Part 27

Upon the gate leading to the outer town a lion, stuffed with cotton, is to be seen, it has oranges in the place of eyes, yawning like a seven-headed dragon, with a piece of red felt instead of a tongue, and teeth as sharp as Turcoman daggers or Arab lances. It measures from its nose to its tail forty-five spans. This mountain lion continued his havoc on the cattle of the neighbouring country for seven years, when it was killed by a brave man, and placed by the order of Ahmed Tapán upon the gate of his new built bezestán. It is a terrific beast, with feet resembling columns; it is not so beautiful as the lions of Baghdád, Helle, Jevazer and Kavarna, with their yellow coloured hair of a span’s length, like Angora-goats. Lions being generally the inhabitants of deserts, this one of the mountains deserves so much the more to be noticed. The mountains of this part, being all covered with thick forests, abound with leopards, lynxes, wild sheep, martens, wolves, foxes and jackals, and men are scarcely able to fetch wood from the mountains because they are so full of ferocious animals. A party of Cossacks, who had once pushed their inroads as far as these mountains, became the prey of wild beasts; intending to devour men’s goods they were themselves devoured, and ever since the town has enjoyed perfect security from the roving Cossacks, who availed themselves of the vicinity of the Black Sea.

In this town I saw another marvellous thing, it was a boy standing before a barber’s shop with his father who begged alms; the boy was about eight or nine years of age with a stupendous head, like the heads of the people of A’ad and Themúd, like the head of Salsál (?) at Akgermán or like pumpkins of Adana and cabbages of Ván, on a neck no thicker than an arm, which not being capable of bearing such an enormous weight the head was supported by a wooden fork, which was fixed in the ground, and on it the weight of the head rested. This monstrous head, held up in this way before a barber’s shop, laughed in the faces of all who passed by. It had no turban but a kind of coarse saddle-cloth wrapped round it, the brows were of two fingers breadth extending to the ears, which were of human form, but of immense size, as were also the eyes, the lashes of which resembled arrows; the nose was somewhat of the shape of a Melonyena (Bádinján) of Morea, and when breathing, the nostrils were like those of a snorting horse; the mouth opened to such an astonishing width, that he was able to swallow at once a small water melon; of his teeth two were curved outside of the mouth towards the upper, and two downwards to the under lip; the lips were ruby-coloured but like the lips of a camel; the spittle was continually running out of his mouth. The physiognomy was that of a Kalmúk, and the hair crisped like that of black Arabs. The arms and breasts were those of a boy’s of his years, the fingers very thin and the feet like sticks. This was a case to apply the verse of the Koran to: “God does what he wills and orders what he likes.” I asked the father whether the mother of this monstrous child was still alive, he said “Yes, and that she was actually again with child.” I said, “Bandage her body tightly, that she may miscarry, for if the head of the child should grow to the size of its brother’s, its entrance into the world might cause an inconvenient enlargement.” The father said, “You are joking, but I assure you most earnestly, that when the mother of this boy laid in with him, the birth was so easy that she was aware of nothing at all and thanked God for such an easy deliverance.” I, poor Evliyá, said, “But never has there been created a creature with such a head, such a face and such teeth; do you believe it to be the real produce of your loins?” The man answered, “Having once gone to the mountain with my wife to cut wood, we there enjoyed a shepherd’s hour in most pleasant conversation. I then left her reposing under a tree, and went on my business, when I suddenly heard her cries, and saw her running towards me pursued by a naked giant, tall as the fir-trees. When she got home she fell sick, and her figure increased in size daily, until at the end of a year’s time she was delivered of this boy, whose head grows bigger and bigger every day.” I said, “If it please God, that it should still grow to a larger size, you must come to Constantinople, where if shown to the Vezirs and great men of the Empire he may easily gain two thousand piastres in a year.”

_Praise of the Alum, called Solomon’s Alum._

This is a reddish alum produced in the mountains of this town, which is therefore called Shábín Kara-hissár; it is much sought after by the goldsmiths of all countries. The Inspectorship is let at seven hundred thousand aspers a year. It breaks up into pentagon and sexagon stones shaped like the seal of Solomon; the goldsmiths use it to brighten the silver, and the surgeons for plasters. It has many excellent qualities. The temperature of this town being mild the inhabitants are fair. Its quinces and a kind of small bread are famous. We remained here three days as guests in the palace of Tapán Ahmed Aghá, purchased coffee, horse-shoes and some other necessary things and then returned.

On our journey we passed a great river, which flows into the Kerkúk, and whose waters collect from the vallies of Mánd, Vál, and Kúrd-dereh. After six hours march to the west we reached the village of Yakúb-aghá and further on, along the shores of the Kerkúk, through steep and stony ways and the tremendous pass of Bogház-kessen, to where the river, which flows through Amasia, enters the Kerkúk, and falls into the sea at Ener. Having passed it we continued our way for eight hours over hills and valleys and arrived at the Castle of Hájí Murád, built by Uzún Hassan’s vezír. After the defeat of Uzún Hassan it surrendered its keys without contest to Mahmúd Páshá, the vezír of Sultán Mohammed II. It is a high and steep castle like that of Kavilí-hissár, of a thousand paces in circumference and without a ditch, which from its situation on a hill would be superfluous. In the castle are seventy small houses, but no market, khán, bath, college or imáret. There are a great number of nut-trees. On the border of the Kerkúk, which flows at the foot of the castle in a deep valley is a khán. The Súbashí resident here is subordinate to Shábín Kara-hissár. I here informed the Páshá of the strength of Shábín Kara-hissár, at which he was surprised. From hence we ascended a high mountain to the north and came in six hours to the village of Chaúdár; in seven more to Emírler, a village in the territory of Shábín; in five more to an Armenian village; in four more to the west to the village of Kílárjí Veliaga, on the border of a high mountain, consisting of two hundred houses, in the jurisdiction of Iskefser, in five more to the station of Básh-chiflik also in the jurisdiction of Iskefser on the frontier of Erzerúm and Sívás, which has already been mentioned on our road to Erzerúm. Further to the west is the castle of Ník-hissár (good castle) and five hours further the village of Kazán-kia in the province of Sívás, in the jurisdiction of Ník-hissár. Still passing to the west by Bogház-kessen we came through thick woods to the village of Kúmánova; in two hours more to the great village Sontissa, on the frontier of Nígissár, with three hundred houses, a mosque, and bath; and in five hours more to Zavádí-tekiessí, of two hundred houses, on a high mountain on the frontier of Ládík; a great foundation, being a great convent at the tomb of a great saint. Its Dervishes are almost all of the Prophet’s family. I here performed with the Páshá the prayer of I’idí-asha (Kurbán-bairám) and the Sheikh of the convent gave us a repast. The tails having been sent on, we passed the next morning in five hours the pass of Setlí-púlí, and arrived at the village of Hamíd, which has a mosque and gardens; and in five hours more to the west, at Ládík.

_Description of the Castle of Ládík._

This castle was built by one Havík one of the Greek Princes of Amasia. Melek Ghází of the Dánishmend family, who came from Mahán with the Seljúk family, conquered both Ník-hissár and Ládík in the same year. There are three Ládíks in the Ottoman Empire, viz: that of Konia now quite ruined by rebellions, that of Korládík in the province of Ván and the third, Ládík of Amasia. After the conquest of the town by Bayazíd I., Ládík surrendered its keys to Timúr-tásh Páshá, who accepted them with the good wish that the inhabitants might live long. The blessing of this wish is still evident in the long and prosperous lives of the inhabitants. Bayazíd II., when governor of Amasia, passed six months of the year in this place and made a delightful garden, which is kept in order by a Master (Ustá) and forty Bostánjís, Kúrújí and Tablakjí. It is a town free from all duties and gifts, because it is the wakf of Bulbul Khatún the mother of Ahmed I. The governor of Sívás has no right to interfere by his officers. The judge has the rank and pay of three hundred aspers, but may collect in a fair way six purses annually from the districts. There is a Muftí, Nakíb, Serdár, Kiaya-yerí, Naíb and Mohtessib. The Castle is an old pile of building, which is now without a commander or garrison; the Bostánjís run over the woods and heaths and watch the town, which has seventeen quarters; forty-seven Mihrábs, six of which are jamís and three of them Imperial ones; three thousand and twenty houses covered with bricks and surrounded with gardens; seven convents, the most remarkable of which is that of Seid Ahmed Kebír; two baths; seven kháns; a large caravánseraï, built by Gházi Davúd Páshá; four hundred shops, and a bezestán; forty-one palaces of Vezírs and great men, all having baths; no particular college, but lectures are given in all the mosques; eighteen schools for boys and two dining establishments. The Noblemen wear sable pelisses, the merchants ferráje and kontosh of cloth, and the women velvet trowsers, boots, ferráje of cloth, white veils and pointed caps; they are no where to be seen but in the bath and in the houses where they pay visits. They are most modest, lovely creatures, who entangle lovers with sweet words and gracious behaviour.

Its eatables are large pears better than those of Malatia, Nissú, Khúí and Merend; delicious cherries, a kind of bread called Memejik-ekmek which is the first bread in the world after the Súmún of Sapánja: there are no raisins, melons, water-melons, figs, &c. The white honey called Tághbálí is not equalled either by that of Creta, Adana or Sicily. Its fine cotton linen excels the linen of Mossúl and Lekefúr in Persia.

_The Walks of Ládík._

The head fountain of the water Bállí-kiasú, which flows through the town, is a pleasant walk on the Kiblah side. Another famous walk on the east side is called Frenk-gozí, the Frank’s eye; Hossein Páshá built a koshk by the splendid spring which arises here; the water is so cold that people cannot take out of it three stones consecutively. The rivulets formed by those two sources of Bállí and Frenk-gozí flow through the town supplying water to the palaces, kháns, mosques, gardens, and mills, and terminate in the lake of Ládík. Another walk is that called Akbínár, a fountain of cold water, which does not flow through the town, but outside. All these sources rise in the high mountains to the north of the town and find their way into the lake of Ládík. On the west of Ládík, a pleasure-place called the monastery, a delightful spot with a water called Rámja, which is sweeter than the water of Ma’avia. These united sources divide below the castle into two branches, one of which waters the gardens of Kowa-mahallessí below the pilgrimage of Khizrlik, and the other passes by the pilgrimage of Bálídedeh, where the principal men come to meet the pilgrims returning from Mecca.

_The warm laths of Ládík._

A hot spring is situated one hour and a half on the west of Ládík on a high hill in a village, called Khalliz, below which it flows as a small rivulet, turns some mills, and falls into the Kizil Irmák; being situated behind the mountains of Ládík it cannot fall into the lake. The warm bath of Khalliz is much renowned. In the cherry season this place is visited by thousands of people, who here renovate their health by God’s command. An outlet from this hot bath flows into the river Khalliz which empties itself into the Kizil Irmák. Another warm bath (Ilije, Turkish; Humma, Arabic; Germáb, Persian;) is on the west side of Ládík in the jurisdiction of Kaúza. Kaúza is in this country the name of a hot bath, which in Rúmelí is called Kainarje; in Tartary, Ilissí; in Mogolastán, Kerenda; and Frangistán, Bagno. It is a double bath so that men and women have their separate bathing places. The basin in the men’s apartment is ten feet square and is such a delightful sight that it might restore dead men to life. The water rushes forth from four lions’ mouths, which are at the four corners. The water is not very warm, but in addition to this great basin there is a small one the water of which is so extremely hot, that no man can bear it. On the four sides of this great basin under vaults are eight bathing troughs, where thousands of men are cured in the cherry season. In the same bath is a cold, limpid spring, called the maiden’s eye (Kiz-gozí), which gives fresh life to those who drink of it. The distance between this spring, cold as ice, and the hot spring is but a yard.

_Description of the Lake of Ládík._

This is a large lake to the east of Ládík, which would take a day to go round; eleven different sorts of fish are found in it, the description of which would be too long to give. Twenty-six springs and rivulets flow into this lake on its four sides, from the districts of Zedaí, Súnssa, Kaúza and Zeitúm; it has no outlet. On its border is Bogházi-koí, a pleasant village, and the village of Otúz, renowned for its kaimak (cream), which is no where better; it can be cut like cheese and is elastic as gum. If any Kaimak can be compared with it, it is that of Bíngol (thousand lakes). Amasia lies eight hours to the south of Ládík, and to the eastward is Ník-hissár; the jurisdiction of Kavákelí is at a journey’s distance. To the west is the town of Koprí and the jurisdiction of Zeitúm at a journey’s distance. North to it is the harbour of Samsún and further on Sinope.

_Pilgrimages of Ládík._

Sheikh Seid Ahmed Kebír, buried in his own convent, was the disciple of Sheikh Ekber who is also buried here in the old mosque, built by himself in the year 952 (1545); he was one of the Sheiks of Sultán Orkhán. Beneath the castle Sheikh Ya Wúdúd is buried, and Báli-dedeh at the meeting place of the caravan of Mecca. Ghází Tayár Mustafa Páshá is also buried here beneath a lead covered cupola.

I remained at this place three days with my gracious Lord, the Páshá, to whom great feasts were given, and then marched five hours to the west to the village of Shabín-ághá, of two hundred houses, where Kássim Aghá gave a grand feast; five hours further on we reached the village of Korkoí, of three hundred houses, a mosque and gardens. The next day, when the tails were about to be carried forward, two Chaúshes arrived as messengers from Constantinople to Diárbekr, whom the Páshá arrested. On their being searched nothing was found but a Khattí-sheríf to the Páshá of Baghdád, Sáleh Páshá, removing him from his government and recalling him to Constantinople in order that he might be made Kápúdán Páshá. The same day the Páshá despatched his messenger Sáleh to Murteza Páshá, the brother of Sáleh Páshá, the governor of Baghdád, to acquaint him that couriers from the Porte were on the way with an invitation to Constantinople to which he should pay no attention, but beware of the snare laid for him, and join instead the party of Várvár Alí Páshá, who was marching to Constantinople. The Courier Sáleh received an hundred ducats to join Murteza Páshá with all speed; and on the fourth day the Khassekí and Chaúsh, who were the bearers of the Imperial rescript, were set at liberty and continued their route to Baghdád. The Páshá remained six days at Korkoí and moved on the seventh, when after five hours march we reached the old town of Merzifún.

_Description of Merzifún._

It was built by the Dánishmend family and conquered by Bayazíd I. It is now a castle in good condition and useful against rebels, in the sanjak of Amasia, belonging to Sivás, and is guarded by watchmen. The town is a wakf of Saint Pírdedeh and is commanded by the Kizlar Aghá. The judge, appointed with three hundred aspers, may annually collect from the different districts six purses. As it is an inland castle it has neither commander nor garrison. Its public officers are a Muftí, Nakíb, Serdár, Kiayayerí, Mohtessib and Naíb. We were here the guests of Diláwer Aghá, the Silihdár of Tabání Mohammed Páshá, who treated the Páshá and fourteen hundred men of his suite for ten days with the greatest hospitality: so that not even a bag for the horses nor a cup of coffee were provided for by the Páshás people. The officers were lodged in the town by billet (Yáfteh) and lived with their hosts in perfect harmony like fathers and sons; four thousand men of the troops were provided with lodgings in the neighbouring villages, the inhabitants of which, though Turks, are of a gentle and mild temper, and give freely of what they have. Every necessary for sustaining life is here found in abundance. The town is situated on the border of Mount Deshán and contains four thousand houses covered with brick, forty four quarters and seventy mosques, the oldest of which is that of Murad II., in the market-place; it is in the olden style with one mináreh, and is much visited.

The colleges are, that of Murad II., where lectures are held also on tradition, seventy schools for boys, and two dining rooms, one of which is at the convent of Pírdedeh. At an hour’s distance from the town is the Convent of Akásha, and in the towns are those of Abdul Kádir Jílání, and one of Khalvetís; the Kháns are in the market. On the left corner of the gate of the old khán is suspended the mace of a Pehliván.

_Description of the Baths._

The old bath, divided for men and women, was built by Mohammed I., and has more than seventy troughs or basins. Round it dwell the felt and safian makers, who tan blue, yellow and red safian. The walls of the bath are all lined with chalk mixed with musk and amber, the odour of which pervades the whole building and renders it so dry that neither on the walls nor on the windows does a drop of moisture collect. Being an old building, however, it is not light, but rather dark. The water is very warm and limpid.

_Praise of Pírdedeh._

When Murad II., the father of Mohammed II., was building a mosque and college here, the enemies of Pírdedeh calumniated him by saying, that he accompanied the women into the bath and foretold to them hidden things, which are forbidden in the Korán, such as whether they would lie in with a boy or girl. Murad II., angry at such scandalous behaviour, took his sword with the intention of performing a meritorious action by killing the accused. When he came to the bath and saw Pírdedeh walking about with an apron round his loins, he upbraided him for mingling with the women in the bath and rubbing them instead of letting it be done by the waiting women. Pírdedeh said, “My Prince, I do such service only to women who are pregnant with great Doctors and learned men, and therefore enter not the bath in the common way.” Thus saying, he entered through the stone wall which opened for him, and the place is yet shown where he passed through before the eyes of the Sultán. The Sultán then said, “I came hither Dedeh to kill you with this sword in a legal way.” “Such is not the act intended for you sword,” replied the Saint; “your sword is destined to conquer Smyrna, which Timúr was unable to subdue; but which has fallen into the hands of the Greeks. Go, therefore, and conquer Smyrna and eat this bread.” On saying this, he took up two pieces of marble lying before the bath, kneaded them like dough and presented them bread, one to Murad II., and the other to his son Mohammed II., foretelling the conquest of Smyrna to the first and that of Constantinople to the second. This prediction being fulfilled, twenty-six years afterwards Mohammed gave to his convent an endowment of three hundred and sixty-six villages, so that the whole town of Merzifún belongs to this foundation. Every year a Mutevellí (administrator) from the Kizlar Aghá, who is the Názir (inspector) accompanied by three hundred horsemen, comes to take possession of the village and distribute its revenues among the dervishes and other poor men. The two pieces of white marble bread are actually shown fixed into the wall, where the Saint passed through it. This bath is a place for miraculous cures, and is the counterpart of the bath built by Avicenna.

The houses of the town, adorned with Sháhneshíns (projecting windows) all look towards the kiblah. Its inhabitants are sound and healthy on account of the prevalence of easterly winds. In the summer the inhabitants repair to Mount Deshán for summer lodgings (Yaila). These alps were given of old, when the Dánishmend family came from Mohán in Khorassán, to the sons of Deshán and are now in possession of one of their descendants, who receives a duty for the pasture of many hundred thousand head of cattle. Some hundred rills and rivulets, flowing down from these heights, water all the fields and gardens of the town. The nature of the soil is such, that however copiously it may rain, the fields are not productive unless watered by the rills of Deshán; but then they become so fertile that the corn returns an hundred fold; for one kíle at least eighty. These rills are under the inspection of a particular Aghá, who regulates the distribution of them, for if such a magistrate were not appointed, the inhabitants of Merzifún would kill each other for the sake of the water. A part of the rills and sources of Mount Deshán flow in the direction of Koprí and water its fields and gardens; another into the district of Kaúza in the valley of Ládík; and another still to the northward to the valley of Osmánjik. The town of Merzifún stands on a hilly site backed by Mount Deshán. Amasia is fifteen hours on the kiblah-side of this town, Ládík twelve, Osmánjik sixteen, Gumish ten, and Kerkerán eight. On the northern border of Mount Deshán stands the castle of Koja Kala’assí, looking upon the town of Koprí. If you march from Merzifún along Mount Deshán for five hours to the northward you arrive at Koprí, and in three journeys further at Samssún, which is the harbour of Merzifún, it being nearer to it than Sinope.

_Products._

Must, pure as that of Aintáb, sweet raisins, and the white bread of Pírdedeh; six hundred shops almost all occupied by dyers, who dye a peculiar blue even finer than the Persians. Its cotton stuffs are exported in great quantities to Crimea and exchanged for prisoners; the ferrájes and dresses of the inhabitants of Crimea are made of the stuffs of Merzifún. Its spun cotton, shirts, blankets, cushions and other printed articles are also in good estimation.

_Pilgrimage to the Saints of Merzifún._