Part 5

There are besides, some hundred thousand great and holy men buried at Brússa. Many of their tombs I visited and said a Fátihah in remembrance of their noble spirits, but I do not know their names. In remembrance of those whom I have named, I said the Súra Yass, and recommended myself to their favour and assistance. I began my travels with visits to many great Saints, and said a Fátihah on behalf of all the Faithful. Health to you, and God’s mercy upon them all! During forty days and nights I enjoyed all kinds of pleasure at Brússa, and with my companions took leave of our friends on the 20th of Safer 1050; Okjí-zadeh Aghá accompanied us as far as the bridge of Nilúfer, from whence we reached Modania in four hours. Here we sent back our horses, embarked in a light boat, were tossed about by a stormy sea, and at last reached Bozborún with the greatest difficulty at the end of twenty-four hours. It was formerly a good harbour but was neglected because it did not afford sufficient shelter. There is a khán and a small mosque, some bakers and búza seller’s shops, and no other trace of good buildings, but it is surrounded with fine gardens. The walls of the mosque are covered with inscriptions by passengers complaining of this wretched place, there is no possibility of saying a word for it, because all who reach this point storm-beaten, have the same cause of complaint. The inscriptions are in different languages, all lamenting or cursing this place of Bozborún. One cannot refrain from laughing at some of these odd inscriptions, which are both in prose and verse. I was obliged to wait here two days, which I spent with ten or fifteen gay companions walking amongst the gardens and vineyards, which lie to the East, and eating pears. We walked about three thousand paces into the district of Armúdlí belonging to Brússa, from whence a Súbáshí is established here. It derives its name from the quantity of pears (Armúd) which grow on all the hills, in the valleys, gardens and vineyards. It is a village of three hundred neat houses, faced with brick, a mosque, a bath, three mesjíds, a khán and ten shops, the air is very pleasant. We spent a night here, and in the morning the boatmen advised us to make haste because the wind was favourable, which, God be praised, carried us out of this sad whirlpool of Bozborún. At cape Bábá-borún at the foot of Kátirlí-tágh we said a Fátihah in honour of Bábá Sultán, and beat up towards Constantinople. We arrived at last at Agios Stephanos (St. Stefano) which is ruled by a Súbáshí, under the Bostánjí-báshí of Constantinople, and by a guard of janissaries (Yassakjí Kúllúghí), it is in the district belonging to the Mollá of Eyyúb. In the time of the Infidels it was a large town, which was ruined at the siege of the Arabs by Omar Ibn-ul-azíz in the Khalifat of Súleimán Ibn Abd-allah. It is now a large Greek village of five hundred houses faced with brick. It has a convent, some small streets and two churches. We disembarked here and passed the night, walking next day along the sea shore for three hours to the garden of Iskander Chelebí, which belonged to the Defterdár of Sultán Selím II., who having died without children, the garden became an Imperial one. There is an Ustá or master with two hundred Bostánjí. The Muftí Hossein Efendí, who had been accused by his enemies of ambitious and dangerous schemes was first exiled to this place by Sultán Murád IV. and was afterwards seized by the Bostánjí-báshí, strangled and buried here. He is the first Muftí in the Ottoman history, who like the martyrs of Kerbela died a violent death; he could repeat forty thousand Fetwas by heart. We took horse here and rode along the shore in sight of our ship advancing by the aid of oars, with our baggage.

Thus returned I, poor Evliya, on the 25th Safer of the year 1050, to Constantinople, went the same day to my paternal house, and kissed the hands of my father and my mother. My father crossing his hands said: “Welcome, welcome, traveller of Brússa!” I was astonished to hear this as I had not told anybody where I was going to, but my father said: “In the night of A’shúra the 10th of Moharrem, when I was anxious about thy being lost, I performed many efficacious prayers, and read the Suna (Ena Atainak) a thousand times. The same night I saw in my dream that thou wast gone to Brússa to implore Emír Sultán’s assistance in thy travels. That same night I gave thee leave to go this journey, which may God bless! but now, my son, sit thee down, touch my left ear with thy right hand, and hear my paternal advice.” I did so, and he gave me many moral maxims, and much good advice on the manner of my travels, enjoining me to compose a faithful and detailed account of them; when he had finished he gave me a strong box on the ear, concluding his lesson with a Fátihah. I kissed my father’s hand, who then gave me twelve valuable books and two hundred well-coined ducats to provide for my travels, and gave me leave to set out for whatever place I liked. I then also kissed the hands of twelve great Sheikhs, and to my unspeakable joy obtained their blessings on my undertaking. This gave me great satisfaction, and the same week in the first days of Rebí-ul-evvel, I agreed with one of my relations Kúl Oghlí Mohammed Reis for a voyage to Ismíd (Nicomedia).

JOURNEY TO NICOMEDIA.

“May God bless and make easy the voyage, Amen!” On Friday at Yemish-iskeleh, after having performed the Friday prayer in the mosque of Akhí Chelebí, where I remembered the vision I had had there of the Prophet, whose hand I kissed, saying, “Siyáhat (travels)” instead of “Shifá’at (intercession) O prophet of God!” and having given thanks and prayed for health and faith, we embarked on our voyage, saying “In God’s name!” (Bis millah). With a fresh breeze we weathered the point of the Seraglio, passed Chalcedonia, the point of Tener-baghjeh and ran straight before the wind to Darija, a square castle on a chalk cliff eighty miles from Constantinople. This castle is built of stone, has one gate, which looks on the harbour, thirty houses faced with brick, one mosque, but no market or bath, and neither commander nor garrison. It is said to have derived its name from the children of Darius, who were imprisoned here in a cave; it was conquered by Mahommed I. in the year 827 (1423), is ruled by a Súbashí and belongs to the district of Gebízeh. Below the castle there are three hundred neat houses faced with brick, a mosque, a khán, a bath, and small streets; its harbour is the port of Gebízeh. At an hour’s distance from here the road to Erzerúm and Baghdád passes through mountains. The wind not being favourable we rowed to the passage where travellers to Konia, Haleb, Damascus and Mecca embark in flat-bottom boats to pass over to Hersek-dílí on the opposite shore, in order to save the going round the gulf which is eighty miles long, and at the end of which is situated Nicomedia. In the harbour of Gebízeh-dílí (the passage on this side) are two old kháns, two bakers-shops, a búza-shop, two grocers-shops and a fountain, erected by Mustafa Aghá the Bostánjí-báshí of Sultán Murád IV. 1048 (1638). Here we again embarked and after rowing three hours arrived at the mineral spring (Ichmesú), where we disembarked with all our friends, pitched our tents on the shore, and gave ourselves up to quiet and pleasure.

_Qualities of a Mineral Spring._

In the month of July annually, many thousand men from Constantinople assemble here, and live merrily under tents during the space of forty days and nights, amusing themselves with firing muskets and guns. Sick persons drink of the water from the well for three days, which causes vomiting, and relieves the stomach of a quantity of offensive bile, while the lower evacuations cleanse the intestines of worms and similar matters. It is a white, clear water, with a slight bitter taste, and issues from a chalk cliff. The regulations prescribed for its use enjoin a three days fast as a preliminary, no meat or any thing salt must be eaten; on the fourth day the patient drinks a cup of water morning and evening, taking care to keep himself warm: he continues to drink the water for the next three days, taking for food chicken-broth without salt. When the water has had its effect fifteen times, further operation is stopped, by drinking soup seasoned with lemon-juice. After this regimen the patients embark and go to the hot-bath of Yalova directly opposite, where they rest themselves, washing and cleansing their bodies.

We then re-embarked, and after half an hour’s rowing arrived at the village of Ainehájí on the sea-coast, a Turkish village with a mosque and sixty houses. Eight hours further rowing brought us to the village of Zeitún-burní (Olive Cape) a port of Nicomedia, where the ships belonging to the Aghá of the Janissaries take in their cargoes; we were pleased with the cultivated appearance of the country on either side the gulf, and at the end of eight hours more came to the large town of Nicomedia. It was formerly a strong built and populous place, the ruins of which still remain; and is said to have been built by Alexander, to whom the foundation of Scutari is also ascribed; and the canal which was cut from the lake of Sábanja to the gulf on one side, and from the river Sakaria to the Black Sea on the other, causing Kojá Ilí and Nicomedia to be completely insulated; but that communication was choked up by Constantine, and Nicomedia ceased to be an island. It would be an easy thing to re-establish this canal, by which means wood might be procured at a very low price. Nicomedia was conquered by Sultán Orkhán in the year 731 (1330) and destroyed, in order that it should never again afford shelter to the Infidels. A large square tower of that period is still standing on the sea-coast, garrisoned by seamen, which is now a repository for wood and timber. When Orkhán besieged this town he gave the first command of his troops to Kojá Baí, to whom he said, “Isnim vár git,” (You have my leave, go,) which became the name of the town, by contraction of Isnim-git into Ismit. After the conquest of Nicomedia, and Kojá-Baí had subdued the adjacent country, it was called after his name Kojá Ilí and Nicomedia was made the capital of it; but by the order of Sultán Mohammed II., Nicomedia was added to Anatoli, and many times since has been given as Arpalik to Vezírs of three tails. The imperial Khass amounts to twenty-six thousand, five hundred and twenty-six aspers, twenty-five ziámets, one hundred and eighty-seven timárs. The judge is appointed with three hundred aspers a day, but his annual revenue may be reckoned at five thousand, and that of the Páshá at twenty thousand piastres. The port is much frequented by great merchants; its public officers are, a commander of the janissaries and Sipahís, a Muftí and Nakíb-ul-ishráf. The merchants, most of whom trade in wool, are richly dressed; the invalids of the janissaries (Otúrák) and Kúrijí are wealthy. The town contains three thousand five hundred elegant houses with gardens. The largest is the Seráï of Sultán Murád IV. which is appropriated to the Emperors, and guarded by two hundred Bostánjís; the next is the Seráï of the Páshá. There are altogether twenty-three quarters, three of which are occupied by Infidels, and one by Jews; and twenty-three mosques. At the old market is the mosque of the tribunal with one minareh; the mosque of Pertev-Páshá, with a leaden cupola and one mináreh, stands on the sea-shore, it was erected by order of Pertev-Páshá who was governor here for seven years in the time of Sultán Súleimán. It is an elegant, bright mosque built by Kojá Sinán. There is no establishment for reading the Korán or tradition. The best bath is also that of Pertev-Páshá, it is a fine building, there is good air and water, and attentive waiters. The bath of Rostem-Páshá, like the former, is Sinán’s work. The best khán is that of Pertev-Páshá with seventy fire-places. Besides the kháns, two hundred magazines for wood and other materials are in the port, one thousand one hundred shops of handicraftsmen, and forty coffee-houses, the most brilliant of which is that of the Serdár, famous for its waiters. This town has no stone-built Bezestán, but many valuable things are notwithstanding to be met with in the kháns and shops. Near the palace of the Emperor is the Imperial arsenal. The houses of the town are all on the side of the mountain, with the windows looking towards the sea. The streets are all paved with white stone. At the back of the houses the mountain is laid out in gardens. The inhabitants are healthy, the air and water being very good; their complexion is white. The woody mountains East of the town are called Aghá Danesí (sea of trees), an immense forest in which it is very easy to lose one’s way; here are trees towering into the skies, under which ten thousand sheep find shelter in their shade, which the sun’s rays cannot pierce. In these thick forests are many saw-mills and works which must be seen, for they cannot be described; they cut trees of one hundred cubits length, and the trees of Yalova are famous all over the world. At the end of the gulf are salt-marshes which afford pure salt, and are under the direction of a salt-inspector. The white cherries and red apples of Nicomedia are famous.

_Pilgrimages of Nicomedia._

On the west side of the town is the tomb of Sheikh-zadeh Mohammed Efendí, a great Sheikh of the order of Khalvetís, and a great alchemist. He distributed food and clothes amongst the brethren of his order, though he never had any fixed revenue. I was entertained for ten days in the house of my relation Kúl-oghlí Mohammed Chelebí in this town; then embarked and went to the opposite shore only three miles distance, whence after a journey of thirty miles, we reached the port of Deal, the further side of which is called Gebízeh’s Deal, while this side is called Hersek’s Deal or tongue. The origin of this tongue of land is ascribed to a Dervish, who having been refused a passage by the ferryman, took up earth in his apron, and threw it into the water, where it grew out immediately into a point, on which he walked to the length of twelve thousand paces, to the great fright of the ferrymen, who saw that he was going to unite the two shores and stop their living. They ran after him, and did not desist from entreating him, till he left the remainder of the sea open, and entered their boat. He is buried at the Deal of Gebízeh, on the spot called Deal-bábá. At Hersek Deal is a large Khán for travellers who wait there for a passage; Hersek-oghlí Ahmed Páshá was Vezír to Mohammed II., and this Khán, built by him, bears his name. We set sail, and at the end of fifty miles reached the castle of Kara Yalaváj, built by a Greek princess, and named Kara Yalaváj-oghlí, who conquered it in the time of Osmán. The castle was destroyed at the siege, which was difficult and prolonged, the ruins still remain; in the time of Ilderím this castle was said to belong to the sanjak of Brússa. The judge is appointed with one hundred and fifty aspers. There is a commanding officer of the janissaries and a Súbashi, the town has seven-hundred houses, faced with brick, and seven mihrabs. In the Market-place is a mosque with a minareh capable of holding a great number of people, one bath, three kháns and from forty to fifty shops, but the air being very heavy, agues frequently prevail. Its yoghúrd and fruits are excellent. Having visited all that was worth seeing here, we entered our chariots (araba) took a south east direction, and at the end of five hours arrived at Germáb Jihán-námah, a pleasure spot in the midst of thick forests, where we found a couple of hundred tents. We pitched ours and entered into conversation with the guests, who come here after taking a course of the purgative waters at Deal, to cleanse themselves in the hotbath, which was built in the time of Yanko Ben Madián. Helena, the daughter of Yanko, being leprous and exiled to these mountains, discovered by accident the marvellous quality of these waters; by bathing in them, she became cured of her leprosy in forty days, which was the cause of this building being erected. Her father built six cupolas, of which two are yet existing, with a large basin beneath, the water of which is extremely hot, but is pleasant when mixed with cold. These baths are frequented by a great many people in the cherry season. We remained here a whole week, after which we again started, and at the end of a five hours journey, came to the castle of Samánlí, which was conquered in Sultán Osmán’s time by Samánlí-oghlí from whom it took its name. Its castle is in ruins, and there are but an hundred and fifty houses with gardens, a mosque and three mesjids, belonging to the district of Yalova. The air is heavy. We embarked for the island of Heibelí, distant twenty miles, which is nine miles in circumference, and which we have already mentioned in our journey to Brússa. Six miles further on is the island Táshánlí, which derives its name (Hare island) from the infinite number of hares, found there; it is only one mile in circumference, and is uncultivated. The tree Rakíta (?) grows on this island. After rowing eight miles we came to the island of Búrgházlí with a strong but small castle, situate on the chalk cliffs by the sea-shore. The island is eleven miles in circumference, and is called Búrgház from its castle ([Greek: pyrgos]) it has three hundred houses with fine gardens and good wells, and is ruled by a Súbashí and Yassakjí, the inhabitants are all Greeks, and are rich masters of boats. The island abounds in goats and hares. Their wealth is ascribed by the author of the Taríkhí Yalován, to the loss of a richly laden Spanish fleet which was wrecked among the Prince’s Islands in the time of the Greek Emperors, the cargo of which being thrown on shore or fished up by divers, enriched the inhabitants of Kizilata (Prince’s Island), Heibelí (Khalki), Borgházlí (Antigone), Táshánlí (Platys or Oxia), and Kanálí (Proti). The latter island is eight miles in circumference, has a convent and a village of one hundred houses. Ten miles distant from it is Kizilata (the Prince’s Island), a cultivated island of twenty miles in circumference, with a village of two hundred Greek houses. It is called Kizilata or the red island, from the appearance of its mountains, and is near Scutari. On its four sides Daliáns (look-outs for catching fish) are established. These islands are seven altogether, ruled by the Bostanjí-báshí, and form part of the Captain Páshá’s province, who appoints the Súbashí and a Yassakjí. These seven islands are eighteen miles distance from Constantinople, in a line between Constantinople and Yelova. I passed seven days visiting these isles, the weather being unfavourable. At last the wind became fair, and I entered Constantinople on the first of Rebi-ul-ákhir, after a month’s absence, landing at Wood-gate. I kissed the hands of my father and mother, presented them with some gifts from Nicomedia, and received their benediction. Ketánjí Omer Páshá, an old and particular friend of my father having been named governor of Trebisonde, he appointed my father as his Kapú Kiaya or agent at Constantinople, and I accompanied him on the journey to his government.

JOURNEY TO BATUM AND TREBISONDE.

In the beginning of Jemazi-ul-akhir, 1050, after having taken leave of my friends, I embarked at the Flour-hall in the ship called Kara-mursal of Fertíl-oghlí of Trebisonde, and in three hours time arrived at Yenikoí on the Bosphorus, which has been already described in the first volume. We there took in five hundred quintals of biscuit, and ten boat-loads of ballast. In seven hours more we reached the castle of Kavák, which was built by Sultán Murád IV. as stated in the first volume. Here we read a Fátihah for a prosperous voyage through the mouth of the Bosphorus, and, trusting in God, we sailed along the Asiatic rocks, and arrived at the harbour of Irva on the frontiers of Kojá-Ilí, a district with a Súbashí, a mosque, a khán, from forty to fifty magazines, and one hundred houses faced with brick and surrounded with gardens. The south and south-east sides are all gardens. We took in water, and advanced by rowing, along the Asiatic shore. At the end of thirty-six miles we came to Shila, a jurisdiction of Kojá-Ilí, here are six hundred houses faced with brick, with a garden to each, and a mosque at the head of the harbour. The small town of Kefken has a bath, some shops and a khán. One hundred miles further on we arrived at the island of Kerpe, which is twenty miles in circumference, but is uninhabited; it is but a mile distant from the continent of Kojá-Ilí. The small town of Kándria, with gardens, mosque, khán and bath, is in the mountains of Kándrí at four hours distance from the island. The river Sakaria here disembogues into the Black Sea; it rises from the mountains of Cútahia, goes to Kiva, a place belonging to the district of Nicomedia, and falls into the Black Sea near Kerpe. There being no wind we rowed ten miles further on, and came to Akcheshár, a Voivode’s residence in Kojá-Ilí, here is a judge with an income of one hundred and fifty aspers. It was formerly a fine town, but burnt by the accursed Cossacks in the reign of Ahmed I. There are now only six hundred Turkish houses, some faced with brick, and others of wood; on the market-place stands a brick-built mosque, forty shops but no Bezestán, a bath and three kháns, one of which was formerly covered with lead. The cultivation of the place is now in a very low state. It is the harbour of Bolí; on the shore are seventy magazines full of wood and timber. Mountain on mountain rises on the east side of the town, and gardens appear one above the other; the people are healthy on account of the purity of the air. We passed Ereglí (Heraclea) and the tower of the shepherds (Chobán Kúlessí) a small castle on a lime cliff, but not garrisoned. Near it is the statue of the builder, very like life. We passed the rivers Túfadár and Bárten, the last of which is a great river, where Egyptian ships enter to be loaded. The Castle of Bárten was built by the Genoese; and is situated at the end of a gulf eighteen miles in depth. We went from hence eighteen miles further north, and arrived at Amassra (Amastris) built by the Greek Emperors, the seat of a Voivode belonging to the sanjak of Bolí. The castle is a strong square building on a high hill, it was attacked at different times by the Russians, who were always compelled to retreat. It has no Dizdár, but a judge with an income of one hundred and fifty aspers, and a commanding officer of the janissaries. In the castle is a mosque and some mesjíds, but no dining or reading establishment. Amassra is situated on the east of Sinope, distant five days journey by land, and one hundred miles by sea. It is also on the east side of Heraclea, at a distance of four days journey by land, and fifty miles by sea. The climate and fruits of this place are much praised. On the east and west side are two excellent ports, the safest refuge in the world; at the eastern harbour is a bath, and good magazines. The river Kayú forms the frontier between the sanjak of Bolí and Kastemúní. It is forty miles from here to the harbour of Kadoz; at the distance of seventy miles is reached the point of Kerenbe, a cape like that of Sinope; on the rocks are some remarkable inscriptions.