it was ruined by Uzún Hassan, and is now contiguous to Batúm on the frontier of Mingrelia. We passed the Castles, Nejákh, Merkhor, Akchekala’a, Chepek, Penkerd, Asherd, Kúchúk Akchekala’a, the Begs of which all came with presents, paying obeisance to Sídí Ahmed Páshá. These castles being situated on high mountains, and in woody tracts, were passed by indulgently, but the villages situated in the plain were all ravaged; the district of Yúvána, overrun for the space of seven days, furnished such beautiful boys and girls, that each of them was worth a treasure of Egypt. We halted underneath the castle of Tekrek, the inhabitants of which came with presents, to ward off the danger of the pillage, they were threatened with; six districts more, the names of which I am ignorant of, shared the common fate of havock. The Ottoman victors were now so loaded with spoils and booty, that it became impossible to carry it all away. Many of them returned bringing their booty to the Castle of Gonia, and from thence to Trebisonde.

_Of the Language of the Mingrelians._

Georgia is inhabited by seventeen Christian tribes, the principal of which are, the Achikbásh, Dadián, Shúshád, and Gúriel. The Mingrelians are the last and most despised specimen of their language: one, _artí_; two, _sherí_; three, _shumí_; four, _ámekh_; five, _khotí_; six, _pishkúí_; seven, _ishkúí_; eight, _rúo_; nine, _júghúr_; ten, _wetí_. Bread, _gúpál_; fire, _dájkhir_; shield, _púr_; sheep, _ashkhorí_; girdle, _derkát_; head, _dúdí_; wood, _deshke_; dog, _joghúr_; ox, _khijú_; calf, _kissin_; salt, _ajém_; swine, _gháj_; ass, _kirút_; bear, _nút_; cheese, _kúl_; curds, _merjván_; come, _wai_; man, _chaí_; sit down, _dakhúr_; girl, _tíne_; go, _halawlí_; come mother, _waí diás_, &c.

Mingrelia is inhabited by a great number of different tribes, who speak different dialects; there are seventy different products; its sheep, goats, swine and fine breed of horses (Kohailán) are renowned; there are neither mules nor asses in the whole of Georgia and Mingrelia, but a great number of foxes, wild cats, and martens; corn and wheat are scarce as hardly any thing but millet and Lazúd (?) is sown; on the high mountains are many nut and fir-trees, box-trees and cedars. The inhabitants, like those of Mingrelia, Abaza, and Circassia, are settled in the mountains; they have castles with gardens and churches. In short, during seventy-seven days, we made the tour of Mingrelia and Georgia, after which time the Ottoman troops took the direction of Erzerúm; on the third day we came to the district of Darátlí, which is contiguous to the sanjak of Tortúm. Perfect security being restored, the troops were licensed to break up by the Vezír of Akhiska, Sídí Ahmed Páshá, and we then went with the Georgian Begs towards Chaldir. After fourteen hours we reached the valley of Yúvána, where the inhabitants of Isper and Tortúm met us with presents. At the public entrance into Tortúm, the Cossack and Mingrelian prisoners were dragged along in chains; the inhabitants of Tortúm all assembled to form the Istikbál (solemn meeting. See Morier’s travels). Sídí Páshá himself wore the plumes of honour (Jíghatelí) which the Governor of Erzerúm had sent to him, put on his well caparisoned state horse, trappings of six pieces of steel of Nakshiván, wrapped round his head a red sash in the Mohammedan fashion, clad himself in blue steel with armour on his thighs, and, looking of stupendous size, like a seven-headed dragon he passed through the crowd who received his salute crying, “Aleik awnallah eí ghází seifollah!” “God’s assistance be upon thee, O victor, sword of God!” The guns of the castle of Tortúm saluted and the mountains re-echoed the thundering noise. Sídí Páshá repaired to his palace, and Ketgáj Páshá, Bákí Páshá and eight Sanjak Begs encamped before the town for three days, and on the fourth the whole of the troops moved towards Erzerúm, the territory of which we reached on Kássim (St. Demetrius’ day) and passed the straight of Ghází-boghází. The governor expecting the troops, was in his tent at Gumishlí Kunbed (silver vault) where Sídí Ahmed, Ketgáj, and Bákí Páshá were received with the greatest distinction, treated with a splendid repast and invested with pelisses of honour. Here the Páshá and Sanjak Begs laid with great pomp their presents before the governor. The season being now too far advanced to think of the expedition against Eriván, we remained in this place spending our days in pleasure. The Governor, my gracious Lord, being a little angry with me on account of my having accompanied the expedition without leave, Sídi Ahmed Páshá interceded in my favour, saying, “If it is a fault that I took Evliyá with me to the siege of Gonia, it is he that proclaimed first the Mohammedan prayer on its walls; he is a traveller of the world, a good companion of mankind, a Háfiz (who knows the Korán by heart) and a warrior in the ways of God.” Having asked pardon for me in this gentle manner, the Páshá said, “His duty was to collect troops and not to assist at the siege of Gonia, I will not pardon this fault unless he finishes in eight hours the recital of the Korán (Khatem sheríf).” I began with the Bismillah and finished in somewhat more than nine hours, after which I kissed the earth before my gracious Lord, and received from him a sable pelisse, a thorough bred horse, two fine boys, and a sinecure; so that I now spent all my time both day and night in pleasure.

_Moral Reflections._

The end of all joy is disappointment, and the end of every day is bitter. There is no doubt about this. So at the end of this 1075th year we received the news by a swift messenger despatched from Constantinople, that Sultán Ibrahím had killed without reason the Grand Vezír Sáleh Páshá, and had appointed in his place Tezkereji Ahmed Páshá. Though this news greatly afflicted the Páshá yet he kept it secret not to spoil the pleasure of the company, and transacted the rest of his business at Erzerúm. Sáleh Páshá, who had been one of the favorite slaves of the father of our Governor, had for this reason given him the government of Erzerúm; but the present Grand Vezír, ever since he had been the Tezkerejí of Kara Mustafa Páshá, had become his mortal enemy. He kept however this secret to himself and continued to feast in his tent with his guests, Sídí, Ketgáj, Bákí and Dilaver Páshá.

(_Here follows the separate history of these four Páshás and of the Governor, which we omit. In the chapter of Sídí Páshá it is mentioned that playing at jeríd one day with Evliyá he broke four of his teeth._)

_Account of our return from Erzerúm to Constantinople in the month of Zílka’deh 1057 (1647)._

We left the town by the gate of Erzenján and halted first in the plain called the circles of Bazár-bashí, where farewell presents were lavished on us by all the Aghás and principal men of Erzerúm, who both by day and night formed their court around the tent of the Páshá. The Kiaya of Sáleh Páshá, the governor of Baghdád, accompanied by an hundred and fifty Aghás, an hundred and seventy Kapijí-bashí, seven hundred men, Sárija, and three hundred Segbán, arrived here with the news of Sáleh Páshá having been killed. The next day a messenger came from Constantinople with a Khattí-sheríf conferring on governor Mohammed Páshá, our gracious Lord, the Governorship of Karss with the obligation to take the field against the Persians by defending the frontier. The Governor, our gracious Lord, said, “Be it now as it may”, and without paying attention to the Khattí-sheríf continued his way to Constantinople. The first station, three hours to the west of Erzerúm, was the village of Kán, an Armenian village in the midst of the plain. Five hours further westward, the village Ilija, possessing a hot spring, covered with high cupolas by the munificence of the Princes of the dynasty of Akche-koyúnlí. The basin is not paved with stones, but only strewed with white sand. The water is of a moderate heat and smells like that of other hot springs, but is more conducive to health than the warm spring of Zia-ud-dín. From hence we advanced five hours to the westward to the village of Khinnis, an Armenian village of two hundred houses, and in five hours more came to the village of Mamakhatún, a mussulman village of two hundred houses. This Lady was a pious Lady of the Akche-Koyúnlí family, and lies buried here with her children beneath a high cupola; there is a mosque, an imáret, and a college. Advancing for five hours over valleys and hills we reached the village of Ketúr on the territory of Erzerúm, where the Euphrates is crossed by a bridge of fir-tree. The Páshá halted here for three days, and sent me on a mission to Mirakhor Aghá, the inspector of the salt of Kumákh.

_Our journey to the Castle of Kumákh._

The Castle of Kumákh was built by the Greek Emperors and then came into the hands of the Akche-koyúnlí. When in the possession of Uzún Hassan, the king of Azerbeiján, it was besieged by Timúr for seven months, during which the besieged disdained to fire a single shot or throw a single stone on the besiegers. After the defeat of Uzún Hassan it was also besieged by Mohammed III., during three months without success. Selím I. when governor of Trebisonde, availed himself of a good opportunity and conquered it. He then crossed from Trebisonde with three hundred ships to Caffa and Crimea on the opposite shore with the intention of wresting the sovereign power from the hands of his father, Báyazíd II. assisted by the Tatars of the Crimea. The Father and Son met near Hájí Oghlí-bazárí in the valley of Oghrásh, and Selím being defeated left his son Súleimán, Governor of Trebisonde, and went himself into Persia, where he visited the tombs of great Saints like Imán Mússa and played at chess with the Sháh, who at this time had taken possession of Kumákh. Selím then defeated his father at Chorlí, who exiled to Demitoca died at Hássa. Selím I received at Yení-bághje the obeisance of the inhabitants of Constantinople, and instantly fixed the tails at Scutari as the signal of a Persian expedition. The castle of Kumákh was conquered by Bíklí Mohammed Páshá. It is one of the strongest fortresses of the Ottoman Empire, like those of Diárbekr, Márdín, Ván, Sín Kara-hissár, Afiún Kara-hissár, Megú, Eremnák, Merkáb, Hassan, Karak in Asia, and in Rúm Mengesha, Napoli, Misistra, Rodos, &c. It is loftier than all these and is invisible till noon, from clouds which pour frequent showers upon it. At the time of the description of the country by Sultán Súleimán it was set down as the seat of a Voivode, subordinate to Erzerúm. Three districts belong to it; that of the town, of Gerjánis, and of Kúrúchaí, from which the Judge gathers an annual revenue of three thousand piastres. The Castle has a Dizdár and a garrison of five hundred men, an officer of the Janissaries (Serdár), of the Sipahís (Kiayayerí), and a Nakíb; another officer rules the village of Gomúr on the other side of the Euphrates, which consists of seven hundred houses: this officer is the Inspector of the salt, which is sweeter than the salt of Hají-begtásh.

The inhabitants of Turkistán and Turcomania get all their salt from Kumákh. A linen which is no where else to be found in such perfection, is made here for tents. There is a proverb in praise of the linen of Kúmákh, the sheep of Erzenján and the girls of Baiburd. The river Komúr, which passes through the gardens of the village that bears its name, comes from the mountains of Jerjánish and joins the Euphrates near the convent of Melek Ghází Effendí. Near, and opposite to it, is Mobarek, an armenian village, the khass of the garrison of Erzerúm. The water, which distils in the caverns of the mountain freezes in the summer time and in the winter is as warm as a hot spring. The inhabitants keep in these caverns their cheese called Katik-peinirí. In coming hither from Erzerúm you cross the Euphrates over a large single arched bridge, ascend a height of five hundred paces and pass along the rocky tract called Kebán. There towering rocks are on the right, as you ascend the castle and on the left are deep precipices. The small river Ain Manzar here flows into the Euphrates. This river issues from Mount Manzar, unites with the Sáterdereh, a torrent which supplies water to the gardens of the town and joins the Euphrates below the rocks of Kepán. The water is clear and fresh. Near it is a rock called Alí’s rock, where people believe they are cured of pains in the limbs, because Alí is said to have rested here his weary limbs; it is a stone like a magnet, and the inhabitants call it Kullikia; above is the suburb of the Infidels. The houses, with and without gardens, are all covered with earth. The subjects are all Armenians; there are three hundred shops, but no bezestán of stone, two kháns, two baths, and a great mosque: the bath near it is called Chorbájí-hamám. The suburb has no fortification (Robát) round it, but above it is a great castle.

_Description of the Castle of Kumákh._

This castle is a pentagon of stone situate on a chalk cliff; it may be compared to the castle of Sín-hissár on the frontiers of Erzerúm. On the opposite side of the Euphrates is a height by which it is commanded, but the distance is too great to make it of consequence. It has three strong gates one behind the other; on the right and left of the first gate are two brass guns, well worthy to be seen, of such dimensions that a cobbler might very well work in them without complaining of the narrowness of the place. They are of the time of Sultán Súleimán; their length twenty-seven spans and their balls of three quintals weight. The greatest wonder is how they succeeded in bringing such large guns to so high a place. At the innermost or third gate is suspended the mace of a Pehliván, and a bow of Alí. The number of the houses great and small is six hundred, but they want gardens and water. Five magazines have been filled with rice and millet ever since the time of Sultán Selím I., which seem as though they had been laid up but to-day. There are eleven mosques; the Beg’s is a large mosque with a minareh of stone; though this castle is built on a rock, yet the houses are paved with flat stones. On the tower called the Martyrs towards the north are thirty-two large and small guns; from the gate of the Martyrs, a water-way cut in the rock leads down to the foot of it, by which they fetch the water at the time of a siege. There are three cisterns here near one another, the first is full of good water, the second smells of saltpetre and the third is very salt. Though this town is a town of Turkistán, situated on the territory of Erzerúm, yet its inhabitants are goodnatured, sound people. The linen for tents, the white salt and the cheese called Katik-peinirí, which is better and sweeter than that of Mytilene and of Koreisha at Damascus, are famous all over Asia. The quails, which in summer come in great numbers, the inhabitants preserve in vinegar for the winter.

Near the magazines are the pilgrimage of Kend Effendí and at the head of the bridge, that of Melek Ghazí. As this town is not situated on the great road, caraváns do not pass here. The Euphrates on the east comes from the mountains of Rúmlí Sultán and flows round the rock towards the west to the Izúlí Kurds. From the Alps of a thousand lakes (Bíngol) comes the Murad river, which joins the Euphrates. Whoever travels from Malatia, Kharpút, Ekín, Pálava, or Diárbekr can only cross it in a boat. I viewed this town for three whole days, collected what was due by the Voivode to the Páshá, and received from him an hundred piastres as a present of arrival (Kúdúmie). I returned in five days to Kumákh and set out next day northward along the Euphrates to Shúrím, which has two hundred houses; ten hours further, to the station of Jebjeh-khání; then leaving the Euphrates to the right, to the village of Jemen, an Armenian village on the plain of Erzenján; from whence we arrived at Erzenján.

_Description of the Castle of Erzenján._

This castle belongs to Erzerúm and not to Azerbeiján. There are four towns, which bear the name of Erzen, viz: Erzen in Mesopotamia (Jezíre), Erzen Akhlát, Erzenrúm commonly called Erzerúm, and Erzenján. It is a delightful spot, the possession of which occasioned many wars, till in the year 855 Sultán Bayazíd I. received it from its prince, Záhir-ud-dín, who, the very same day he heard of the conquest of Amasia, repaired to this town and delivered to Sultán Bayazíd the keys. Bayazíd out of generosity returned the keys to Záhir-ud-dín on condition that Khutbeh be performed, and the coinage struck in his name. Záhir-ud-dín died three years afterwards and the town was taken possession of by Kara Yússúf, the Prince of the dynasty of Kara-koyúnlí, who held it for seven years, until Timúr overrun Asia. Kara Yússúf fled from his residence and sought shelter at the throne of Sultán Bayazíd, together with Ahmed Jelair, the Commander of Baghdád. Timúr required Bayazíd to deliver them up to him, but Bayazíd refused, and this refusal was the chief cause of the war between them. Kara Yússúf and Jelair afterwards fled into Egypt to Sultán Berkúk. Erzenján fell into the hands of Uzún Hassan, who being already Prince of Azerbeiján became also Prince of Erzenján. His mint is still extant near the convent of the Mevlevís. After the defeat and death of Bayazíd, the Empire was disputed by the Princes Issa, Mússa, Súleimán and Mohammed, the latter obtained it and became absolute Lord, but was unable to conquer Erzenján, which remained in the hands of Uzún Hassan until the time of Mohammed II., who took possession of it after the defeat of Uzún Hassan on the plain of Terján. He repaired the castle of Sultán Záhir-ud-dín and garrisoned it with Ottoman troops. In the reign of Bayazíd II., when Sultán Selím was governor of Trebisonde, Sháh Ismail took possession of Azerbeijan, which returned to its first Lord after the battle of Chaldirán in the year 921 (1515); Erzenján was then made a part of the revenues of the Páshá of Erzerúm. Its magistrates are a Súbashi and a judge with one hundred and fifty aspers, who may collect annually six purses. The other officers are the Muftí, Nakíb, Serdár, Kiayayerí, a Mohtessib (judge of the market) and a Shehr-naibí (inspector of the town.)

The castle is situated in a delightful plain in the midst of woods, its gates and walls are very low and its fortifications very old. At the time of the rebellion of Abaza at Erzerúm, the ditch was cleared and the walls repaired, but Abaza Páshá became nevertheless master of it. It has an iron gate, and the communication from the fortress to the suburb is by a bridge; in the castle are three hundred houses with and without gardens, a mosque, a khán and a bath.

The great suburb consists of eighteen hundred houses with and without gardens, all covered with neat terraces and but few of them having upper stories; seventy-six mosques great and small without cupolas, and seven convents, the most renowned of which is that of the Mevlevís; Chelebí Effendí, the son of the great Mevlana Jelál-ud-dín, is buried here. This convent built in the olden style is situated in the midst of a delightful Persian garden, the nightingales of which with their delicious songs feed the brains of the poor Dervishes, and intoxicate them with divine love, while they themselves are singing mystic hymns in the tunes of love. Round the music-room (Ima’á-kháneh) are the cells of the Dervishes, and the convent is endowed with a good kitchen and cellar (Kílár). They preserve here Jelál-ud-dín’s habit, a Korán, and a Mesneví written by his own hand. The second convent is that of Chádirjí Sheikh Abd-ul-kádir Gíláni. There are various excellent baths, eleven great kháns, forty abecedarian schools, no houses for reading the Korán (Dár-ul-kirayet), tradition (Dár-ul-hadíth) nor for dining the poor (Dár-ul-ita’ám), but there are a great number of students (Talebe); and lectures are read in all the mosques. Amongst the inhabitants are found many clever, goodnatured, learned, pious, well-bred men, who wear short dresses, but no silk with the exception of the soldiers, who dress in cloth of various colours and also in silk. The youth of both sexes are pretty, and the ladies are chaste as Adúyeh Rábia, and wear when walking boots and a pointed cap (Arakjín); they are prohibited from walking in the market-place, which contains six hundred houses. Precious articles are kept in a small bezestán. From hence to Erzerúm situated beyond the mountains is two journies. The climate of Erzerúm is rough and very cold, while that of Erzenján on the contrary is mild, and favourable to roses and flowers. Snow falls sometimes, but remains no longer than three days. Its gardens are productive of the finest flowers and the sweetest fruits.

_Praise of the Eatables and Beverages._

Seventy sorts of pears are produced here; and though the season of winter was far advanced at the time of our stay here, yet we now saw seventeen various sorts of pears offered as presents to the Páshá, with raisins and apricots; its mulberries both white and black are much renowned and when dried are exported to all countries. The sherbet of mulberries seasoned with different spices gives new life to the soul. Erzerúm is provided with fruits from this town, from whence they are transported in two days.

_Pilgrimages._

The convent of Khizr, a convent of Mevlevís; the convent of Sheikk Khaled Efendí; and the tomb of Himmet Páshá, one of the vezirs of Sultán Selím, who was killed on his way to Chaldirán.

I remained here for three days to collect the sums due from the Inspectors of salt and the Súbáshí of Kúrúchaí. Whilst the inhabitants were giving feasts to the Páshá news arrived of the rebellion of Várvár Páshá, with a letter to the following intent: “My son! Hezárpara Ahmed Páshá the Vezír of Ibrahím has killed eleven Vezirs and deprived me of the Governorship of Sívás, because I did not send to the Sultán the wife of Ipshír Páshá, the daughter of the Prince of Georgia, the Lady Perikhán. Three Kapijí-bashí came with orders to take my head, but I happily escaped from them. I have now received letters from all the great and principal men at Constantinople, and from the officers of the seven military corps, summoning me to come with my troops to Scutarí, and to demand there the heads of the Vezir, of Jenjí Khoja, Begtásh Aghá, Chelebí Kiaya, Mossleh-ud-dín Aghá and Kara Chaúsh. I am now united with three Vezirs, seven Begler-begs and eleven Sanjak-begs ready to march against Constantinople. If thou wishest to save thy head from Ahmed Páshá (the grand Vezir), I invite thee to join us at Tokát, from whence we shall march our united forces to Constantinople to try our fortune.” This letter having been received at Erzenján a council was held, and the levies (levend) having determined to follow the auspices of the Páshá, the resolution was taken to join the party of the rebels, and a Fátihah was said to that intention. Alaja Atlí Hassan Aghá was sent on with a foraging party to be quarter-master general, and letters were sent to Várvár Páshá with the declaration upon oath to join him. I, poor Evliyá, was quite perplexed and out of my wits, I had so many things and goods, which I knew not how to dispose of. We were in the midst of winter, and the tradition of the prophet, “a journey is a portion of hell, be it but a farsang’s length,” received its full application. I did not know where to leave my things in safety; and only with my horse and sword accompany the Páshá, my gracious Lord, as a rebel.

We first moved from Erzenján to the north and halted after seven hours at Báshkhán; five hours further, to the village Erzensí, an Armenian village, six hours further to the village of Sheikh Sinán, near which at Bárúgúnde is the tomb of Behlúl of Samarkand, a convent of bareheaded and barefooted Begtáshís; and three hours further we crossed the bridge of the Shepherds near Hassan Kala’assí. Shah Kúrúdúmán of the Chobán family is buried in the same place with Behlúl of Samarkand. It is said, that the tomb being opened, King Chobán Kúrúdúmán with all his family was burnt by a fire that issued out by talismanic virtue. He was a Prince of great enterprise, built the bridge of Tiflís and near Melázjerd the bridge with golden rings over the Araxes. Adjoining the bridge is a magnificent caravánseraï, the windows of which look on the river, so that travellers lodging there have the pleasure of fishing out of their windows. I have sometimes passed this bridge on my way to and from Eriván. This time I visited the builder’s tomb and said the Súra yass, for his soul. We left Bárúgúnde and came after a march of eight hours to the north to Ezendeler, a cultivated village in the district of Terján, and after four hours more to the north to the station of Tapán Ahmed Aghá, where a feast for ten days was ordained. Here I took leave of the Páshá and proceeded with the men of Ahmed Aghá to Shín Kara Hissár. I first travelled towards the east through woods and deserts along the valley of Kara hissár, and villages belonging to it, and reached the town itself after a nine hours march.

_Description of the strong Castle of Shín or Shábín Kara-hissár._

There are in the Ottoman Empire various castles, which bear the name of Kara-hissár, the most renowned of which is that before us. The others are Kara-hissár called Afiún (Apamea), Develí Kora-hissár, Adalia Kara-hissárí, and Ván Kara-hissárí. The two first are superior to the others. Shábín Kara-hissár is so called because a mine of alum (Sháb) was found in its mountains; the stones of the castle being black, it is also called Shabín from Shab (night, dark coloured). It was built by the Armenian kings, fell into the power of the Greek Princes of Trebisonde, and then into that of Záhir-ud-dín, the Prince of Erzenján, who conquered it on a dark night, which is another reason given for its being called Shabín. It passed into the power of Uzún Hassan, the Prince of Azerbeiján and was taken from him by Mohammed II. In the time of Sultán Selím I. it was described as a sanjak belonging to the government of Erzerúm. Its khass is thirteen thousand aspers; and there are thirty-six ziámets and nine hundred and forty timárs, which furnish, together with the men belonging to the Beg, two thousand men. The revenue of the Páshá amounts annually to forty purses. It has sometimes been given as a supplementary allowance (Arpalik) to Páshás of three tails. It was so given to Ghází Sefer Páshá, the vezir of Akhiska, in addition to Akhiska. His administrator (Motessellem) was Dervish Aghá, a Georgian and powerful commander. He once sent me on service to the valleys of Mendvál and Túsdereh by which I gained a horse, a sword, two red mules, and a Georgian boy; presented to me by himself. The judge is appointed with an hundred and fifty aspers and may annually make four thousand piastres from the different districts. There is a Muftí, a Nakíb, a Serdár, Kiaya-yerí, Subashí, Mohtessib, a Dizdár and an hundred and fifty men invested with timárs.

The castle of Shabín Kara-hissár is of a heptagon form and stands on a high mountain, appearing like a man of war dismantled and dismasted. It is the work of an architect who was a second Ferhád. It is one of the twelve fortresses in the Ottoman Empire, which, not being commanded by the neighbouring heights, seem to have been built by the hand of Omnipotence. The height of the walls on all the seven sides is seventy cubits, with seventy bulwarks and seven hundred battlements. The whole circumference is three thousand six hundred paces; there is no ditch, it being surrounded by precipices. It has three strong gates where the garrison keep watch day and night, because the inhabitants of the villages along the shores of the Black sea send all their best goods into the castle to protect them from the inroads of the Cossacks; there are seventy houses with terraces, but they suffer from want of water, which is obliged to be brought upon asses from the river below; in case of siege they use the water kept in cisterns. The magazines are full of millet and rice, and have been for more than a century. As it is not a frontier fortress the artillery is neither heavy nor numerous. A small mosque bearing the name of Sultán Mohammed II., a khán, bath and market are in the lower town or suburb. This suburb, with gardens around it, consists of sixteen hundred terraced houses, the windows of which look towards the north; the courtyards are spacious. There are forty-two mosques, none of which are covered with lead, like those of the Sultáns at Constantinople; the one within the market place near the court of justice is much frequented: three convents, two baths, four kháns, seven schools for boys and an hundred and fifty shops; as this place does not lie on the great road, but on one side of it, its establishments are not very elegant. Tapán Ahmed Aghá began a new bezestán with eighty shops on both sides of the main street; it is sheltered by a roof against rain and foul weather, and protected by two gates on each side against thieves and bad men. Watchmen keep guard every night because many precious things are deposited there.

_Description of a Lion._

Upon the gate leading to the outer town a lion, stuffed with cotton, is to be seen, it has oranges in the place of eyes, yawning like a seven-headed dragon, with a piece of red felt instead of a tongue, and teeth as sharp as Turcoman daggers or Arab lances. It measures from its nose to its tail forty-five spans. This mountain lion continued his havoc on the cattle of the neighbouring country for seven years, when it was killed by a brave man, and placed by the order of Ahmed Tapán upon the gate of his new built bezestán. It is a terrific beast, with feet resembling columns; it is not so beautiful as the lions of Baghdád, Helle, Jevazer and Kavarna, with their yellow coloured hair of a span’s length, like Angora-goats. Lions being generally the inhabitants of deserts, this one of the mountains deserves so much the more to be noticed. The mountains of this part, being all covered with thick forests, abound with leopards, lynxes, wild sheep, martens, wolves, foxes and jackals, and men are scarcely able to fetch wood from the mountains because they are so full of ferocious animals. A party of Cossacks, who had once pushed their inroads as far as these mountains, became the prey of wild beasts; intending to devour men’s goods they were themselves devoured, and ever since the town has enjoyed perfect security from the roving Cossacks, who availed themselves of the vicinity of the Black Sea.

In this town I saw another marvellous thing, it was a boy standing before a barber’s shop with his father who begged alms; the boy was about eight or nine years of age with a stupendous head, like the heads of the people of A’ad and Themúd, like the head of Salsál (?) at Akgermán or like pumpkins of Adana and cabbages of Ván, on a neck no thicker than an arm, which not being capable of bearing such an enormous weight the head was supported by a wooden fork, which was fixed in the ground, and on it the weight of the head rested. This monstrous head, held up in this way before a barber’s shop, laughed in the faces of all who passed by. It had no turban but a kind of coarse saddle-cloth wrapped round it, the brows were of two fingers breadth extending to the ears, which were of human form, but of immense size, as were also the eyes, the lashes of which resembled arrows; the nose was somewhat of the shape of a Melonyena (Bádinján) of Morea, and when breathing, the nostrils were like those of a snorting horse; the mouth opened to such an astonishing width, that he was able to swallow at once a small water melon; of his teeth two were curved outside of the mouth towards the upper, and two downwards to the under lip; the lips were ruby-coloured but like the lips of a camel; the spittle was continually running out of his mouth. The physiognomy was that of a Kalmúk, and the hair crisped like that of black Arabs. The arms and breasts were those of a boy’s of his years, the fingers very thin and the feet like sticks. This was a case to apply the verse of the Koran to: “God does what he wills and orders what he likes.” I asked the father whether the mother of this monstrous child was still alive, he said “Yes, and that she was actually again with child.” I said, “Bandage her body tightly, that she may miscarry, for if the head of the child should grow to the size of its brother’s, its entrance into the world might cause an inconvenient enlargement.” The father said, “You are joking, but I assure you most earnestly, that when the mother of this boy laid in with him, the birth was so easy that she was aware of nothing at all and thanked God for such an easy deliverance.” I, poor Evliyá, said, “But never has there been created a creature with such a head, such a face and such teeth; do you believe it to be the real produce of your loins?” The man answered, “Having once gone to the mountain with my wife to cut wood, we there enjoyed a shepherd’s hour in most pleasant conversation. I then left her reposing under a tree, and went on my business, when I suddenly heard her cries, and saw her running towards me pursued by a naked giant, tall as the fir-trees. When she got home she fell sick, and her figure increased in size daily, until at the end of a year’s time she was delivered of this boy, whose head grows bigger and bigger every day.” I said, “If it please God, that it should still grow to a larger size, you must come to Constantinople, where if shown to the Vezirs and great men of the Empire he may easily gain two thousand piastres in a year.”

_Praise of the Alum, called Solomon’s Alum._

This is a reddish alum produced in the mountains of this town, which is therefore called Shábín Kara-hissár; it is much sought after by the goldsmiths of all countries. The Inspectorship is let at seven hundred thousand aspers a year. It breaks up into pentagon and sexagon stones shaped like the seal of Solomon; the goldsmiths use it to brighten the silver, and the surgeons for plasters. It has many excellent qualities. The temperature of this town being mild the inhabitants are fair. Its quinces and a kind of small bread are famous. We remained here three days as guests in the palace of Tapán Ahmed Aghá, purchased coffee, horse-shoes and some other necessary things and then returned.