Part 6

The castle of Ainebolí was built by the Genoese, and is now the seat of a Súbashí, subordinate to Kastemúní; the judge is appointed with one hundred and fifty aspers. There is a commanding officer of the janissaries, a Dizdár and garrison. The castle is a strong pentagon on the seashore; its gate looks to the east, the houses are all faced with brick, in the market-place are mosques and mesjíds, a bath and shops, it is the landing-place of Kastemúní, but has no good harbour. We rowed from hence till we came in sight of the cape of Sinope, and anchored before Shátir-koí, a pleasant village, where all the passengers went on shore. The high mountains (Balkán) are covered with tall trees, which afford excellent timber for the large ships that are built here. The inhabitants are all ship-builders. Sixty miles to the north, along the seashore, lies the village of Istefan belonging to Kastemúní; the houses are faced with brick, and seven miles beyond is the town of Sinope.

_Description of the Ancient Town of Sinope._

Omer Ben Abd-ul-assíz, the nephew of Súleimán Ben Abd-ullah of the Ommiades, having laid siege to Constantinople without effect, also besieged this castle, but retreated without taking it. It was conquered by Úlú-Beg the Lord of Kastemúní, and again in the year 796 by Ilderím. As it is an extremely strong fortress, it was with difficulty taken after the third siege. It is a free fief entirely separated from Kastemúní; a Dizdár, Serdár, a judge, Muftí, and Nákíb-ul-ishráf, are the authorities of the place.

The inhabitants are a commercial people, being mechanics and merchants, with some Sheikhs and Ulemas. They commonly wear ferrájís of cloth and caftáns of Bogassin. The mountains on the east and Kiblah side of the town are laid out in gardens. The town of Kastemúní is three journies distant on the east side. Sinope is situated on a cape of the Black sea, which bears the same name. Opposite to it on the European shore of the Black sea are the rocks of Kilghra Sultán, and the Black sea appears between them like a straight, which widens towards Constantinople and Trebisonde. Sinope is five hundred miles distant from Constantinople, and lies on the west side of Samsún at four journies distance. The castle stands on a high hill with triple walls of Shedád (gigantic or cyclopean) and was built by the Greeks. It is seven thousand paces in circumference, and has six thousand six hundred battlements, and eight gates, viz. the sand-gate, the place-gate, the arsenal-gate, the new-gate, the hospital-gate, the gate of the inner castle, (Lonjá), the Oghran gate, and the gate of the inner castle towards the sea. All these gates are of iron and double. The lower part of the castle on the seashore is washed by the waves on the two sides, its form is an oblong square; viewed from the top of Mount Búzdepeh it appears like a ship’s deck divided into three parts. The commander is a constant prisoner, for the inhabitants are empowered by an Imperial rescript to kill him if he goes further from the castle than the distance of a cannon’s shot. The garrison consists of six hundred brave warlike men. In the time of Sultán Ahmed, on a dark night, the Cossacks took the town by escalade, and the great Vizír Nassif Páshá, was put to death for having concealed it from the Sultán. It was retaken from the Infidels and garrisoned with fifty additional men, and provided with one thousand quintals of powder, a great number of large and small guns, and other arms. From that period the watch has been kept nightly by two hundred officers and Chaúches, and after the music of sunset the guards, cry their “all’s well,” (Yeg dir Allah). The Infidels tried several times to retake it, but were routed and driven back in great confusion, and God be thanked! they have made no new attempt since the reign of Sultán Murád IV. The town is divided into twenty-four quarters, those of the Infidels are on the sea-beach; one thousand one hundred Infidels pay the tribute (Kharráj) and one hundred are exempted because they are employed in renewing the fortifications; there are five thousand and sixty ancient houses of stone, with slated roofs, facing the sea to the west. The oldest mosque is that in the castle of Ala-ud-dín which has a lead-covered cupola, and a mináreh one hundred paces long, in a fair proportion, with three gates. The mihráb and the place of the Muëzzins are of exquisite workmanship, but the minber is so elegant that angels alone could adequately describe it; I will make the attempt, but it will be like a drop in the ocean or a mote in the sun. It was composed by ancient masters of six different kinds of marble, which are so well put together that even the cleverest artists, such as Jemshíd would be unable to discover the joints. All the flowers and blossoms of the earth are here skilfully engraved and carved, so that in all Islám there is no minber to be compared with this, unless it be that of the great mosque at Brússa, which, nevertheless, cannot compete with it in the abundance of floral ornament; in short, all travellers and artists who behold this minber, place the finger of astonishment on their mouths, for it seems more like a supernatural than a human work. Being situated in the suburb of the Castle, it is always crowded with people whose prayers are put up to Heaven. The remaining mosques are the Súleimánie in the inner castle with one mínáreh; the new mosque near the gate of the Meidán (Almeida); the Ayá Sofiáh, an old mosque faced with brick, the mosque Kefelí outside of the gate of the Meidán, and that of Mohammed Aghá with a well proportioned mínáreh.

The Baths are as follows:—The bath in the upper part of the market is a double one, that of the lower is a single one like that on the sea-shore, Yallí, the building, the air and the water are equally pleasant and agreeable. There is the college of Sultán Ala-ud-dín and sixty abecedarian schools. When I visited this town, the inhabitants boasted, that there were two thousand boys and girls who had learned reading and knew the Korán by heart. There is an Imaret, a house for lectures on Tradition, and three for reading the Korán, and one thousand shops, full of valuable goods; provisions, the white bread especially, and beverages are good. The harbour is excellent, affording shelter for ships against all quarters of the wind; there is no better port in the Black sea unless it be that of Báliklava; the best water is found here, and the beautiful symmetry of the Turkish youth of both sexes is to be attributed to the mildness of the climate.

I visited the tombs of Sídí Belál Sultán, Súbhan Khojá, that of Jují Sultán, in the green monument within the Castle; that of Kází-Beg Sultán in the college of Ala-ud-dín, that of Bekir Khojá below it, that of Imrza Efendí at the Sand-gate, and those of Hamza and Emír Efendi near it.

South of the town is the high mountain called, Búzdepeh (ice peak) opposite to which the rocks of Kilghra are seen on the European shore; foxes, jackals and bears abound on this mountain. We spent three days in this town, then re-embarked and at the end of three miles came to Findíják-ághzí, whose inhabitants are all boatmen and ship-builders. The river Kizil Irmák here enters the sea, it rises from a mountain in the sanjak of Angora, passes under the bridge of Cháshnegvír to the castle of Osmánjík, and to Hájí Hamza near Túsia, it derives the name red river from its reddish colour. Higher up the river in the mountains are found cornelians large enough for handles of knives and daggers; no village in the neighbourhood is cultivated through fear of the Cossacks; forty miles further on we came to Báfra, the seat of a Súbashí subordinate to the sanjak of Jáník. The judge is appointed with one hundred and fifty aspers a day; there is a separate Serdár (officer of the janissaries). The distance from Samsún is a day’s journey. Báfra lies south-west of Samsún and at two farsangs distance from the Black sea. The Kizíl-Irmák, which comes from the district of Gunánabád flows on the west side of Báfra, and near this place it is crossed by a bridge of fir-trees, which forms a wooden arch from one side of the shore to the other; it is well worth seeing. There are two mosques and two baths at Báfra, and the houses are all built of fir.

_Description of the Castle of Samsún._

It was first taken from the Greeks, who built it, by Ala-ud-dín a prince of the Seljúk family, and afterwards by Sultán Ilderím; it is the seat of a voivode subordinate to the sanjak of Jáník. The judge’s provision is fixed at one hundred and fifty aspers. Order is kept by a commanding officer of the janissaries (Serdár Kiayayerí), and the commander of the castle, Dizdár, but there is neither Muftí nor Nakíb-ul-ishráf. The inhabitants are all packers and boatmen, no great rich men (Awán) but a number of Ulemás. Every body dresses according to his means. The distance between Sinope and Samsún is by sea one hundred and fifty miles, and five days journey by land. Sinope lies to the south of Samsún, which is a strong fortress on the seashore. In the time of Mohammed III. the conqueror of Erla, the Cossacks took this castle and destroyed the fortifications in some places, which, after they were driven away, were repaired, and the garrison strengthened, with great store of ammunition; it is now five thousand paces in circumference, has seventy towers, two thousand battlements and four gates. The river of Chárshenbe-Bazárí, which passes before Amasia, disembogues in the Black Sea on the east side of Samsún. It is a large river, not fordable, rises in the sanjak of Bolí, goes to Tokát, and then passes before Amasia; hence originates the proverb coarsely applied by the inhabitants of Tokát to those of Amasia; “you drink what we have defiled.” The water of Samsún is called bad, it is however clear and transparent. The houses are faced with brick and surrounded with gardens, it has a mosque and kháns, but no college or reading establishment, seven abecedarian schools, a bath, and a market, but no port. It is an open place but the anchoring ground good. The grapes and pears of Samsún are pickled (túrshí) and sent in casks to Constantinople; its cables, ropes and resin are famous. The town is situated on the edge of a gulf. We visited all that was to be seen at this place and then re-embarked with our companions.

_Description of the Castle of Onia._

It was built by one of the Emperors of Trebisonde, was first conquered by Keikúbád of the Seljúk family, and afterwards by Orkhán. It is the seat of a Voivode subordinate to the sanjak of Jáník. The judge is appointed with one hundred and fifty aspers: a Serdár and Dizdár are in possession of the military power, but there is no Muftí nor Nakíb-ul-ishráf. The castle is a square stone building on the seashore; the houses well inhabited, the mosques light, and the markets populous. Having seen all this we re-embarked, and proceeding a few miles with a favourable wind, came to Fátsha on the seashore, consisting of three hundred houses, a mosque, a khán and a bath. It is a ziámet belonging to Janík; the inhabitants are for the most part Greeks. The cape of Stephan is a sharp point advancing ten miles into the sea. The mountains are interspersed with well cultivated Greek villages. We passed it and came more northward to the castle of Wúna, built by the Genoese, and conquered by Úzún Hassan the lord of Azerbeiján, who took this castle together with those of Gumish Khání, Baiburd and Jánkha, at a later period it was taken by Mohammed II. It is the seat of a Súbashí from the sanjak of Janík. The castle is of a round shape, and stands on a hill by the seashore, but it is not strongly garrisoned; the gate looks to the east. It is ruled by a Serdár, and a judge with an income of one hundred and fifty aspers. It has mosques, kháns and baths. The inhabitants are known by the name of Wúna Greeks and Turks. It is a good port, where the largest ships can anchor at any time. We went from hence, straight before the wind, one hundred miles to the castle of Gíressin built by Constantine the founder of Constantinople. It fell into the hands of Úzún Hassan, was afterwards taken by the Genoese, and lastly by Mohammed II., who ordered his general Mahmúd Pashá to enter the castle in the night, the name of the castle is said to have originated from this order, “giressin” (thou shalt enter). It is on the frontier of the Pashalik of Trebisonde, to the Khass of which it belongs; its public officers are, a judge with one hundred and fifty aspers, a Serdár of the janissaries, a Dizdár of the castle, an inspector of the custom-house, a Muftí and Nakíb-ul-ishráf. It is situated on the seashore between Janík and Trebisonde, to the east of the latter. By the appearance of the ruins, it was a large town when in the possession of the Genoese, but it is now only a small one, with mosques and kháns, a bath and a market; the gardens yield fruit plentifully. Though the anchorage is excellent, yet the harbour affords no shelter against contrary winds. On the west side of it is a small island, where the Cossacks concealed themselves when they burnt and plundered this town, which is not defended by the Castle. As it belongs to the government of Trebisonde, some hundred men of Omer-Páshá’s suite took horse here and continued their journey to Trebisonde by land. We then steered our boat to the north, and arrived at the castle of Purpolúm, which is a small square castle, situated on a hill by the sea-shore, with a commander (Dizdár) and a garrison; the inhabitants are Greeks. We weathered the Cape of Zemreh, where villages are to be seen in the mountains. The castle of Kúrelí is a district belonging to Trebisonde. The castle is situated on a hill by the seashore. Further on we came to the station of Popolí on a great gulf, where traces of ruined castles are to be seen in many places. Further to the north is the castle of Kelpe, a district belonging to Trebisonde. The castle stands on a high hill by the seashore, and was built by the Genoese. The castle of Bozúr-búrní is a small square castle on a rocky cape, called the point of Bozúr, which was the name of a monk who built it. The castle of Akche-abád, a large district belonging to Trebisonde. The castle is a strong pentagon on the seashore, also built by the Greeks. Pulta Bazárí is the seat of a Súbashí and Naíb subordinate to Trebisonde. A fair is held here every week which is visited by many thousand inhabitants from the neighbouring villages; it belongs as Wakf to the foundations of Khatúnieh the mother of Selim I., the Súbashí is at the same time the Mutevellí or administrator of the Wakf. The port is one of the most celebrated in the Black sea on account of its safety. The torrent of Kalatímána, which rises in the mountains of Trebisonde, enters the Black sea near the harbour of Púlta. The valley of Seredere is enlivened by cultivated villages, whose inhabitants go in boats to the market of Trebisonde, to the south of which these places are situated.

_Description of the Town and ancient Fortress of Trebisonde, the Capital of the Lezgians; God guard it from all mischief!_

It was built by the Greeks and was conquered by Úzún Hassan, the Prince of Azerbeiján, but retaken by the Greek Emperors at the time of Timúr’s invasion, until, in the year 878 (1473), it fell into the power of Mohammed II. He brought forward an immense army by way of Jánkha, and gave battle to Úzún Hassan in the field of Terjián, where forty thousand of Úzún Hassan’s men were slain, and he himself fled to the Castle of Azerbeiján. Since the victory at Kossova of Sultán Murád I. no greater victory had been gained. Mohammed II. conquered the town of Trebisonde thirteen years before; its name was spelt Tarbefzún (joy increasing). Mohámmed II. fixed his residence here, coined money, had public prayer performed in his name, and remained here three years. He subjected the northern provinces of Georgia, Mingrelia, and Abaza, established his son Báyazíd here as commander, and went himself to his third residence, Constantinople. Báyazíd II. having ascended the throne in his father’s place, gave the government of Trebisonde to his son Selím I. who twice passed over to the Crimea, and heading the Tátárs led them against his father. Being defeated in battle, once at Varna, and once at Adrianople, he left his son Súleimán his Lieutenant at Trebisonde, and retired in disguise into Persia, where he played at chess with Sháh Ismaíl, then travelled over Baghdád, Meshhed, Mecca and Medina to Egypt, conversed there with Ebú Sa’úd Járehí, and Mezrúk Kafákí, who said “O Selím go into Rúm and Persia, and then come to Egypt.” After three years travel he returned to Trebisonde, from whence, keeping up secret intelligence with the janissaries and with Menglí Geraí Khán, he led a Tátár army against his father, whom he vanquished at Chorlí, and banished to Dimitoka, where he died at the village of Hawsa. Sultán Selím remained absolute monarch, and immortalised himself by the victories of Chaldir and Egypt.

Súleimán was brought up at Trebisonde, which has been the seat of four Ottoman Emperors. In remembrance of his youth spent here, he sent his mother to this place and raised it to a separate province, with the addition of the sanjak of Batúm. It is a Beglerbeglik of two tails, but was given more than once to Vezírs of three tails as arpalik, in the reign of Murád IV. and Ibrahím. The Khass of the Páshá consists according to the Kanún (law) of forty thousand aspers. Two Súbashí are attached to this place, and the Páshá may get, in a fair way, every year, nineteen thousand piastres, but if he is severe, even thirty thousand piastres. There are five sanjaks, viz. Jánkha, Batúm, Zír, Gonia, and Trebisonde, which is the chief place. The feudal officers are a Defterdár of the Timárs, a Kiayá of the Defter, an Inspector of the rolls (Defter-emíní), and a Kiayá of the Chaúshes; an inspector of the Chaúshes is also appointed here. There are forty-three ziámets, two hundred and twenty-six timárs in the sanjak of Trebisonde, and thirteen ziámets with seventy-two timárs in the sanjak of Batúm, altogether one thousand eight hundred well-armed men, besides a thousand Jebelis of the Páshá, so that the whole including the officers amounts to three thousand men. They hold villages and land on condition that they should go to war under the command of the Páshá, which if they do not they forfeit their leases.

_Begs of Abaza Tribes._

The tribe of Jájlar, of Erlán, of Chándalar, of great Chándalar, of Kechilar, of A’rtlar, of Kámishlar, of Sújelar, of Bozúrúk, of Kúnassí, of Ashuflí, of Yokarúlí, of Jembeh, and of Súntija. There are seventy Abaza tribes, who have made obeisance since the time of Sultán Súleimán, and who every year in token thereof, send in a tribute consisting of boys and girls, camphor, candles, pelisses, and a thousand pieces of coarse linen for towels for the Imperial kitchen, to the Páshá of Trebisonde, who then renews the treaty of protection with them. Envoys come every year from Mingrelia with this tribute to Trebisonde, according to the constitution of Sultán Súleimán. The Judge, a Mollá with five hundred aspers, extends his jurisdiction to forty-one districts, and makes annually a revenue of eight thousand piastres.

_The Commanding Officers and Magistrates of Trebisonde._

These are the Páshá, Muftí, Nakíb, and instead of the Serdár of the janissaries a Chaúsh of high authority, a Kiaya-yerí of the Sipáhís, a Súbashí, an Ayák Náíb, a Mohtessib, an inspector of the Custom-house and of the fish-market, a Sháh Bender or chief of the merchants, an inspector of the dyers, of the wine, and wax, in short seventeen public magistrates appointed by an Imperial rescript. The inhabitants also possess an Imperial privilege which allows them to kill the Jews who enter the town, the reason of their being thus empowered shall, if it pleases God! be detailed in another place. The town is situate on the eastern side of the Black sea and is surrounded by delightful gardens. The distance from Constantinople is exactly a thousand miles. The mountains of the Lezgís are towards the south and the east; the name Lezgí has been corrupted into Laz. Mohammed II. having conquered this town, colonized it from all quarters and rendered it a populous place; the inhabitants are Lezgís and Janissaries, who inherit this right from father to son. Their names are, Alí, Welí, Khodaverdí, Ja’fer, Peshír, Feslí, Memí, Meizer, Fakhzád, and Memet, with the word báshá added to the end, which is pronounced here páshá. The surnames are, son of Fertúl, Fodúl, Fazár, Kashúmbúr, Katráz, Kalafát, Kosdúd, Júndah, Alialí, Súrmenelí, Pípolí, Kashíd-bárí, Siámí, Jorkájí, Khángí-chíchú, Kotúzmeslí, A’álí, Gúnelí; the names of the women, Omkhán, Esma Khán, Rábieh, Assieh, Hánifeh, Afífa, Saikha, Fátima, Khúftí, Túntí, Gulshákhí, Mihrmáh, Khiva, Khúma, Zákhila, and Ánifah; the names of the slaves, Ússuf, Paiván, Kananan, Allah-kúlí, Rostem, Apártí, &c. These names were originally pure Arabic names, but are spelt in such a way by the Lezgians, that they appear quite strange. Many of the inhabitants of the order of the Dervíshes Gulshení wear necklaces of coral, jasper and turquoise. Both Prose and Poetry are cultivated to a high degree, and there are in our age no less than eleven poets, every one of whom is the author of a Diván or alphabetical collection of Ghazels (Odes).

_Praise of the Poets of Trebisonde._

Ghanayí Efendí was Secretary to Tayem-Páshá, and afterwards to Melek Ahmed Páshá. He knew the dictionaries of Kamús and Shemií by heart, as well as the discourses of Urfí and Túzúlí. Ghanayí went with Melek Ahmed Páshá to his government of Rúmelí, and is buried at Sofía in the mosque of Dervish Mohammed Páshá 1021 (1612). Alí-jání succeeded to his father’s office. He left three volumes in verse and prose, in comparison with which Weissi himself is but a stammering child.

_Form and Size of the Town, and Description of its Monuments._

It consists of two great castles between the edge of Mount Bozdepeh and the shore of the Black sea, and is divided into three parts; the first is the lower castle, the second the middle castle, and the innermost or tower castle, it is extremely strong being protected by mount Bozdepeh. The ditch is very deep, and seventy paces broad, all cut in lime-stone; inside this castle is a mosque, barracks for the garrison, magazines and storehouses. On the north side a gate leads to the middle castle, which is the only open gate; a second secret gate (Oghrún Kapú) is always kept closed. The middle castle is an oblong square enclosed by walls. The gate on the east side which leads from the tower or innermost castle is called the New Friday’s gate, the second gate is also at the end of the same wall. The tanneries are outside of it, and it is therefore called the tanner’s gate. In front of it flows a rivulet which rises in the mountains of Bozdepeh and the Lezgían mountains on the east, and passes through the tanneries into the sea; it sometimes swells into a furious torrent. In the centre of the tanner’s market is a large bridge built of stone by Úzún Hassan the lord of the castle, it lies to the east of Erzerúm. The third gate of the middle castle is on the western wall and is called the prison gate, where the malefactors and debtors are confined. From this gate you pass over a stone bridge to the gate Za’anús. The fourth gate is on the northern side of the wall, and leads to the lower castle, or third division of the town, and is therefore called the lower castle gate.

_Description of the Lower Castle._