Chapter VIII: Part 8

It was built by Zia-ud-dín, the son of Sultán Hassan, and is a square castle, on the top of a high rock. The camp was fixed at the distance of a gunshot from the castle, and the siege began immediately. As soon as the Mussulman victors opened the trenches, all the guns were fired from the castle, and seventy men fell to the ground as martyrs. The Commander, Sídí Ahmed Páshá, exhorting the Begs, Beglerbegs, and other officers, with sweet words and presents and himself making all possible exertions, brought four cannons on to the heights opposite the eastern side of the castle, which being fired, killed Chendán Beg, the nephew of the Beg of the castle. At the same moment a great lamentation arose in the castle, and the Ottoman victors began to ascend the breaches by ladders; in short, the siege lasted twenty-four hours, and the next day the flags of truce were planted on the battlements, and all the Kurds were crying Amán! Amán! O chosen family of Osmán! The commander, Sídí Ahmed Páshá, with his first Colonel, went to the gates of the castle, from which came out seven Kurdish Begs as hostages; they said, “On this night Mustafa Beg, our Beg, deserted the castle and fled to the Persians.” Sídí Ahmed Páshá gave no credit to this report, and told them to find their Beg, lest they might have their hands cut like sheeps’ feet; he fettered them, put seven hundred men into the castle, confiscated all the goods found in the palace of the Beg, disarmed the Kurds, collected three thousand muskets and six thousand swords and other arms, and sent the merry news to my Lord, Mohammed Páshá. The same day the Mohammedan shout (Allah) was proclaimed in the castle; two thousand muskets and many guns were fired as a salute; the whole district of Shúshík, up to the Persian frontier, was ravaged and pillaged, and the Moslím victors enriched with the booty of some hundred thousand sheep, oxen and mules. Men were sent into the interior of the country in search of the Beg, but only found a spy, whose nose and ears were in the first place slit, but at the moment the executioner was about to cut off his head, he implored the Páshá’s mercy, saying that he had something of importance to communicate to him. He said that the Beg of Shúshík had fallen into the hands of the Persian Khán of Magú, and was imprisoned there. Bákí Páshá, Katgáj Páshá, and Dilawer Páshá, with the Beg of Melázjerd, Mohammed Beg, with three thousand men, were ordered to go in search of the Beg of Shúshík at the castle of Magú. I, poor Evliyá, was also in the expedition. We marched across the Minváldereh amidst the mountains, and at the end of eight hours, reached the tomb of Tahmúrass Khán, a Persian, who was killed in the war of Cighálezadeh, and buried at this spot; here are two hundred Armenian houses, which pay tribute to the Beg of Shúshík, and to the Persians. We advanced for seven hours through a woody country, and for two more through flowery fields, and arrived at the castle of Magú, built by Núshirván. The Kurds submitted to Súleimán, who made a present of this castle to the Beg of the Mahmúdí tribe. The Persians took it from them, and it is now subordinate to the governor of Melázjerd. In the time of the grand Vezír of Sultan Murad IV. Kara Mustafa Páshá, after the conquest of Baghdád, went to Derne and Derteng, in order to settle the boundary; my lord, Melek Ahmed Páshá, my gracious protector, was then Governor of Diarbekr, and named on this commission for settling the frontiers and renewing the peace. The Ottomans had laid waste the castle of Zálim, in the province of Shehrzol, and the Persians that of Kotúr, in the province of Ván. The Ottomans also took possession of Magú, and transferred the Beg and the garrison to Melázjerd. Under the pretext of the rebellion of the Beg of Shúshík, the Persians laid hold of Magú, which is a fortress, like the castles of Ván, Márdín, Shuban Kara, Afiún Kara Hissár, A’adil Jiwás, Tokát, and Amasia.

_Size and Form of Magú._

It is situated on a high and steep rock, the base of which is thin and narrow, and towers into the skies, being inaccessible on all sides. There is but one gate to which you ascend by a small staircase cut in the rock like a minareh. Seven hundred houses afford lodgings to two thousand musketeers of Mazenderán, commanded by a Sultán (Beg) subordinate to the Khán (Páshá, governor) of Eriván. The drawbridge which leads over the river, to the Castle, is raised every night, and it thus becomes entirely isolated; the water is raised by ropes of one hundred fathoms length. The Khán descended with one thousand of his serving men (Dízchoken Túlúnkí), and gave a grand entertainment to Bákí Páshá, who, after dinner, requested that the Beg of Shúshík might be given up to him: this was done accordingly, and he was carried to Sídí Ahmed Páshá, who came on the seventh day to Khinis, and delivered him to Mohammed Páshá the governor of Erzerúm, who spared his life, but put him into prison. Forty thousand sheep, forty horses, seventeen strings of mules, twenty Georgian slaves, and fifty purses were taken from him, he was afterwards released, but his castle was given to Mohammed the Beg of Melázjerd, who furnished twenty purses, twenty strings of mules, a great number of furs and skins of lynxes and leopards; the Moslím victors returned in safety with their booty to Erzerúm. On the same day after seven hours, we reached the village of Alajalar; it is situated on the border of Aras, under the command of the castle of Bayazíd, and consists of three hundred Armenian houses. Here our gracious Lord gave a grand entertainment to the Persian Envoys of the Kháns of Eriván, Nakhshiván and Tabríz, and gave each of them letters of amity, with a couple of Arabian horses, beads of coral, bow and arrows, and Genoese and Venetian cloth. He told them in his speech, that in order to satisfy the Khán of Eriván he had reduced the Beg of Shúshík, but that he hoped now that the Persians on their side would fulfil with equal faithfulness the conditions of the peace, and therefore evacuate the castle of Shúshík, and give it back to the Ottomans, if not, that he as Commander-in-Chief would ravage the districts of Eriván and Nakhshiván. The three envoys kissed the ground and were invested with Persian sable pelisses. The Kelárjí Velí Agha was sent with the Envoy to Eriván; Alaja Atlí Hassan with the second to Nakhshiván, and I poor Evliyá in quality of Clerk of the Custom-house was named to go with letters and presents in the third Envoy’s company to Tabríz, to arrange the commercial affairs. I took two horses richly caparisoned to the Khán, handkerchiefs, beads of pearl, and a magnificent quiver. I received myself, on setting out on my journey, a purse of money, and a robe of honour, and was accompanied by ten servants, and ten men of all arms, altogether forty-five men. I took leave of the Páshá, and set out trusting in the Lord for Nakhshiván and Eriván.

_Description of our journey along the Aras to Persia._

On the first day, we travelled for the space of eight hours along the Aras, towards the east, and arrived at the village Yailajak, partly Armenian and partly Moslím, subordinate to the Castle of Anek. Further eastward we came to Barúd Kháneh belonging to the Castle Shúshík, consisting of three hundred houses; saltpetre is produced here. Sixteen hours further is the station of Kendúsh Kia, on the banks of a torrent called Okhdere; we pitched our tents here in a flowery meadow amidst beds of tulips. Twelve hours further on is the station of Chághla-ghúrna, the inhabitants are Kurds. We saw the castle of Shúshík, on our left on high rocks, and were saluted by it with seven guns. The new Beg also sent us a quantity of provisions. Here we parted company with Kássim Khán, the Envoy of Eriván, who went to the left, while I poor Evliyá took the road on the right to Nakhshiván. After having travelled thirteen hours through a mountainous tract, we came to Karish, the first town in Persia. It was built by Shárokh, the son of Timúr, and then came into the power of Uzún Hassan the Prince of Azerbeiján. Its castle is situated on a high peak, is square and built of stone, an elegant yet strong fortress, garrisoned by one thousand Dizchoken Túlúnkí. They saluted us contrary to our wishes, by firing eighteen guns, the report of which was re-echoed among the neighbouring hills. We encamped at the foot of the castle, and visited the town at our leisure. It was formerly a large town, but is now in ruins, in consequence of the pillage it suffered at the time of the expedition to Eriván by Sultán Murad IV. when the troops of Erzerúm, Achika and Karrs revolted, and plundered this town of Karish. There are seven mosques with minarehs, three baths, and gardens and vineyards in abundance. The town is situated on the banks of the river Karish, which issues from Mount Súkún, and flows to the Aras. The Agha of the Castle invited me with the envoy to a feast, and our horses with difficulty ascended to the castle in half an hour. The Agha of the garrison dressed in an odd way, and giving us welcome, invited us to his house, from which a beautiful view may be enjoyed. He treated us to eleven sorts of pilaw and a great number of other good dishes; he presented me, the envoy, and Alaja Atlí Hassan, with leopard skins, and sent after us when we had returned to our tents, a present of fifty sheep, one thousand loaves of white bread, and from seven to eight mule-loads of delicious fruits, with several sorts of sherbet. We kept the great feast (Bairám) here, remained a couple of days, and were then entertained with a sumptuous dinner in a garden. Returning from the garden we took a view of the outside of the mosque of Evhad Allah, it is an incomparable mosque with a well-proportioned minareh; near it is the bath of Táj-ud-dín Munshí, and seven Kháns. The beautiful women of the place have such fine and brilliant eyes, that one glance from them delights the heart more than a thousand from others. The next morning three hundred Persian horsemen joined us, and accompanied us on our way, which led through a mountainous tract, thirteen hours towards the east, to the station of the village of Kend Massír; Kend is the Persian word signifying the same as the Turkish Kassaba (small town). It is situated on the border of Mount Massír, and consists of one thousand houses with earthen roofs, surrounded with gardens, seven mosques, three baths, and three hundred shops. It is the seat of a Kelenter (provost) subordinate to Eriván. We advanced fourteen hours to Kend Zúh Khán, on the frontier of Nakhshiván belonging to its khass, it is a flourishing small town. Here we took two Persian boys, who delighted us with their songs. We now proceeded for seven hours through a wide valley, where we saw immense trees, to Uch Kilisse. On the top of a mountain are three great convents, in each of which lodge a couple of hundred priests and monks. Fine youths serve the strangers who divert themselves here. One of these three convents was built by Núrshirván, the second by the Greek Emperor, the third by an Armenian lady, which is now inhabited by more than five hundred nuns, who eat nothing but dry roots; but they serve milk, dates and sweetmeats to stranger’s, and take care of their goods and horses. These three Armenian convents are celebrated amongst all Christians, and are therefore well endowed. In each of them are from five to ten guest-masters, and from forty to fifty cooks. The Abbot of these convents gave to me and the envoys, a grand entertainment, and presents after dinner.

_Curiosities of Uch Kilisse._

At the grand convent built by Núrshirván, every year forty or fifty thousand Infidels assemble from all countries of Christianity, to witness the solemnity of an old carpet being spread on the top of the mountain. They collect all useful and medical herbs growing on these mountains, and throw them into a boiling kettle which stands upon this carpet; these herbs remain boiling more than an hour in the kettle on the carpet, which receives no harm, to the great astonishment of many thousand spectators. The herbs are then distributed amongst the people, some of whom carry them to their own countries, others eat them on the spot. I talked with the monks about this, who assured me that the carpet was the same on which Jesus fell when issuing from Mary’s womb; when shut up in a cave with his twelve disciples for fear of the Israelites, they cooked their herbs on this carpet, which to witness the miraculous power of Jesus, restored a dead man to life. It is the same carpet on which Jesus gave a dinner to the Israelites. The carpet then passed into the hands of Núrshirván, who when building the Convent gave it to it as an endowment. When Sultán Súleimán went to the siege of Eriván he performed a double prayer on this carpet. It is neither cotton nor silk, but of variegated colours and very heavy. I, poor Evliyá, am of opinion that it is of asbestos, a stone which is found in the island of Cyprus, and worked into linen and paper, handkerchiefs, shirts, &c., which are brought as presents to the great men of Constantinople. Sultán Murád said to his sister Kia Sultán (Kia signifies rock) the Lady of my gracious Lord, Melek Ahmed Páshá. “Lady Rockby! as your name is rocky, I’ll give you a shirt of stone,” and really gave her a shirt, which, when dirty, was cleansed by throwing it into the fire. Great men have abundance of asbestos linen; Captain Hassám-zadeh gave me such a handkerchief, which having become dirty, in the presence of Melek Páshá, I threw into the fire, when it became as pure as a white rose. God knows whether this carpet is not also made of this Cyprian stone. We left Uch Kilisse and passed towards the east through cultivated fields and populous villages, so that we did not see a cubit of ground which was not productive or cultivated, and arrived after eight hours march at a well cultivated village on the border of Mount Sokún, like a small town. We counted no less than eleven minarehs, but as I was indisposed I did not examine it well.

_Pilgrimage to Mohammed Sháh’s Tomb._

It is a great Convent of Begtáshís; more than three hundred came with drums beating and banners flying to give us welcome: a crowd of poor fellows all in raptures of divine love, by the prayers of whom I was restored to health. Next day we crossed a plain for thirteen hours, and halted three times on it. At the southern end of this field we pitched our tents on the bank of the great river Zengí, where the people of all the Kents of the neighbourhood, flocking together, brought us abundance of provisions as presents, so that our servants feasted as if they were as many Ma’adí Karbs, and our horses feasted on trefoil and other luxuriant herbs, so that their bellies swelled like wine-skins. The river Zengí issues on the south from the mountains of Khárán, flows to the North, supplying water to many thousand Kents, and then joins the Aras, which falling into the Kúr (Cyrus) runs into the Caspian sea. We continued our journey hunting hares, and came at the end of ten hours to the Kent Sídreghí, a Wakf of Imám Riza in the territory of Nakhshiván. It is a flourishing Kent of about one thousand houses surrounded with gardens. The inhabitants are all Shi’ís. The hot-spring of Sídreghí is outside of the town close to the vineyards; this hot-spring is covered with a large cupola, and in the large basin the Persian youths swim like silver fishes; they amuse themselves by disporting in the water, and singing with melodious voices. Fourteen hours further to the east, we came to Zavieí Ahmed Beg, consisting of five hundred houses, in the territory of Nakhshiván. Here are three mosques, one of which was built by Zál Páshá-zadeh Ahmed, when governor of Nakhshiván, in the style of the mosques at Constantinople. This is the reason why the Persians called this Kent (borough) the cell (zavie) of Ahmed Páshá; the whole borough is appropriated to the endowment of this mosque. We passed during sixteen hours through many cultivated Kents (boroughs) until we reached the large town Kara-bághlar, first built by Menúchehr, it is the seat of a Sultán (Beg) in the territory of Nakhshiván, it was wrested from the Ottomans by the Persians in the time of Mohammed III. and laid waste by the army of Sultán Murád IV., so that now ruins are only to be seen. Timúr passed a winter in perfect quietness at Karabághlar; Suleimán Khán and other commanders-in-chief were stationed here at different times for five or six months in the greatest affluence. This place is now recovering from the havoc made by Sultán Murad IV., but in comparison with its former state, it is not as an atom in the sun, nor a drop in the ocean. Our servants counted forty minarehs, and according to the report of our Mihmándár it consisted of ten thousand houses with gardens and vineyards, and seventy mosques (forty of which have minarehs), a great number of Kháns, baths and markets. The mildness of the air contributes to the beauty of the inhabitants; the variety of fruits which abound here, is no where else to be met with. Taking a walk with the Envoy in a garden, the gardener brought us twenty-six different kinds of pears, the best are the Meleje, Abbássí, Ordúbaí, which when eaten, inundates the mouth and hands with rich juice, like jelly or sirup; there are also ruby-coloured pomegranates. In the cleanly cookshops you find pilaw of Eriván, with excellent herísse (fricassee). The cooks are extremely clean because they are all Moslíms, and in the whole of Persia eatables are never sold by Armenians or Greeks; indeed there are no Greeks at all in Persia, except a few travelling merchants, but there are a great many Shi’ítes and Jews being the sect of the Teberraites and Karaites. There are also Mulhads (impious); Zindíks, (atheists); Ja’aferites, Jeberites, Kadrites, Húrúfites, Zimínites, and other such heretics. After having taken a good view of the gardens at Karabágh we departed, and in seven hours reached the fortress of Nakhshiván, which by some is spelt Nakhjíván, (the cosmetic water of all the towns of Irán;) it is the seat of a Khán (answering to the Turkish Páshá) on the frontier of Azerbeiján and Avján. Its officers are an Itimád-ud-devlet (minister); Kelenter, (provost, in Turkish Súbashí); a Múnshí, (secretary, otherwise Kiatib); a Dárogha, an Agha of the Dízchoken (the troops) a judge and a muftí. It was originally built by Sháh Efrasiáb, and the cupolas are shewn where his ancestors are said to be buried; in their times it was extremely populous and cultivated: it was then pillaged by the Moghols, who levelled the castle with the dust; Sháh Ismaíl rebuilt it, and in the reign of Mohammed III. it was taken possession of by Zúltakár Khán, and again conquered in the time of Sultán Murad IV. by Tabán Yassí Mohammed Páshá. Such is the state of the world where nothing remains unchanged, but every thing perishes except His (God’s) face. After Sultán Murad’s conquest it consisted of twelve thousand houses with terraces, seventy mosques, forty mesjíds, twenty kháns, seven baths, and one thousand shops. The air is mild, but as it has few gardens, it has also but few fruits, one of its best products, is cotton of seven colours, black, yellow, ruby-coloured and of the purest white. The corn and wheat of Nakshiván is praised every where. Above all its painted linen and its Chít (chintz) deserve to be recommended. Its barley is so rich, that if a horse eats four grains of it, it is satiated; its gardens are repositories of melons and water-melons. The youth are all fair and white on account of its excellent air, they wear the Persian turban, Táj, and robes of painted cotton and Chít (chintz) breeches of different colours, and green, red and orange-coloured papúshes. The women wear pointed caps on which they wrap white muslin, and boots of various colours. The fashionable young men wear pelisses of Isfahán, and walk with great pomp and dignity, but they are wholly attached to women. The people pretend to be of the orthodox sect of Sháfií although they are Persians, but this is a foul lie, they are Ja’aferites, who, however, keep the regular prayer hours five times a day, but never in company. They have some very fine mosques, every one of which may be compared to Eden, they are lined with painted pottery, and at some, the cupolas are covered in the same manner, there are thirty-three minarehs in the style of those of Constantinople; that of Ahmed Páshá exactly resembles that of Rostán Páshá at Constantinople. The bath of Jenání is very pleasant, the walls are faced with porcelain, and the floor is paved; the waiters are black-eyed youths from Khoten, whose crystal white bodies are set off by the dark blue of their aprons. Near the house where we lodged, as guests, is the bath of Zál Páshá, which is also a soul-delighting bath, owing to its fine water and excellent attendance; the walls are faced with porcelain, and the floor paved with jasper, marble, and granite of various hues. In the large basin ten feet square, which is underneath the cupola, the young people swim like angels of the sea: the bath-keeper every day pours into the basin, a basket of rose-leaves, which attaching themselves to the bodies of the bathers forms a kind of veil which is very becoming; thus they sport and play like peacocks and doves, their nakedness being covered by rose-leaves; in short this bath is so delightful that such poets as Hassán and Selmán could not sufficiently praise it, how then could it be possible for me, poor Evliyá, to succeed.

Rich merchants are established in the market, who trade by land and sea, each of whom is as rich as Karún; the inhabitants are all given to pleasure, and pass part of every day in each other’s gardens. The Khán of Nakhshiván, Rísa-ud-din, after having met us, carried us directly to one of his gardens, where he read our letters to the principal men of Nakhshiván, and gave us an entertainment, attended by so many singers and musicians, that it was equal to the feast of Hossein Bikara. The Khán, a person of great repute, had been the treasurer of Sultán Sifí, who had delivered the castle of Baghdád to Sultán Murad; he was a man of great judgment, of Georgian extraction, and his name was Devlet Murád Khán. After dinner he gave to Alaja Atlí Hassan, who came as envoy from the Páshá, and to me, brilliant robes of honour, ten tománs of Abbássí, and a horse, investing his own envoy also with a caftán. He has from forty to fifty delightful companions excelling in various arts. The inhabitants of this town generally speak the dialect Dihkáni, or of peasants, but they have poets who speak the Pehleví and Moghol languages with elegance. The languages that are spoken here, are the Dihkání or rough Persian; the Derí, or court language; the Farsí, or pure but less elegant Persian; the Ghází and the Pehleví, two ancient dialects.

In the commentary of Dilemí, it is reported that the Prophet asked Michael “whether God ever spoke any thing in Persian;” and Michael replied, “yes, that there were some passages in the books which Abraham received from Heaven:” and the Prophet answered, “whoever ridicules the Ghází dialect is an Infidel”.

The Turkomans, Gokdúlák and Moghols, who are settled in the different districts, again speak other dialects. All these districts are defended by strong castles, some of which I passed on hunting parties, without having leisure to examine them properly. The names of these castles are:—Alánjak Ván, built by Molla Kotb-ud-dín; Serán, Sersú, and Semaraván, built by Merván Ibn-al-himár. The names of Persian towns almost all terminate as follows:—in Tartary the castles are named, Cherkers Kermán, Kiresh Kermán, Sháhin Kermán, Irbát Kermán, In Kermán, Ghází Kermán, Uzí Kermán, and Ak Kermán. The names of Polish fortresses are Kamanija (Kaminiuk), and Alúnjissa. The names of fortresses in Transylvania terminate in ár, as Sakmár, Sakswár, Oivár, &c. The German fortresses are Iran, Comoin, Tata, Papa, Santmarton, Posonium, Bedj (Vienna), the latter is the residence of the German Emperor. Amongst the names of Ottoman towns, those of the Holy land are the most sounding. The whole Ottoman Empire consists of seventy seats of Begler-Begs, three hundred and sixty sanjak Begs, and thirteen hundred and eighty strong castles. May they all remain in the power of the Ottoman family until the end of the World. Amen! The names of Persian castles will be given in the course of our travels.

JOURNEY FROM NAKHSHIVAN TO TABRIZ.

From Nakhshiván we proceeded for eight hours towards the Kiblah, and arrived at the place Kessik Kunbed, containing one thousand houses with gardens, three mosques, a Khán and Hamám.

_Pilgrimage of Riza, the Son of Hossein Bikara._

The inhabitants of the kent told us, that it was the tomb of the son of Hossein Bikara, but on the marble coffin was written Murád Ibn Beháder Shefád Ibn Hossein Bákara. It is a high cupola, and the tomb-keeper is one of the descendants of Hossein Bikara. We continued our journey from hence seven hours along the Arash, which rises in the mountains of the Curds Bínpánshí, in the province of Ván, flows to the North and joins the river Zenghí. It may be crossed on horseback. We now advanced for some time amongst gardens, and arrived at Karabágh, a town of Azerbeiján, which was built by one of the princes of this country, and ruined by Koja Ferhád Páshá one of the Vezírs of Sultán Mohammed the conqueror of Erla. The traces of havock are still to be seen.

When Sultán Murad IV., on his expedition to the conquest of Eriván, came to this country, he again pillaged the town, which is just now rising from its ruins. It is the seat of a Sultán, who commands one thousand men. Its officers are a Kelenter, Darogha, Múnshí, Bínbáshí, and Dizchoken-agassí. The town is situated on a beautiful wide plain, and consists of three thousand houses, seven mosques, seven baths, three kháns, and six hundred shops. The youth of both sexes are pretty; the products good and plentiful; the air salubrious and the water excellent; it is adorned and surrounded with gardens. Among the fruits deserve to be mentioned twelve different sorts of ruby-coloured grapes, and eighteen sorts of cherries; some of its quinces are of the size of a man’s head. Its waters are carried in some places through subterraneous conduits, and are most refreshing in summer time. The cupolas of the mosques are built in the old style of architecture, that is to say, pointed, and are covered with china of different colours; eleven minarehs are conspicuous, but there are altogether seventy mihrábs. The inhabitants have been exempted from the payment of all gifts and duties, on condition that they would rebuild the town; they only contribute annually to the Sháh of Irán an hundred camel-loads of dried fruits. In short, there are three towns in Azerbeiján called Karabágh, each of which is a garden resembling Paradise. We went from hence turning towards the Kiblah, and arrived at the place where the river Irs joins that of Shán. We crossed it amidst a thousand difficulties; it collects its waters from the mountains of Punyánshí (Bínpánshí?) Bíredos, and Bághassí. Three stations below the plain of Nakhshiván the Irs runs into the Zenghí, the Zenghí into the Aras, the Aras into the Kúr, the Kúr into the Terek, (?) and the Terek into the Caspian Sea. After having crossed the river we came in six hours to Kent Kerken, which is situated in the province of Tabríz on the frontier of Merend, consisting of three hundred houses, a mosque, a khán, and a bath; but the inhabitants are extremely uncivil Persians; they are all cotton weavers, of which their plain produces a large quantity; bogassins of various colours are manufactured here.

After a march of nine hours towards the Kiblah, we arrived at the kent of Zeneves, one thousand well-built houses, ten mosques, a khán, and bath. Ten hours further on, towards the Kiblah, is the town of Tessúí; it is situated on the frontier of Merend and the bank of the Irs, and has three thousand houses with terraces, seven mosques, three baths, and six kháns. Its Sultán commands one thousand armed men; there is a Kelenter and Darogha, a Múnshí and Kádhí. It was also destroyed by Murad IV., and is now recovering from its ruins; it is twelve farsangs distant from the town of Merend; the fruits of Tessúí are celebrated. The inhabitants are Shiítes, who live by gardening. We now passed to the south, drinking fresh water from wells, because the greatest part of the water is here subterraneous, and at the end of twelve farsangs we reached the town of Merend, the residence of the Khán of Elvend, and the seat of a Sultán commanding one thousand men. Its authorities are a Kelenter, Darogha, Munshí, and Dizchoken Aghá. The interval of fourteen farsangs between here and Tabríz is all well cultivated ground. Merend lies to the east of Tabríz. It was formerly a hunting place of Sháhrokh, the son of Timúr, and was in a flourishing state, but Sultán Murad IV. laid it waste; there are now three thousand houses, seven mosques, three kháns, five baths and six hundred shops, but no Bezestán, no colleges nor abecedarian schools; but praise must be given to its seventy fine walks and gardens, each of which outrivals those of Eden. Its youth of both sexes are pretty and eloquent. The inhabitants are for the most part military men, all the sect of the Shiítes; on the Kiblah side of the town is the tomb of Hossein Teftazání, one of the ancestors of the great Teftazání, also of Alí Khándí, Sheikh Súsemári, and Alí-ud-dín. We received presents from the Sultán of this town, and went on seven hours, on the Kiblah side, through roads planted on both sides with willows and planes, so that we always travelled in the shade, sheltered against the rays of the sun. We halted at the wells, and arrived at Kent Kuherín, belonging to the Secretary of the Khán of Tabríz, of one thousand houses, six mosques, three baths, and two great palaces. It is an extremely flourishing kent. May God destroy it! because they are all Shiítes, and because I heard here for the first time, curses uttered against Omar. Allah confound them! I was obliged to listen quietly to those obloquies, though I had a great mind to kill the rascal, which I might have done without incurring much responsibility, because envoys travelling from Rúm to Persia are free in all their actions, even if they should kill a Persian.

We now marched six hours further to Kent Sehlán, which is the khass of the Khán of Tabríz, situated in a plain, consisting of one thousand houses, seven mosques, a khán, a bath and some small markets (Súk). Its streets are all planted with willows and planes. The inhabitants of Tabríz have their koshks and pleasure-houses in this kent; the inhabitants of the place pretend to be Sháfiítes, but are all cursed Ráfedites; the young people and the air of the place is praiseworthy. As we continued our journey, we saw on our right, the high cupola of Ghazán Mohammed Sháh towering into the skies, conspicuous at six hours distance. We said a Fátihah to his memory, halted on a fine meadow, and sent a messenger to Tabríz. After three hours we mounted our horses for the solemn entry, I and the Envoy of Tabríz side by side; before the envoy marched his soldiers well dressed, and before me forty persons composing my train; the Kiaya of the Khán of Tabríz came to meet us in solemn pomp (Istikbál), and accompanied by him we made our entrance into the town of Tabríz, where many thousand persons in the market were collected to stare at us; our march from the town-gate to the palace of the Khán at the other extremity of the town lasted for two hours. The Khán received us in his Diván, where a great Council was assembled, the Persian music consisting of kettle-drums and trumpets were three times sounded, and the troops paraded. After the music was over, I got up, and drew forth from my breast the letter of Defterdár-zadeh Mohammed Páshá, the governor of Erzerúm, giving it into the hand of the Khán, who got up and kissed it, and put it on his head. The Ishek Aghá (master of the ceremonies) then shewed me my place, where I stood in the Mohammedan fashion. The Khán gave the letter to his secretary (Múnshí), who kissed it respectfully, and read it with a loud voice. At the mention of God’s name, and the Prophet’s name, all stood up praising the Prophet, but at the mention of his four friends, some looked askance (not liking to hear Omar mentioned amongst them.)

The reading being finished the Khán said: “With the aid of God I will send to my honourable brother the Vezír of the Emperor, before a month elapses, a caravan of a hundred horses, and one of a hundred camels.” Then adding different kind greetings and words, he made us sit down close to him, and ordered the repast to be brought in. After dinner, I delivered the pearl beads, the quiver and the Venetian stuffs, which, said I, “the Páshá has furnished me with, that I may not appear before your Excellency with empty hands; he has added to these two Arabian horses of high breeding, which shall now make their appearance, if your Excellency would be pleased to see them.” He rose up, and we came to the end of the room; the horses richly caparisoned were on the signal given by me led into his presence: they came dancing and capering to the great astonishment of all the gentlemen of the Diván; saying, “Bismillah!” I gave the bridle of the horse into the hands of the Khán, adding “Mobarek-bád” (Be it prosperous!) The Khán took some turns on the horse, riding without stirrups in the fashion of Persian horsemanship. I then presented him with the second horse (Yelkendiz), with which he was no less satisfied, and sent it to his stable. At a signal by the Khán all our servants were served with sherbet, rosewater and incense was repeated; and we were then given in to the care of the Mihmándár, Kúrújí-báshí, Darogha, and Kelenter. The latter conducted us to his garden, where we remained. The Khán sent me forty tománs bath-money, a caparisoned horse (Karajabuk), with an elegant saddlecloth, and seven camel-loads of provisions. The public cryers now published, throughout the town, an order of the Khán to make known that an Ottoman embassy of Sunnís having arrived, every body should be cautious of insulting them, lest they might be killed by the Sunnís. They curse neither Abúbekr nor Osmán, but Omar gives them a terrible head-ache, and they cannot refrain from injuring him by slanderous words. The same day the Khán sent us ten fine youths all dressed in embroidered cloth. They were led by our Mihmándár to kiss our hands, according to the ancient etiquette by which the Kháns of Persia used to send ten fine youths as servants to the Ottoman Envoys. We now began to take a view of the town.

_Description of the Capital of Azerbeiján, the ancient town of Tabríz._

In the Moghol language it is called Túris; in the Derí dialect, Táríz; in the Dihkání, Tábríz; and in the Farsí, Tabríz: in all these dialects, _tab_ signifies fever, and _ríz_ pouring [dispersing], because the air is so salubrious, and the water of Aján so good, that people who come from regions where fever prevails, completely recover here; the fortress of Cairo is also a place where no fever is to be found. Tabríz was founded by Zobeide, Harún Rashíd’s wife, who, when pregnant with Mamún, built a pleasure-house here on account of the excellent air. Afterwards a large town was built at an immense expense, and of such extent that it took three days to go round it. In the time of Calíf Motevekel, it was ruined by an earthquake which destroyed forty thousand men. Motevekel came himself from Baghdád to rebuild the town at the expense of immense treasure. It rests on one side upon mount Aján, on another side upon mount Sehlán, on a third side upon mount Senján, and on the fourth upon the Maiden’s mount (Kiztágh). The actual circumference of Tabríz, is six thousand paces, there are three hundred towers, three thousand battlements, and six gates, viz., that of Aján, of Berserván, of Serzúd, and of Shámnemázán, each of which is guarded by five hundred watchmen. The third builder of Tabríz was Húlagú, who resided here seven years, and embellished it wonderfully: Mohammed Khodabende Ibzárgún Sháh transferred the whole palace, built by Húlagú, on camels to his new built town. The timber used in the buildings was all cypress and aloe wood, and they have been faced with china ever since. The fourth builder was Mohammed Sháh Ghazán, who extended the boundaries to the mountains of Senján, Aján, and Sehlán, and surrounded it with a wall, which required four days to make a tour of it. The town formerly built by Motevekel became then the inner castle or citadel of the new town. In the year 959, it was taken by Sultán Suleimán, who did not ravage it, but made a present of it to Sháh Elkáss Mirza. In the year 994 (1585), it was taken by the Persians. In the reign of Murad III., Uzdemir-oghlí Murad Páshá undertook the expedition into Persia with an immense army, the van of which was led by Jighála-oghlí Sinám. Osmán Páshá, one of his generals, took the town of Tabríz out of the hands of the Sháh.

To defend this town a strong citadel was then built of twelve thousand seven hundred cubits, which seems as though it had been built by Ferhád, and on the gate of which the name of Uzdemir is inscribed. Uzdemir Páshá, the fifth builder, finished the castle in thirty-six days, and filled it with all necessary stores, and a garrison of forty thousand men. But he was not so happy as to perform the Friday’s prayer, having died before it; the whole army proclaimed Jighála-zadeh Sinám their commander, who was not however confirmed in his place by the Porte, which when made acquainted with the news, named Khándin Ja’affer Páshá, formerly Governor of Tripolis; under whose government the flourishing state of Tabríz excelled even that at the time of Sultán Gházán. According to the description made in his time, Tabríz reckoned eighty thousand houses, and three hundred thousand inhabitants. During the troubles which took place soon afterwards by the rebellion of the troops, it happened, that the Persians became masters of Genje, Shirván, Shamákhí, Eriván, Nakhshiván and Tabríz, until the time of vengeance arrived in the reign of Sultán Murad IV. He conquered the fortress of Eriván in seven days, ransacked the towns of Nakhshiván, Merend and Karabágh, remained a week at Tabríz, levelled the palace of Sháh Abbás, and set fire to all the wooden houses, so that only stone buildings, such as mosques and baths, remained; after which havock he returned to Constantinople. Sháh Abbás returned, conciliated the inhabitants, and began to restore it to its former splendour. It is now the capital of Azerbeiján, and the seat of the Khán its Governor, who commands ten thousand men. Its officers are the Muftí, Nakíb or head of the Seids (Emírs), the Molla (Judge), Kelenter (Lieutenant of police), Múnshí, (Secretary), Darogha (Provost), Kúrújí-báshí (chief of the guards of the woods and heaths), Dízchoken Aghá, (commander of the garrison), Chiyek-yeyen Aghá (another officer of the troops), Yassúl Aghá (Inspector of the sentinels), and Ishek Aghá (Master of the Ceremonies) Mihmándár. These public officers keep good order in the town of Tabríz, so that justice prevails as it did in the time of Núrshírván, and no person can take a grain of mustard-seed from another.

_Description of the Mosques of Tabríz._

There are altogether three hundred and twenty mihrábs, nineteen of which are Imperial mosques. The first is the old mosque of Zobeide, the cupola and walls of which are all inlaid with china (fayence;) the mortar of the Mihráb having been mixed with musk, exhales the sweetest perfume; its minareh is also entirely inlaid with china. The mosque of Motevekel is a mosque in the old style, with one minareh, which like the former is faced with china. In the course of time the builder’s name has been lost, and it is now called Meshkieh. The mosque of Sultán Mohammed Shám Ghazán, which was formerly a splendid mosque, is now falling into decay in an obscure place; the mosque of Jihán Sháh Emín is a high building with a dome vying with that of Ták Kesra, like the mosque of Táher Bibars, at Cairo; its walls are white polished like Chinese paper, and before the Mihráb is a fine garden, the scent of which perfumes the air. The name of this fine mosque is Dihshetí-Behesht (terror of Paradise). The mosque of Sultán Hassan, the Prince of Azerbeiján, the same who built the fortress of Hassan Kala’a to the east of Erzerúm, and who was defeated by Sultán Mohammed II. in the field of Terján. He is buried at this mosque, the cupolas of which are inlaid with china inside and out; it is quite equal to the mosque of Sultán Hassan at Cairo. The minber, mihráb and mahfil are adorned with such elegant sculptures and carving, that the greatest masters of the present day would not be able to finish it in that style; the windows shine with unparalleled splendour, but the greatest masterpiece is conspicuous in the arabesques and ornaments of the great gate. Above all the gates and windows are inscriptions in the character of Yakút Mostea’assemí. On the side of the altar are two columns of a yellow stone, each of which is worth the revenue of Irán and Turán: these two columns have no equal, either in Egypt, Syria, Arabia, or Persia. The other Imperial mosques are also faced with china, paved with marble and adorned with paintings and suspended ornaments, so that each is quite a Chinese gallery. These five mosques are not however so much frequented as those in Turkey, because prayers are not performed in community, but singly by persons, who enter and leave abruptly. Opposite to the mosque of Uzún Hassan is that of Sháh Ismail, and near it that of Sháh Makssúd, the son of Sultán Hassan; the old mosque of Chármenán, the mosque of Abbás the first, and the great mosque, so large that from the great gate to the mihráb opposite, a man can hardly be distinguished.

_Colleges of Tabríz._

There are forty-seven large Colleges, where lectures are held on all sciences; the first is that of the lady of Sháh Jihán: and twenty rooms for reading the Korán (Dár-ul-kira) but they read it wrong throughout all Persia. There are seven houses for reading tradition (Dár-ul-hadíth), but the doctors of tradition are not much renowned, because they confine themselves to the tradition of Alí and the twelve Imáms, and have some thousand books on the traditions of Alí alone; six hundred schools, where boys are taught to spell and read the Korán, and are clothed once a year; one hundred and sixty convents of dervishes; six fountains, which all issue from mount Semendán. The town is besides furnished with seven canals of water, and there are one thousand and forty Sebíls, or places for distributing water, which are well covered. The town is divided into one thousand and sixty quarters which are called Derveze. The water magazine (serdáb) which was cleaned by Uzdemir Páshá furnishes the water of the canals. One thousand and seventy palaces of great men, two hundred caravánseraïs, seventy kháns for merchants and one hundred and ten for single workmen; seven thousand market streets (Súk) many of which are vaulted like those of Haleb; and a great Bezestán, which is the seat of the richest merchants, with four iron gates.

_Praise of the Air and Climate._

By the mildness of the climate the inhabitants are all healthy and stout, with red cheeks and black beards, merry faces, and lips like rose-buds; the women are pretty, and conscious of the fairness of their skins are extremely proud; those advanced in age are of sweet company, so that the proverb, “the old is sweeter than the young,” may well be applied to them. The inhabitants are all Shiís or Mulhad (impious), a great number are Dumbúlí, Khaljání, Turcomans, and Gokdúlák. There are two thousand Ulemás, amongst whom are excellent doctors, surgeons and oculists. There are more than seven thousand pious Sheiks, who are much esteemed in this town, the inhabitants never do any thing without consulting them, but their sect is not exactly known. Eighty-two most eloquent poets, authors of Diváns. Yárí and Shábí are the Saíb and Unfí of their time. Of the Mujazib or Santons (Saint fools) we saw Sherímí, whom no person ever saw eating, drinking, lying down, sleeping, or performing any of the natural offices of life for seventy years. The Persians are generally called Kizil-básh or red heads, because they wrap red sashes round their heads, though many of them also wear the Mohammedan white turban; but the cap is always pointed, and that of the Ulemás, which is called Táj, or crown, is more than two yards long. The great men wear sable.

_Account of the Persian Crown (Táj)._

The shape is founded on a dream of Ibrahím, the founder of the dynasty of Sefí; he dreamt that he bore a child to an ass, that had seventy fingers. This dream having been interpreted as foreshadowing the Empire, he swore, that if it should be fulfilled, he would commemorate the circumstance, by wearing an asinine phallus in his turban, and by imitating the cries of the animal in music. This is the reason why the Persian crown and head-dress have the present shape, and why their music resembles the braying of an ass.

The purity of the air drives away all fevers, and prolongs life to the age of one hundred and seventy years. The water issues from mount Semenden, and is distributed into more than nine hundred conduits and pipes, which furnish the town with water. The water aids digestion, and like the air is rather cold. There is also good water in wells, but the water of the canals is better; some of the wells are from forty to fifty cubits deep, in the summer their water is cold, and in the winter it is warm. Astrologers say that Tabríz was built by Zobeide, under the influence of the sign of the scorpion when ruled by Mars, and that for this reason, it has been so many times disturbed and ruined by rebels and by conquerors, such as Timúr, Gengíz, Húlagú, and Murad IV.

There are twenty-one pleasant baths each with one or two basins, a half soffa, and fountains (jets d’eaux). The attendants are fine youths, the water and air are excellent. Besides the public baths there are seven hundred private ones, where the silver-bodied youth swim like angels of the sea. On the china or fayence of these baths, is written the famous poem of Fozúlí, called the poem of the bath (Kassideí Hamám). There are seven sorts of corn growing at Tabríz, besides an abundance of barley. There are also seven sorts of cotton.

_Arts and Handicrafts, Provisions, Fruits, Beverages, Gardens, &c._

Painters, architects, goldsmiths, and tailors are nowhere to be found so perfect as here. Precious stuffs manufactured here go all over the world; the velvet is much renowned. The provisions consist of the white bread called Kerde, and Súmún, cracknels, pastry, roasts, chicken pies, forty different kinds of pilaw with spices, the Herisse and sweetmeat, Palúde. Among the abundance of delicious fruits are particularly the pears and exquisite apricots, they are not found in such perfection even at Constantinople. The beverages consist of seven sorts of Muscat wine, the common wine of the Royal grape, the pomegranate, the cherry wine, and oxymel; and for the common people búza of millet and rice.

There are some dining establishments for the poor, such as the Imáret of Sháh Yakúb, of Sultán Motevekel, of Lady Zobeide, and of Sultán Hassan, large buildings with kitchens worthy that of Keikavús, but in the hands of the Persians they have all decayed.

The principal walk is the mount Surkháb (Red-water) near Tabríz; at noon the sea of Rúmie may be distinguished from the top of it; it is at a farsang distance from Tabríz.

The number of gardens amounts to forty-seven thousand, the finest is that of Sháh Yakúb, where the Khán gave me a splendid entertainment. Eleven times in the day, seventy dancers and singers exerted themselves in the practice of their art, so that it resembled an evening party of Hossein Bikara. This garden owes its origin to Koja Ferhád Páshá, Governor of Tabríz under Sultán Murad III., who adorned it with numerous koshks, bowers and pleasure-houses; and at the time of the pillage of the town by Murad IV., this garden was preserved by the care of Osmán Aghá. The Chronostic of the koshk where we dined, alluding to the name of the builder, says that, Ferhád built this sweet (Shirín) palace. The walk of Sháh Sefí cannot be praised enough. It is the place of the Maïl; in the centre of it two immense columns lift their tops up to Heaven; on one of them every Friday a silver plate is put, which is aimed at by all the bowmen, who shoot at it, encouraged by the presence of the Khán. On New Year’s day (Nevrúz) or the beginning of spring, battles are fought in this place by horses trained in the dark during forty or fifty days, by camels, buffaloes, sheep, asses, dogs, and cocks. These fights are peculiar to Persia. Every year on the tenth of the month Moharrem, being the feast of A’ashúra, all the population of the town assemble under tents in this large place, and during three days and nights cook many thousand dishes of A’ashúra (a kind of hotch-potch), in remembrance of the martyrs of Kerbela; these dishes are distributed with an abundance of sugar-sherbet, which is carried round in crystal vases, and cups of cornelian and turquoise: at the same time singing certain verses, such as “Their Lord gave them of the purest beverage.” Some of the great men on this day carry cans and tankards round their necks, and go about distributing water like common porters. But the finest show is in the variegated tent of the Khán, where all the great men of Tabríz are assembled, and where a Hymn on the death of Hossein is recited, in the same manner as the Hymn on the Prophet’s birthday is in the Turkish mosques. The hearers listen, sighing and lamenting, but when the reciter arrives at the passage where Hossein is killed by accursed Shabr, a curtain opens behind him, and a severed head and trunk of a body, representing that of the Imám when dead, is thrown on the ground, when there rises such an uproar of cries and lamentations that everybody loses his wits. At this moment some hundred men mingle in the crowd with razors, with which they cut the arms and breasts of all loving believers, who desire to shed their blood on this day in remembrance of the blood shed by the Imám; they make such deep incisions and scars, that the ground appears as if it was blooming with tulips. Some thousands brand the marks and names of Hassan and Hossein on their heads, arms, and breasts. They then carry Hossein’s body away from the ground with much pomp, and finish the ceremony with great howlings.