Chapter XIV: Part 14

The borough of Kúrdlar-seraí (wolves’ palace) is situated in the Sanjak of Kánghrí in the jurisdiction of Kala’ajik on the bank of the red river and consists of four hundred houses covered with terraces, a mosque, a khán and a bath. Here the Páshá appointed two Aghás to watch the endeavours made to retrieve from the river some of the lost baggage. Moving on to the north we arrived at the village of Boyalí, situated in the territory of Kanghrí; five hours further, the village Akche-Koyúnlí of an hundred Turcoman houses; and three hours further, the village of Kojí-bábá, situated in the jurisdiction of Kala’ajik, of two hundred Turcoman houses, which do not appear above ground but are all below it, with stables, kitchens and sitting-rooms. The reason for the construction of these subterraneous houses is the violence of the winter; they are all built of a soft stone, which has the appearance of having been whitened with chalk. Chests, boxes, and rafters are all cut in this stone, which is as soft as cheese; the houses are so large, that a thousand men might be lost in them, and yet is there nothing seen of them above ground. Here is the pilgrimage of Kojí-bábá, one of the disciples of Hájí-begtásh. There is no other building but the convent; the tomb is adorned with lamps and candelabras. His banner, drum, habit and carpet are all preserved as though he were himself present. The Turcomans have great faith in this saint. At Keskin (the name of this place) is also the tomb of Sheikh Ibrahím Tenúrí Ben Sarráf Hossein, one of the disciples of Ak-shems-ud-dín; he was born at Sivás. Five hours further to the north is the village of Sheikh Shámí of the order of Bairámís, whose name was Hamza; the sect of the Hamzeví take their name from him. Many miracles are recorded of him, one of them is the spring which he called forth by his staff and which is, therefore, actually called the Spring of the Staff. He is buried beneath a high cupola near the mosque which he himself built, but which is not covered with lead. Its mihráb is of very great dimensions, and the stones are adorned with inscriptions in Kúfí, Jellí, Mostea’assemí, Ríhání, and Thúlúth characters. The verses: “Every time Zacharias went before the Mihráb,” and “He was standing praying before the Mihráb,” and the verses Kursí and Emen-er-ressúl are written upon it. On both sides it is carved and sculptured in a most astonishing way with flowers and arabesque ornaments, so that the stone seems rather to be engraved or painted than sculptured. Some say it is the work of Sheikh Shám himself, and it is indeed probable because it is such a wonderful work, like the paintings of Mání and Behzád Aghá Riza Wání. Before his tomb rises the Spring of the Staff which is much visited. From hence we went five hours to the north to the village of Hossein Aghá in the district of Kala’ajik and five hours further to the village of Kala’ajik itself, which was built by the Prince of Brússa Sirúna for his daughter. Topál the commander of Kastemúní conquered it; and he resisted the Ottoman power, till at last Ilderím Bayazíd took by surprise this castle, which is not to be conquered in any other way. It is now the seat of a Subáshí of the Sanjak of Kánghrí, and a judge is appointed to it with an hundred and fifty aspers, and collects from the districts annually four purses; there is also a Dizdár and a garrison of twenty men.

_Form of the Castle._

It is situated on a high reddish cliff, towering into the clouds, as though built by Ferhád. The walls are sixty royal cubits high, as it is an isolated rock there are no ditches. An iron-gate opens to the kiblah side and within the castle are about twenty houses, a mosque, a magazine of corn, a cistern, and six small guns. The inhabitants of the neighbouring tracts deposit in this castle their effects and precious things from fear of rebels and robbers, and the commander is the keeper of these deposited goods. It is not commanded by any neighbouring height and is surrounded with gardens. One the kiblah-side is a well-built suburb, but without fortifications (robát), consisting of two thousand houses partly covered with bricks and partly with earth; the largest is the palace of Shehsuvár Páshá, they all face towards the kiblah-side; the streets instead of being paved with stone, are all strewn with sand. There are seventeen mosques, that in the market place having one mináreh, thirteen schools for boys, a small bath, three khans and six coffee-houses; the air is good, but not the water. We lodged here in the palace of Shehsuvár Páshá, and I thanked God that I could change clothes, and lie quietly down after the many fatigues undergone.

_The Pilgrimages of Karánjí-bábá Sultán._

There is but one steep path from the castle, at the bottom of which near the market is the tomb of this saint in a narrow place. On leaving it we marched five hours to the North to the village of Kúrbághlí, in the territory of Kánghrí and the district of Kala’ajik, of two hundred houses with mosques and gardens, where Sheikh Abd-allah, the son of Sheikh Shámí, is buried; his tomb is covered with a simple roof, and is without a convent. Five hours further to the North we came to the village of Nenegler, in the territory of Kala’ajik, a Turkish village of an hundred houses; a cubit of snow fell during the night, so that nobody could leave their lodgings. In the morning when departure was sounded the horses were loaded with the greatest pain; Turks served as guides, and thus we marched three hours to the straight of Alák-púlí, where we were assailed by such a storm and rain, that the confusion and horror was general, and many lost their lives. The Aghás of the Páshá, and even his treasurers left the treasure and fled away. Mustafa Beg the son of the Páshá with his governor (Lálá), master (Khoja) and servants were missing; the strings of mules and camels were broken and they were straying on the mountains. I halted a little in a sheltered valley and then with six of my boys and three packhorses looked for a house, where I found three others of my slaves and ten Cháshnegírs; so that we were now twenty-five persons. Thus we passed the straight of Sárí Alák and arrived happily at the plain on the other side without knowing where we were going to.

(_Here six pages of the original are omitted, which give a detailed account of Evliya’s falling into a nest of robbers, headed by Hyder-zádeh, Kátirjí-zádeh and other robbers, who held their meeting at Háji-bábá’s, an old rogue. The robbers, on being informed by Evliya of the Páshá’s being near, made off, and Evliya was kept by Háji-bábá until rescued by his people and other armed men of the Páshá’s suite, with whom he shared the rich presents which he forced out of Háji-bábá upon taking an oath that he would not betray this den of robbers. Evliya again joined the Páshá at the village of Hossein Aghá._)

The village of Hossein Aghá is situated in the district of Jubúk-owassá on a high hill. This is the pilgrimage of Ghazí Hossein of Malatia the father of Sídí Battál. Where there are more than an hundred Dervishes Begtáshí versed in Arabic and Persian knowledge. The tomb is surrounded with golden candlesticks, Koráns, &c. There are two places of religious exercise for the summer and for the winter. The valleys of Jubúk, Yebán, and Merbút are at the foot of this convent: Every year a Mevlúd or birth-feast is held here, when forty to fifty thousand men assemble to celebrate the feast of Hossein Sídí Batál’s father, one of the descendants of Imám Hossein, and who like him was killed by the hands of the Infidels. I gave to the Dervishes ten piastres for alms, immolated three victims and received the Sheikh’s benediction amidst the general shout of Allah! At the foot of the hill I met my Lord the Páshá with whom during ten days I overran the plain of Jubúk, as if I were going on conscription. This plain comprehends seven districts, and seventy villages. We spent ten more days on the plain of Yebán, containing an hundred cultivated villages belonging to the jurisdiction of Angora, and ten days more in the jurisdiction of Jorba of eighty-six villages. We passed a month in these three plains and celebrated Nevrúz (the spring’s commencement) near Angora. The weather now was mild, but we were all exhausted from the continual fatigue of loading and unloading heavy loads. At last we returned to the village of Hossein in the commencement of the year 1058 (1648). From hence we marched in seven hours to the north amidst cultivated villages and arrived at Angora.

_Description of Angora._

On the day that our quartermasters entered the town with the tails it was declared to them in the court of justice, that the Páshá would not be allowed to enter the fortress on account of his intentions being known to be those of a rebel, but that in consequence of the great number of friends and clients in the town, he would be well treated and lodged there for three days. We entered with a great Istikbál (procession of meeting) and were saluted by the firing of twenty guns. I was lodged in the house of Keder-zádeh and went straight to the convent of Hájí-bairám, where I read the Korán, and fulfilled the vow I had made when in the hands of the robbers, distributing to the Dervishes an hundred piastres of the money obtained at the village of Bálik-hissár from the robbers.

Angora was conquered by Yakúbsháh, the Prince of Kútahia of the Germián family and by his Vezir Hezár-dínar, and then by Sultán Orkhán. If Angora is viewed from the village of Erkiksú, which is a journey’s distance from the north, it appears a brilliant place; for the houses rising one behind the other, similarly to Buda on the Danube, makes it look like a ship of transport (Maúna) which has set up its trees and adorned its head. Buda, Ván and Angora are the three first fortresses of the Empire: its name (Engúrí) is Persian, given from the quantity of grapes (Engúr) which are found here. It is said to have been built by a Byzantine Emperor, and employed forty thousand workmen for seven years, who each day received forty nuts and a loaf apiece. It is also called the leafy castle (Motabbak), because its different parts cover one another like leaves of a tree, and the castle of the chains (Selasil) because the Emperor Heraclius surrounded it with seven chains on the birth year of the Prophet. The Mogols call it Ankra; the Tatars, Kermen Ankra; the Germans, Constantinople (!) the Turks, Aidín Karí, Unkúr and Ungorú. In the Imperial Registers it is spelled Ankra. It is the seat of a Sanjak Beg in the province of Anatoli, and has been given many times as living (Arpalik) to Vezírs of three tails. The khass of the Páshá is two hundred and sixty three thousand four hundred aspers, fourteen ziámets, and two hundred and fifty seven timárs, an Alai-beg (Colonel) Cherí-beg (Captain) and Yúzbáshí (Lieutenants). The Zaims and Timariots with the Jebelle make three thousand armed men. The Súbashís depending from Angora are, those of the town, that of Mertátova, of Yebánava, of Jubúkova, and of Jorba, which annually import forty thousand piastres. The Judge is a Molla of five hundred aspers, whose revenues may be calculated at twenty purses a year. There are also a Sheikh-ul-islám or Muftí, a Nakíb-ul-eshraf, or head of the Emírs, Seids and Sherífs (the relations of the Prophet), a Serdár of the Janissaries, a Kiaya-yerí of the Sipáhís, a Náíb of the town and a Mohtessib (provost and lieutenant of police) the commanding officers of the Jebejí and Topjí, a Dizdár (commander of the castle) and a garrison of an hundred men. The castle is situated on a high mountain, mocking all assaults, rising in four natural terraces, so that there is a distance of three hundred paces from one enclosure to the other; the height of each wall is sixty cubits and the breadth ten royal cubits; the foundations are all built on vaults. The castle forms an oblong square from east to west. It has four iron-gates one behind the other towards the west, each strengthened behind by iron cages. These iron cages or gratings are thrown before the gates in time of sieges, the bars are of the thickness of an arm. The gate on the extremity of the fortress looking to the Horse market opens to the west, on the upper part of it are suspended the arms of old knights, and the bones of a whale. The guards keep watch here day and night. If the commander leaves the castle the garrison are empowered to kill him, or at least to exile him for ever. Abaza, the rebel, besieged this town with an hundred thousand men, and took possession of the lower town, but wounded by a cannon shot from the upper castle, he was obliged to return to Erzerúm; the commander ever since has been prohibited from leaving the castle, and the watchmen all night long cry, Yegdir-allah, One is God! It has no ditch on one side on account of the rocks, and it is not easily to be attacked by mines because its quarters rise one behind the other. The four enclosures have eighteen hundred battlements, and its circumference is four thousand paces. On the east side is a place of pilgrimage situated on a hill, it is called Khizrlik; this hill looks over the town, which is of no consequence as it is not within gun-shot distance. The inner castle is defended by sixty-eight guns, but none of them are large. The houses number six hundred and are all terraced, but have neither gardens nor vineyards; the old mosque was formerly a convent. The lower town was surrounded with a wall by Ahmed Páshá against the rebels. It has four gates, and its circumference on the three sides, on which it does not join the citadel, is six thousand paces. On the east side of the superior castle you descend into the valley of Khizrlik by a road leading down for fetching water. In the inner castle are cisterns and magazines; but in the lower town are no cisterns, because water is in abundance, there being an hundred and seventy fountains, three thousand wells, seventy-six mosques, those of Ahmed Páshá and Hájí Beirám the saint, having been built by the great Sinán, fifteen convents of Dervishes with mihráb (mosques) the greatest of them is that of Hájí Bairám, where three hundred Dervishes of his order follow the rules of their founder. Their first patron is Khoja Abd-ul-Kádír Jeilání, by whom they ascend to the prophet; in Rúmelí they are called also Hamzeví from Sheikh Hamza. There is likewise a fine convent of Mevlevís founded by Ahmed Páshá. The colleges are richly endowed, three houses for lectures on tradition, an hundred and eighty schools for boys, two hundred baths, seventy palaces with gardens; all these buildings are of brick not stone, and covered with earth instead of with bricks, six thousand six hundred and sixty houses, and two hundred sebíl-kháneh or establishments for distributing water. The shops are two thousand, and there is an elegant bezestán with four gates with chains; the market places are almost all on elevated spots; the coffee houses and barber’s-shops are always crowded; the public places and streets are paved with white stones. Its divines, poets, and learned and pious men are innumerable, although it is a Turkish town, it counts more than two thousand boys and girls who know the Korán by heart; some thousand also know by heart the Mohammedieh, or works on the Mohammedan religion by Yázijí-zadeh Mohammed Efendí. Some of its inhabitants have the repute of performing miracles like Abd-ur-rahman Efendí, a pious man, who is free of four enticements, viz. hair, brows, beard and eye-lashes; he is descended from Hájí Bairám’s family, who had the same advantage.

_Praises of Hájí Bairám the Saint._

In his youth he was once invited by a cunning woman, who in order to seduce the Saint, with whom she was in love, began to praise his hair, beard, brows and eye-lashes. The Saint retired into a corner and prayed to God that he might be delivered of these four inducements to lust, and become of an ugly form; he then returned without a hair into the woman’s presence, who shocked at his ugliness had him turned out of doors by her maidens. Hence the descendants of the Saint by his daughter actually wear short beards (Kosseh).

The rich inhabitants of the town wear Ferrájes of sable, those of the middle class, Serhaddís of cloth and Contoshes, the workmen Ferrájes of white linen, the Ulemas, of wool, and the women also of wool of different colours. The climate and temperature being mild the inhabitants are fair with red faces.

_The Eatables and Products._

The calves’ and sheep’s feet of Angora are the counter part of those of Kútahia; the salted flesh (Pássdirma) of its goats has an excellent perfume. These goats called Teftekgechí are of a brilliant whiteness; of the hair is made the soft (Shalloon) of different, colours which is worn by Monarchs. If the wool is cut by scissors it becomes coarse, but if pulled out it is as soft and as fine as the silk of Eyúb (Job). The poor goats, when the hair is pulled out in that way, raise lamentable cries; to avoid this some wash them with a mixture of chalk and ashes, by which they are enabled to pull out the hair without difficulty or giving pain; thus the poor goats are stripped naked. The hair is then worked into Shalloons, and both men and women are busy at making or selling them. The Franks tried to transport the goats of Angora into their own country, but God be praised! they degenerated into common goats, and the stuff wove from their hair was no Súf (Shalloon). They then took the hair of the Angora-goat and tried to work it into Sof, but were never able to give it the true lustre (Máj). They now make of it for their monks a kind of black shalloon, which however has neither colour nor lustre. The inhabitants of Angora say that the exclusive working of fine shalloon is granted to them by the miracles of Hájí Bairám, and the water and air. Indeed the sof (Shalloon) of Angora is the most famous in the world; the chalk also of Angora is renowned. Its inhabitants make great journies to Frengistán and Egypt to sell their Shalloons. There are a great number of Jews, but few Greeks and Copts. The inhabitants are a goodnatured hospitable people. It is an incomparable town, which may God preserve till the end of time in the hands of the Ottomans!

The day I entered Angora I visited the tomb of Hájí Bairám, recited the Korán and then returned to my lodgings where I soon fell asleep. In a dream I saw a man with a yellow beard, honey-coloured cowl and a turban of twelve folds on his head, who upbraided me for having visited Hájí Bairám’s tomb and passed by his. I asked, who he was? and he said, “Didst thou not call on Sárí Sáltik Dedeh, when in thy youth thou performed prayer in the Convent of the Wrestlers at Constantinople in Sultán Murad’s presence? didst thou not say that I was known here by the name of Er Sultán? I am lying here under a thick cupola near the wood market, where thou shouldest visit me and give me joy with a fátihah. I will send to-morrow morning a man of my resemblance, who shall lead thee to my tomb.” I awoke, said my prayers, and was waiting, when a man came of the form of him I saw in my dream, and told me, that Er Sultán had appeared to him in a dream and had commanded him to show me his burying place. This man had a radiant face, and his voice was as hollow as if it came from underground. We passed through eleven quarters of the town and visited in passing all the tombs of Saints, which I shall mention by and by, if it pleases God! At last there appeared on the western side of the wood-market a small cupola, which my companion pointed out to me, saying, “This is the tomb of Er Sultán.” Whilst I was looking at it on my right side, he disappeared on my left, and I was at a loss to know what had become of him and fancied that he must have walked through a door covered with felt which was near me. I opened it, walked in, and saw it was a Búza-house full of riot. Ashamed of having got into such society I left the room immediately and made the best of my way to the cupola which had been shown to me. There I laid my face on the threshold and prayed to the Saint, saying, that I had arrived by his blessing, and begged he would not let me depart void of benediction in this and the other world. I now commenced the recital of the Korán, and sheltering myself under the green Súf with which the coffin was covered, said, “Protection, protection, O Er Sultán!” I then fell asleep and sweated to such a degree that when I woke my clothes were wet. Er Sultán appeared to me again and I begged that he would not let me go hence void of benediction. He replied, “Thou wilt not be void of it, because thou art a Háfiz (knowing the Korán by heart) and a lover of the Saints (Evliya) whose tombs thou always visitest. I led thee myself to this place, I am a perfect leader (Murshid Kámil), thy path is straight. Be merciful to the poor and weak, and tell thy Páshá not to molest the inhabitants of Angora. God will grant to thee travel and good health, and in thy last moments faith. Eat, speak, sleep and know little, but do a great deal, for actions are necessary to discover the way to God, because He hath said in the Korán, ‘Good words ascend, and good works exalt.’ Honour thy parents, and the Sheikhs (Pír), and thy end shall be happy. Say now a fátihah with this intent.” Here I was awoke by a noise and voices saying, “Is there no tomb-keeper?” I arose from beneath the cover of the coffin and to the question of the visitors, “Whether I was the tomb-keeper?” replied, “Yes!” When they were gone I returned home shedding many tears, and related my vision to the Páshá, who also related to me a similar dream that he had had. He instantly gave orders that all the Sárija and Segbán should deliver up their arms and leave in quiet the inhabitants of Angora. The Páshá had had some idea of shutting himself up in the town and declaring it in a state of rebellion, but he immediately abandoned it after these visions. I then made it a duty to myself to visit every day, during my stay at Angora, the tombs of Hájí Bairám and Er Sultán and others of the Saints, which I am now about to mention.

_Pilgrimages._

Sheikh Hájí Bairám, the pole and column of sanctity, was born on the bank of the river Chepúl in the village of Solkoi and was the disciple of Sheikh Hámed. At the time when Sultán Báyazíd I. was at Adrianople, Sheikh Bairám preached there in the old mosque, and the pulpit which he ascended is still shown. Different Sheikhs who tried to ascend this pulpit could never utter a word, because none were worthy to preach after him in the same place. After his death, which happened in Báyazíd’s reign, he was buried beneath a high cupola in the inner castle of Angora. Sheikh Er Sultán, the leader of divine truth, the discoverer of mysteries, called Mahmúd by his proper name, was born at Angora, and reposes beneath a small cupola in the wood market. East of Angora on a high mountain is the pilgrimage of Hízr, a pleasure place from which a fine view of the town is enjoyed. This Saint was the disciple of Sheikh Hossám-ud-dín, and being imprisoned at Angora he gave the order one evening to be buried the next day, and in the morning, without any body having been near him, he was found washed, perfumed, and ready for burial. Sheikh Kátib Saláh-ud-dín was a great astronomer, a second Pythagoras. There are a great number of other Saints, which I do not mention, as I could not visit their tombs during my short stay.

The day of our departure being fixed, I made myself as light as possible, by giving away a part of what I had taken from the robbers’ den in alms, and the rest as a pawn to the master of the house where I lodged and got ready with seven Mamlúcs and one light pack horse. In the morning I heard an uproar and riot by which heaven and earth was thrown into confusion. Some were exclaiming that they were satisfied with the Páshá, others that he was a rebel for having united with Várvár Páshá, and that it was necessary to obey the Emperor’s command. In short Mustafa, one of the Emperor’s Kapijí, had arrived with forty of his companions; they had shut the gates of the castle and proclaimed a general call to arms (Nefír-a’ám). Most fortunately the Páshá, who had been terrified by a disastrous dream, was gone incognito to visit the tomb of Sídí Battál’s father, and could not therefore be found in his palace, which was searched in every part by the Kapijí. The Páshá of course did not re-enter the town but repaired to the village of Erkeksú, which is to the north of it, and sent a letter to his Kiaya to request him to send his troops. In the mean time the Páshá not having been found the gates were opened and a proclamation issued, that all who belonged to the Páshá were to leave the town instantly; I therefore took leave of the master of my house and Hájí Bairám and Er Sultán, and arrived after seven hours’ march at the village of Erkeksú consisting of two hundred houses and a mosque at the foot of a rock. Seven hours further on we arrived at the great place Istanozí, with a judge of one hundred and fifty aspers, in the district of Mortátova, bordering on a valley, on each side of which are towering rocks; it has a thousand houses without gardens, a mosque, a bath and market: the river Erkek flows through it. This place had formerly two great gates at either end, which were destroyed in the time of Murad III. by the rebel Korayazijí; if these two gates were restored it would be impossible to take the place, because it is situated between two walls of high rocks on which eagles and vultures build their nests, but to which man scarcely dares to lift up his eyes. These rocks are as tremendous as those of Ván, Shabín and Márdín, some of them are excavated below like Mount Bisútún and some are shaped above like dragons, lions and elephants. The inhabitants are for the most part Armenians. About a thousand looms are employed in working Súf. This place being enclosed by two rocks the air is very warm. The Armenian girls here are famed for their beauty. There are caverns which can hold a thousand horses. Formerly an old castle stood here on a rock.

The day we entered the town there was a great conflux of men to see tumblers and wrestlers exhibit their tricks; Istanoz and the town of Kodoz in Anatoli being the places where tumblers and wrestlers assemble to make bets. They stretch the rope from one rock to the other and place watchmen at each end, that enemies may not cut it when they are dancing on it. The rocks and the valley beneath are crowded with spectators and on both sides of the river, which flows through the valley, tents are pitched for the spectators. We witnessed during three days the tricks of seventy six tumblers, who were followed by three hundred scholars, to whom they gave lessons in their art.

(_The Description of the tricks, and an account of two letters from and to Vávár Páshá, are here omitted._)

Having received the letters of My Lord the Páshá I passed Hossein Ghází and Bálik-hissár, halted at the village of Sárí Alán, and further on passed Kala’ajik, Sheikh Shámí, Akche-koyúnli, and the river Kizil Irmák with great ease at Kárdlar, heard that Várvár Páshá had left the station of Túrhál, and met him further on to the eastward at Gergezár. I first went as the rule requireth to his kiaya, who conducted me to the presence of the Páshá. He was seated in a tent, like Solomon surrounded by many thousand Sárija and Segbán. I kissed the ground and delivered the letter in the usual form. Having looked into my face and said, “Art not thou Evliya Chelebí, who at the mosque of Aya Sofia recited in the night Kadr, the Korán in eight hours? and who was received by Sultán Murad amongst the pages of the Kíldár.” Having replied, “Yes,” he asked further in what office I was to the Páshá. I said, that on the way to Erzerúm I was head of the Muezzins, but that he afterwards made me clerk of the Custom-house and sent me three times into Persia, and that now I was his Imám and intimate companion. The servants having been ordered to withdraw he called the Diván Efendí and read the letter. “It is a pity,” said he, “that your Páshá did not with such an army shut himself up at Angora; he might have played the devil there, and by this glorious deed have hung his sword in the skies (like that of Orion).” Rejoiced, however, at the number of our troops he gave me an hundred zechins, a rosary of corals and a watch set with jewels. I was also invested with a magnificent sable pelisse and recommended as a guest to the Khazinedár.

The same day news arrived that Koprilí Mohammed Páshá and seven Vezírs had taken post at the bridge of Osmánjik and the rocks of Sárimshik, where they were entrenching themselves; and that Hossein the Páshá of Amasia had closed the pass (Púl) of Diriklí and carried the population away to the mountains. Upon this news Várvár Alí Páshá directed his march straight to the passage of the Kizil Irmák. Our march was, from Kiraz to Dánkaza seven hours, to Bardáklí-bábá seven hours and to the river Kizil Irmák six hours. The passage of the river was effected in the best order, without the least harm happening to any body. We halted at Airak which lies north of the Kizil Irmák in the Sanjak of Kangrú; it has an hundred houses and a mosque. We here visited the tomb of Mohammed Sháh Dedeh, who came with Hájí Begtásh from Khorassan to the court of Bayazid I., a large hospitable convent of an hundred Dervishes Begtáshí. I witnessed the Páshá perform his visit to the tomb with a devotion and a faith outshining that of many preachers from the pulpit. The tomb is surrounded with censers, vases for rose-water, lamps and candelabra. Every year the Sheikh of this convent kills a horse and abandons the carcase to the eagles and vultures of the rocks, who live upon it till the next year. The Sheikh has bred eagles instead of falcons for hawking beasts of all kind. From hence we marched for three hours along the bank of the Kizil Irmák to the village of Tordúk, in the territory of Kánghrí. At the convent of Hassám Efendí a great repast was given to the Páshá. Three hours further on we came to the convent of Kúm-bábá, and then we entered the Keskin of the Turcomans in the land of Kánghrí. Having overran it for ten days we halted on the eleventh at the village of Sálí. I perceived that the army was preparing for battle and learned that spies had brought the news, that Koprilí Mohammed Páshá, who had been named commander against Várvár, was ready to give him battle on the following day. The troops having armed during the night, the Páshá put himself in the morning at the head of six thousand men of light troops, and pushed on for seven hours towards the kiblah. Here the two armies engaged and that of Koprilí was entirely routed; a great number were killed and the rest dispersed or made prisoners. Amongst the last was Mohammed Koprilí Páshá himself, the Páshá of Amasia, Kor Hossein, and the Páshá of Kara Shehr, both of two tails, who were obliged to walk on foot with chains on their feet and blocks on their necks, along with the tails of Várvár. Such is the state of the world, that these great and powerful men were now in the power of the Sárija and Segbán, who tortured and killed their men before their eyes and the executioners flung their swords over their necks. In brief a Vezír (Koprilí) and five Begler-begs were bound to the poles of Várvár’s tent, who elated with this victory declared now more than ever open rebellion, collected all kinds of rabble, wrote letters to Begs and Begler-begs enforcing them to come and join him with their troops, and in fact collected an army of thirty-seven thousand men. When we arrived at the village of Búzoghlán, in the Sanjak of Kanghrú, I waited on him wishing him joy of his victory, and begging he would despatch me with the letters expected. I endeavoured to persuade him to be mild and merciful, and to pardon and set at liberty his prisoners, according to the text, “O God! Thou art all-pardoning, Thou likest pardon, pardon me.” He however remained obstinate, saying, I should see in a few days what would happen when his friends little Chaúsh Páshá, Ipshír Páshá and Shehsuvár Oghlí Páshá should arrive to join him. He was an open frank man, but extremely simple and of little judgment, and therefore blindly believed in the assurances of these Páshás; and being overjoyed with the news he had received from them, he despatched me with letters to my master, presenting me with an hundred piastres, a completely caparisoned horse from Koprilí’s stable, and a complete dress.

From Yúz Oghlán in the Sanjak of Kánghru I rode for three days trusting in God, left Angora on my right and met with the Páshá on the plain of Múrtát. The Páshá hearing of Várvár’s blind confidence glowed with anger and said, “He shall see it, the blockhead (Potúr).” He then gave me Ipshír Páshá’s letter, which he had sent him to read, and I saw it was full of flattery and deceit. The Páshá was about to answer this letter, when a Khassekí and Kapijí-bashí arrived with Kiátib Alí Chelebí, the Khazinedár of Seyavúsh Aghá Kiátib Alí Chelebí. The Imperial rescript was instantly read, and contained the most positive orders to join till the first of Jemází-ul-akhir the united troops of Ipshír, Chaúsh, Bákí, Ketgáj and Sídí Páshá against Várvár, whose head or the Páshá’s was required. If he refused to comply all his property was to be confiscated, and his children and relations killed; but under the supposition of ready obedience the Governorship of Egypt was conferred upon him. The Páshá made immediate obeisance, ordered the tails to proceed, gave to the Khassekí a purse for the expenses of the road, and recommended him as a guest to his kiaya. The next day the Cháhnegír (head carver) of Várvár arrived from Constantinople with a Khattí-sheríf of the following tenor: “My Lálá, (Governor) thy fault is pardoned, but the rebellion of Defterdár Oghlí, who wished to put himself in possession of Erzerúm and Angora, is evident. His head or yours is demanded. If you send the first the Governorship of Egypt is assured to you.” The Páshá remained dumb at the sight of this Khattí-sheríf and instantly despatched me back with that which he had received to Várvár.

(_Here follows the relation of Várvár’s complete defeat by Ipshír Páshá by whom he was ensnared; occupying three sheets of the original._)

Evliya at last, afraid for his head, waited on Ipshír Páshá and asked for letters, that he might return as he came. “Here,” said Ipshír showing Várvár’s dead body, “is the man from whom you may ask your expedition.” Evliya begged to be spared as he was no rebel and no Sanjak Beg. Ipshír Páshá laughed and said, “What art thou doing at thy master’s; wert thou not previously with Melek Ahmed Páshá?” “By God,” I, poor Evliya, answered, “I am the common servant and joint subject of two Vezírs, whom I accompany alternately as they come into high offices for the pleasure of travelling. Defterdár Zádeh must now be removed from office at this place, and your Excellency is most likely to go as Governor to Damascus or Baghdád, in which case I attach myself to your service.” “No,” said Ipshír, “go and follow Melek Ahmed.” “Well,” I, poor Evliya, replied, “there is no difference between you three. Is not the mother of my present master the nearest relation of Melek Páshá’s and your mother?” “Look here,” said the Páshá, “he reminds me of my relationship with Mohammed Páshá, in order to become the mediator of peace between us.” I got up, kissed his hand and begged he would give me a letter to My Lord the Páshá, to give him some solace in the present state of his affairs. He ordered me a tent, seventy secchins, a horse (being an extremely avaricious and low born Abázá) and a letter, with which I got under way.

From Cherkesh (where Várvár’s defeat had happened) I rode for eight hours to Dúlúshja, a village of an hundred and fifty houses with gardens and a mosque; eight hours further to Mestibeg, a village of an hundred houses, a ziámet; and nine hours further to the village of Alí Zaím, a Súbashilik in the plain of Múrtát, a ziámet of an hundred houses, where I met the Páshá, who had heard of the defeat of Várvár, Kor Hossein, and Hájí Oghlí, but knew not as yet of their deaths, which I related to him as it happened three days ago. The Páshá read Ipshír’s letter, and hearing at the same time that Bákí Páshá had left him and joined Ipshír’s camp, he became very melancholy and prepared for attacking Ipshír, who from Cherkesh moved towards Karamania by the side of Keskin. The Páshá followed him at three day’s distance, took a great deal of booty of the baggages of Várvár, Koprilí and Kor Hossein and arrived in three days at the river Sakaria. At the village of Merja in the district of Begbazárí the Diván Efendí of Várvár Páshá was overtaken with forty-three thousand zecchins and seven purses of money. He confessed to ten thousand zecchins besides and a sum deposited at Angora of forty purses of money, after which confession his head was cut off, and sent to the Porte as being that of a rebel. According to the assignation of Khalíl, the Divání Efendí, on Hassan at Angora in whose hands the money was deposited, Alaja Atlí Aghá was despatched with three hundred horsemen to take possession of it. We marched along the bank of the Sakaria river to the village Shikenjí Ahmed Aghá in the district of Ayásh, a village surrounded with gardens. We passed the village of Istanos and after seven hours reached Erkeksú at last arriving at Angora, where Atlí Aghá was lodged in the house of Hassan, from whom he demanded the money deposited by the beheaded Diván Efendí, and I lodged with my old friend Kedr-zádeh who returned to me all my things and effects, which I had left in his hands. The next day Hassan Chelebí was obliged to pay the sum mentioned by the beheaded Diván Efendí and to accompany us in irons. My friend, Kedr-zádeh made me a present of two pack-horses to facilitate the transport of my things. We left Angora, passed as before through Istanos, then during eight hours along the pass of Ayásh; Ayásh is a foundation belonging to the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina. It is a jurisdiction of an hundred and fifty aspers, and contains a thousand houses and ten mosques; the castle is in ruins, but there is a Serdár and Kiaya-yerí; the air is heavy because the ground is uneven. I here visited the tomb of Emír-dedeh, and on the opposite side that of Sheikh Bokhara buried under a cupola on the mountain.

_Description of the town of Beg-bazárí or Bebek-bazári._

Dinár-hezár, the vezír of Yakúb Sháh of the Germián family, having conquered this town gave it the name Germián-hezárí. Once a week there is a famous market chiefly of goats-hair spun and woven. It is now the Khass of the Muftí of Constantinople who appoints the Súbashí. The judge, appointed with an hundred and fifty aspers, may easily collect seven purses. There is a Serdár and Kiaya-yerí, but no Dizdár and garrison, the castle being too small to hold any. At the foot of it lies the town distributed over two valleys, and divided into twenty quarters. There are forty one mosques, three thousand and sixty seven elegant houses, all of mortar, but the roofs of wood, a room for reading the Korán, another for lectures on tradition, but no stone built colleges as in other towns, and seventy schools. There are more than seven hundred men and boys who know by heart the Korán, and the Mohammedieh, a Muftí and Nakíb-ul-eshráf; the inhabitants are for the most part Ulemás. This being a Turkish town the people are chiefly Oghúz, that is to say good men of the old Turkish simplicity. There are seven Kháns, pleasant baths, six hundred shops in which precious articles are found, but no bezestán of stone. On the bank of the torrent, which flows through the butcheries, a market is held every week; this torrent falls into the river, which runs below the town, and with this river into the Sakaria. The roads are strewn with sand and not paved. The young men are fine, and the girls very retired and modest, but not pretty. The gardens of Beg-bazárí are numerous; among its products is a particular melon much distinguished for its sweetness; the inhabitants make of it a Zerdeh (dish) with cinnamon and cloves, sweet as the Zerdeh which was first invented by Moavia; there is also a large green pear four or five of which go to an occa. Every year some thousand of them are sent in boxes to Constantinople as presents, such sweet pears are found but in Persia in the town of Nessú and are like the pears called Melje in the town of Bár. Black barley is produced here, which must be given with caution to horses, and there is a great quantity of rice. In the town is the tomb of Az-dedeh.

We had remained here three days when letters arrived for the Páshá from my uncles, Melek-zádeh and Abd-ur-rahím, giving notice of the death of my father, and that all his goods remained in my step-mother’s hands. They begged leave from the Páshá for me to make a journey to Constantinople in order to arrange my affairs, after which I might return to him. I received three letters from my relations with the same news, which I showed to the Páshá, who showed me those he had received. He gave me leave to go on condition I would come back again, called the Kiaya and Khazinedár, gave me five hundred dollars, two horses, and two slaves, a fine tent and three mules in addition to those which I had received as a present from the late Várvár Alí Páshá. With seven Mamlúks and eight servants attached to me, I took leave of the Páshá and set out at the end of Jemazí-ul-akhir in the year 1058 (1648) from Begbazárí for Constantinople.

_Journey from Beg-bazárí to Constantinople._

We marched nine hours to the north through cultivated villages and open meadows to the village of Sárí-beg. Here a gigantic wall is seen, which is said to have been moved by the miraculous power of Hají Begtásh, and the spot is shown where he sat upon the wall. It has no foundation and therefore it is evident it must have been moved hither. Seven hours further is the village of Kostek-beg of an hundred houses in a ground intersected by valleys. The inhabitants are free from all duties. At the time of the rebellion of Kara Yazijí, Seid-ul-Arab, Kalender Oghlí, Jennet Oghlí, Delí Hassan and Sejiáh Oghlí in the time of Ahmed I. they assailed a great caraván here, which they plundered, killing more than two thousand men. The road then remained blocked up for some time, till Nassif Páshá built here a great khán and transported the inhabitants hither. There is a mosque, a khán, an imáret and a bath. The raisins of this place are celebrated for sour preserves. The khán has no equal in the whole of Anatolia unless it be the Khán of Katífa and Sa’asa’a in the neighbourhood of Damascus. The stable holds two thousand horses, there is besides a stable for camels, and all the buildings are covered with lead. Eight hours further to the north we arrived at Nállí Khán, a small affranchised mussulman village of an hundred houses in a valley, governed by a Mutevellí of Nassif Páshá. This khán is also his foundation and is built like that of Kostek-beg Khán, having an hundred and fifty chimneys with a kitchen like that of Keikavús. Travellers receive each a loaf in a brass plate, a dish of soup and a candle. In seven hours more we reached the village of Turbelí Koilik, which in the harsh language of the Turks is pronounced Torbalí Koiluk. Akshems-ud-dín is buried in this village. The castle, built by the Greek Emperors, was conquered by Ghazí Osmán in the year 712 (1312). It has a Kiaya-yerí and Serdár but no Dizdár. This place is surrounded on both sides by rocks from which the water of life flows through fir-wood pipes. Though its inhabitants are Turks, it is yet a sweet town of two thousand houses, all covered with fir-wood, eighteen mosques and eight quarters. The houses are overhung by the chalk cliffs, which from time to time fall down upon them, without doing the least harm to men or mice. The number of the houses, immediately overhung by the rocks, is two hundred, there is no college or house of tradition but twenty schools for boys; in the market-place are three kháns covered with brick, a bath, a good number of mills and seventy-five shops in which saddle-bags and horse-cloths are sold. No Jews can inhabit this place, because in it they die instantly.

_Description of the tomb of the great Saint Akshems-ud-dín._

He was born at Damascus and derives his genealogy from Abúbekr, which was proved by the absence of one of the joints in his finger, because all descendants from him are born with that defect. He had conversed with Sheháb-ud-dín Sehrverdí, who is buried in the castle of Baghdád, and at Angora with Hájí Bairám. He accompanied Mohammed II. to the conquest of Constantinople, and foretold the day when the town would be conquered. He and his whole family lie buried here. It was he who discovered the tomb of Eyyúb and on whose admonition they dug on the spot indicated by him. He composed many volumes of books and was in medicine a second Lokman. His son Ahmed Chelebí is the author of Yússúf and Zúleikha, one of the most renowned of poems in the Turkish language, he did not accept of the directorship, which his father intended for him and which after his death devolved on Sa’ad Allah, another son of his, and who is buried near his father. Sheikh Núrallah his third son went to Brússa to finish his studies and killed himself accidentally, his pen-knife entering his stomach. Sheikh Chelebí Emrillah did not follow his father’s manner of life, and died of the gout; he composed an historical work. Sheikh Nasrollah his fifth son travelled for seven years in Persia and is buried at Tabríz; the Persians visit his tomb, and some erroneously believe him to be the son of Shems Tabrízí who is buried in the town of Khúí, whither he walked with his head cut off, carrying it in his hand. Sheikh Mohammed Núrolhúda the son of Akshems-ud-dín; his father having touched his mother’s womb when she was pregnant with him, she was immediately delivered on the salute given to the child, which returned it saying, “Esselám aleikum.” This ecstatic child (Mejzúb) when grown up could discern in the mosque those who would go to heaven from those who would go to hell. He is buried in the village of Evlek, which was given to him by Sultán Mohammed. Sheikh Mohammed Hamdollah, the abovesaid second son of Akshems-ud-dín, was also spoken to by his father when in his mother’s womb. At eight years old he was already author of a Diván. He composed Leíla and Mejnún, and Yússúf and Zúleikha, which has no equal in the Turkish language. He died when sixty-six years old. Among a great number of treatises he wrote one on physiognomy which is much esteemed. His son Mohammed Chelebí was a great divine and in caligraphy a second Yakút Mostea’assemí and Ibn Mokla. The tomb of Sheikh Abd-ul-kádir, the son of Sa’ad Allah; he is buried outside that of his ancestor. Sheikh Abd-ur-rahím one of Akshems-ud-dín’s followers, who lived forty years after him; he is the author of the work Wahdet-námeh (book of unity).

We remained here one day and then travelled seven hours to the north to Taráklí, built by the Greek Princes of Brússa and conquered by Osmán. The judge is appointed with an hundred and fifty aspers; there are fifteen hundred houses in a valley all covered with brick, eleven mihrábs, seven quarters, a bath, five kháns, six schools and two hundred shops; this town is called Taraklí because spoons and combs (Tarak) are made here from the box-trees which cover the neighbouring mountains. These spoons and combs are sent into Arabia and Persia. The torrent which flows through the village falls into the river Hármen and with it into the sea. Eight hours to the north is the castle of Kíva, properly Kekiva, a small castle for the sheep of a Greek Princess. It is the foundation consecrated to the famous bridge of Sultán Bayazíd II. here built over the Sakaria. It was formerly a large town, but ruined in the reign of Sultán Murad IV. by the inundation of the Sakaria, it consisted of three hundred houses, a mosque, a bath, three kháns, and seven schools for boys. It is now situated at an arrow’s shot distance from the river, and has a large khán covered with brick and twenty shops near it. The sour preserve of raisins and the melons of the district are famous, two melons are a load for a horse. The river Sakaria, which flows here under the bridge, comes from the town of Beg-bazarí and falls into the Black Sea near Irva. In this place reside a Serdár, Kiaya-yerí and Mutevellí, or administrator of the Wakf. Burhán, a companion of Osmán I. is buried here. We passed the bridge and to the north along the banks of Sakaria through the great forest, called Agháj-denizí (the sea of trees), a den of wild beasts and robbers, where many strangers have been lost. The trees are high firs and linden, which intercept the rays of the sun, and perfume the brain with their sweet scent.