Part 16

Letters of complaint arrived from Genj Alí Khán, the Khán of Eriván, stating that the rebellious Beg of the Castle of Shúshík had broken the peace by inroads into the Persian districts of Eriván. The sanjak Begs, Timariots and Zaims were summoned to take the field with half of their contingents, and to assemble at the Silver vault. The Páshá himself fixed his tent there, with seventy banners of Segbán or Seimen and Sárija (irregular troops), and four thousand regulars. The Beglerbegs assembled around him, pitching their tents according to the orders issued. It was an army of seventy-six thousand men. When the Persian Envoy saw this immense army collected, he repented of his complaint against the Beg of Shúshík, because he was afraid that this army might receive orders to lay siege to Eriván. Alaja Atlí Hassan Agha, with a thousand horse, was named Quarter-master (Konákjí-bashí); he took the van with the tails and tens. Sídí Ahmed Páshá was named Chárkají, or leader of the vanguard, and Bákí Páshá, Dúmdár, or leader of the rearguard. The army set out from the Silver vault in such order that the Persian Envoys and Khans remained quite perplexed. After four hours march it reached the place called the Camel’s Neck (Deve-boiní), where the Páshá, commander-in-chief, gave an entertainment to all the Begs and Beglerbegs, after which every one retired to his tent; this is a pleasant meadow, where our horses were refreshed with excellent trefoil, it is also the commencement of the field of Pássin. In winter time snow lies here to the height of a minareh, and many caravans have been lost in it. It was the snow that prevented Tabáni Yassí Mohammed Páshá from passing the Deve-boiní, and as he did not arrive before Eriván soon enough, that fortress was taken from the Osmanlís after seven months siege by the Persians. Three hours further towards the east, we arrived at the village Ja’afer Efendí, where Ja’afer Efendí, its owner, gave a splendid entertainment to the Páshá, with a present of three horses, and three boys. It is a well cultivated Armenian village of three hundred houses. We marched five hours across the plain of Pássin to the strong fortress of Rúm Hassan, renovated by Uzún Hassan, the Sultán of Azerbeiján; it is a lofty castle which was taken by Sultán Súleimán out of the hands of the children of Kara Yússúf, and is now the seat of the sanjak Beg of Pássin, in the province of Erzerúm. The khass amounts, according to the canon of Sultán Súleimán, to twelve thousand four hundred aspers; there are six Zaims, and three hundred and twenty-five Timariots. An Alaï Beg, Cherí-bashí, and Yuz-bashí (Colonel, Captain, and Lieutenant), are the officers of the feudal militia. In the time of war, the number of the troops amounts to fifteen hundred, the half of which now joined the Páshá’s army. The castle saluted the Páshá, as soon as his tent was fixed, with a great noise of guns and muskets. The Páshá sent an order to the commander to place the whole garrison under arms on the walls, as he wished to enter in state. When we entered it shouts of Allah rent the skies, and the reports of the guns shook them, so that the Persian Envoy was quite perplexed, putting the finger of astonishment to his lips. In the inside of the castle, the space between the outer and inner gate was set round with armour and different kinds of weapons, and beginning from the hot-bath gate, both sides of the road were lined, two deep, by armed men, who gave the salute. The prayer of Friday was performed in the mosque, and when we left it all the walls were covered with flags and banners of different colours. The Páshá entered the inner castle, where the guns of Sultán Súleimán, of forty four spans length, were fired, and the balls were thrown as far as the Bridge of the Shepherds, Shobán Jissrí. Here the company sat down to a splendid dinner, after which the Beg and Dizdár were invested with robes of honour. The Páshá returned to his tent, where he received the visit of the judge (appointed with one hundred and fifty aspers), the Serdár of the Janissaries, the Kiaya-yerí of the Sipáhís, of the Muftí, the Nakib-ul-ishráf, and other principal men (Ayán.)

_Size and Form of the Fortress Hassan._

It is situated on the northern side of the field of Pássin, on an isolated high cliff, so high, that to look down from the side of the hot-bath makes the head giddy. Inside there is nobody but the Imám, the Múezzin, and the Dizdár, or commander. Horses and asses cannot get up to this place. There is a small Koshk built for Murad IV. by our protector Melek Ahmed Páshá, who, at the time of the expedition to Eriván, was the imperial sword-bearer, having succeeded the former sword-bearer, who was removed from his office because the coverlet of the Sultán’s bed was set fire to by a spark one night. The circumference of the castle is one thousand paces, without a ditch; an iron gate opens to the west. On the north side, below the upper or innermost castle, is another castle with two walls, whose circumference is six thousand paces. It is an oblong square, of a shining whiteness. The walls are but eighteen yards high, but they are double, and on three sides the ditch is very deep, so that there is no fear of an enemy; the ground being marshy, no trenches can be opened. Its three gates are: on the west side, the gate of Erzerúm, a great gate with iron wings; the gate of the hot-bath, and a secret gate, shut to the east side; there is a garrison of seven hundred men, with a well-filled arsenal, and sixty large and small guns. Towards the south opens the plain of Pássin, which is seven journies long. The houses, five hundred and ninety in number, are all stone-built winter houses: the town consists of nine quarters, with as many mosques. The mosque of Súleimán is a low terraced mosque, with one minareh in the ancient style; there is no Bezestán or Medresse, but six schools for boys, a khán, and a bath. The inhabitants are a brave set of people, kind to foreigners. There are some men of wit and learning. The great poet Nefií Efendí was born here; no gardens exist round the castle, because it is too cold, nevertheless, vegetables are found here in abundance. Bread and honey are rather to be suspected, for I, myself, poor Evliyá, having eaten some honey in the commander’s house, became in half an hour so giddy that I thought of throwing myself down from the castle.

_Description of the Hot-baths._

On the south side of the lower town (Robáth), on the Kiblah side, are several hot-baths; seven of them are covered with small cupolas, and in eight other places the water is boiling in the open air, each place being used for different animals, such as horses, mules, camels, sheep, and others. The water of these hot-baths is carried to distant places on camels, and those who are afflicted with leprosy are cured if they drink of it.

Three hours to the east from hence, we came to the village of Sefer Agha, consisting of one hundred Armenian houses, in the field of Pássin. Three hours further on, is the great Bridge of the Shepherds (Chobán Koprissí). It is called so because it was built by Melek Sultán, of the dynasty of the shepherds (Chobán). It is vaulted like a rainbow over the river Aras, which comes from the great Gok-yaila, and flows to the east; passes under Melázjerd, before the village of Artof, the castle of Khinis, beneath the bridge of Altún Khalkalí, supplies water to many hundred villages below the Bridge of the Shepherds, joins the Zengi river below Eriván, which falls into the Kúr (Cyrus), and with it disembogues into the Caspian Sea. The river Aras (Aranes) is an impetuous river, which, at the melting of the snow, rages like the sea. The army passed during three days over the bridge, with the Páshá himself in grand state. After seven hours we came to the village of Great Artof, in the sanjak of Khinis, a village of one hundred Armenian houses. Eight hours further to the east, is the village of Kúzúlí Sultán Baba, belonging to Khinis. The castle, which lies six hours further on, was built by Shah Shapúr, the uncle of Uzún Hassan, the Prince of Azerbeiján. It was conquered by Sultán Súleimán, and is now the seat of a sanjak Beg belonging to Erzerúm. The khass is forty-eight thousand four hundred aspers, two ziamets, and four hundred and twenty-five timárs, with the Jebellís, two thousand men, besides one thousand men of the Páshá’s troops, all Kurds of the tribe Mahmudí. The judge is appointed with one hundred and fifty aspers; there is no Serdár, Kiaya-yerí, Muftí, or Nakíb, but there is a Disdár.

_Size and Form of the Castle of Khinis._

It is three journies distance (if you walk fast) from Erzerúm, and is a square, strong built castle, in the centre of a piece of high table land, surrounded on all sides by lofty mountains. The height of the castle wall is ten cubits, it is six thousand paces in circumference, with a gate to the north. In the eastern quarter of the castle is a clear fountain. Below the castle, at the foot of the wall, is an iron grating, which intercepts the stream, and distributes its water into the gardens. The gate of the castle is near this spring; there are within the castle twelve hundred Kurdish houses, and seven mosques, a khán, a bath, and some small streets; the houses are all covered with earth, and no bricks are to be seen. The inhabitants are all Mahmúdí Kurds, rich in sheep and goats; every year they repair with their cattle to the mountains of Boyúk-gol-yaila. Here the Beg of Melázjerd, in his quality of sanjak Beg of Erzerúm, came with three thousand well-armed Mahmúdí Kurds. He was invested with a robe of honour, and presented with a Chelenk, and took the van of the army. Ghazí Sídí Ahmed Páshá, commanding an army of fifty-three thousand men, with twelve guns and two culverins, directed his march from Khinis to Shúshík, and the Páshá, our master, remained with twelve hundred men on the field of Khinis. We now marched to the east, through precipices, for six hours, till we came to Khássík, a Kurdish village of two hundred houses, and I, poor Evliyá, advanced with two hundred horse to the castle of Zia-ud-dín, nine hours further; it is a strong castle in the territory of Azerbeiján, built by the Princes of that name. It is the frontier of the sanjak of Khinis; its keys were surrendered to the Ottomans after the conquest of Ván, and the inhabitants were exempted from all duties. There is no Serdár and Kiaya-yerí; there is a mosque and six hundred houses, with terraces and lower stories only, a khán, a bath, and from forty to fifty shops. The inhabitants are brave and honest.

_Description of the Hot-bath._

Between the river Aras, the lake of Ván, and the castle of Arjesh, is a famous hot-bath, in the neighbourhood of the castle Zia-ud-dín. It is a curious fact that the springs rise in five or six different places; at some of them the water is as cold as ice, in others it boils like gruel. Here is a spring so cold that the hand cannot bear it, and close to it one in which eggs and sheep’s feet are cooked. Only one of these hot springs is covered with a cupola, the rest are exposed to the open air; every one is large enough to drive a mill. We now turned to the west, along the mountains of Súnjáb-Ainí, and arrived after nine hours at the castle of Atík, built like the former, by Zia-ud-dín, the Prince of Azerbeiján; it is a square castle on a rock.

_Description of the Castle of Shúshek or Shúshík._

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._