Part 17

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._