Narrative of Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in the Seventeenth Century, Vol. IIEvliya Çelebi
History
Narrative of Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in the Seventeenth Century, Vol. II
Evliya Çelebi
Caucasus, South -- Description and travel; Istanbul (Turkey) -- Description and travel; Turkey -- History
In God’s name we set out from Tabríz to the north, and reached the Kent
Hají Harámí, of three hundred houses surrounded with rose gardens;
a foundation of Shám Ghazán, whose tomb may be seen from hence. The
next day the Kelenter took leave, and we continued our way to Kent
Safián, which was formerly a great kent, but has since been ruined
by the Mogols and still more by Sultán Murad IV., it is a delightful
place on the territory of Tabríz. Some learned men and writers are
buried here, but I don’t know their names; there are more than twenty
cupolas. In the month of Moharrem on the day of A’ashúra, the feast in
commemoration of the murder of Hossein is celebrated here with great
pomp, the people are all Sháfiítes. Further to the north we reached
Mezídkhán on the frontiers of Tabríz; five hundred houses covered
with terraces, two mosques, a very spacious khán, a bath and royal
market-place. Seven hours more to the northward is the station of Kent
Keremish, on the frontier or Nakhshiván; a thousand houses, seven
mosques, a khán and bath. Our way now led northward through marshy
grounds, and we pitched our tents on the borders of Wishlechaí. This
river issues from the mountains of Nahkshiván and joins the Aras. We
suffered much from dust here, and after two hours travelling reached
the castle of Khúí, a fine town of Azerbeiján, the seat of a Sultán,
who commands a thousand men; the public authorities are a judge,
Muftí, Darogha, Kelenter, Nakíb, Múnshí, Kúrújí and Dízchoken Aghá.
The castle is built in a square form on the plain, its circumference
is seven hundred paces; the ditch is not very deep. Of its two gates
one leads to the south, the other to the west; it contains a hundred
houses and a mosque. Its builder was Ferhád Páshá, but the old town
was built by Sháh Haider, and it has been sacked more than once since.
This suburb or outer town consists of seven thousand houses with
terraces, seventy mosques, eleven of which are Jamis, two baths, seven
kháns, and a thousand shops with gardens. I and my boys measured the
circumference, which is ten thousand paces. The air is rather warm
and favorable therefore to the culture of rice. The river issues from
Mount Selmás, and flows into the Araxes. The fruits are famous, above
all the Prophet-pears, which have no equal in sweetness and delicious
taste. Owing to the mildness of the climate, the inhabitants are all
white, and the women are innumerable. Some historians call this town
Asháristán, Iránistán or Turkistán. Its districts reckon one hundred
and eighty villages, the inhabitants of which are for the most part
Sunnites, Sháfiítes, who paid a capitation tax to Sháh Ismail for the
privilege of letting their beards grow (Sakál Túlí), but have been
exempted since the time of Sháh Sefí.
_Pilgrimage to the Tomb of Shems Tabrízí._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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