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
He died in the year 495 on his way from Antiochia to Isfahán, in this
town of Khúí. After a stay of two days, we continued our journey with
two hundred armed guards to the north, and arrived at the end of nine
hours at the town of Behestán, the seat of a Kelenter. It was anciently
a town of the size of Tabríz but was ruined by Húlagú; it is now a
small place of a thousand houses, three mosques, a khán, bath and small
market, with innumerable gardens. Three hours further northward, we
reached the castle of Joris on the frontier of Nakshiván; the seat of
a khán, who commands two thousand troops, a judge and twelve public
officers in honour of the twelve Imáms. The castle, a pentagon, is
situated on a hill, simply walled and therefore not very strong. It
was first built by Uzún Hassan the Sháh of Azerbeiján and was ruined
by Murád IV. its ruined parts are now chalked off [fenced off?] like a
Palanka. Though situated on a hill, yet the hill itself is at the foot
of a high mountain. It has a gate looking to the south-east; within the
castle there is no remarkable building but the mosque of Rúshen Hassan
Páshá. The outer town consists of seven thousand houses, and eleven
mosques, of which that of Uzdemír Osmán Páshá and Ferrúkh-zadeh Sháh
Ibn Timúr are the best; there are three mosques, seven kháns, and two
hundred shops. The young people are extremely pretty, with eyes like
the roes of Khoten, sweet-tongued with merry faces, who, if they walk
dressed in red embroidered dresses, like peacocks of Paradise, make all
their lovers lose their wits, and by half a look make as many Mejnúns
of them. We spent three days and nights here with Eyúb Khán the Khán
of the town, continually entertained by music. On the fourth day we
continued our journey, after having been overwhelmed with presents.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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