Part 26

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

_Our journey to the Castle of Kumákh._

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

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

_Description of the Castle of Kumákh._

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

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

_Description of the Castle of Erzenján._

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

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

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

_Praise of the Eatables and Beverages._

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

_Pilgrimages._

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

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

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

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

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

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

_Description of a Lion._