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
The first of all the Saints of this place is Sheikh Pírdedeh, who came
with Hají Begtásh from Khorassán by permission of Koja Yessúí. He
dwelled outside of Merzifún to the north on a hill, and spent his days
in the baths as a Santon from the time of Orkhán to that of Mohammed
II. His convent which is a larger building than even that of Koyún-bábá
at Osmánjik, is provided with a kitchen and cellar (Kílár) and affords
every night lodgings and food to two or three hundred travellers; two
hundred dervishes of the order Begtáshí, barefoot and bareheaded, serve
their guests who visit the tomb of the Saint, say a Yass in honor of
the deceased and perfume their brains with the sweet odour of musk,
which exhales from his tomb. So great a number of candlesticks, lamps,
candelabra, vases for rose water and censers are not even to be seen
at Imán Riza. His habit, carpet, banner, drum, crown, mace, sling and
strap, the treasure of these dervishes, are preserved in boxes, and
many thousand travellers both on land and sea have here suspended their
slings and maces in eternal remembrance. I, poor Evliya, being a great
friend of Dervishes, according to the Prophet’s tradition: “Poverty is
my glory!” put with their permission the crown of Pírdedeh, which is a
Turkish cap of felt, on my head; the whole convent meanwhile resounding
with the cries of Allah and pious prayers. The building is entirely
covered with lead. The second pilgrimage is that of Sheikh Abd-ur-rahím
Ben Emír Merzifúní, who was the disciple of Zein-ud-dín Háfí at
Brússa and composed the work, Wassayaí Kudsie (Mystic Admonitions).
He accepted a living of eight aspers a day at the mosque of Sultán
Mohammed I., at Merzifún, where he lived and died; his tomb is now
a place generally visited. In his mystic poems he has taken the name
of Rúmí, they are all in the style and cant of the Sofís. We remained
ten days in this town to look at its curiosities. On the tenth day
arrived Murád the Khassekí and Haúrúzjí the Chaúsh, who had been put
into prison for four days by our gracious Lord, the Páshá, that his
messenger, Sáleh, despatched before them to Murteza Páshá, might
arrive first; but “Man proposes and God disposes;” Sáleh was struck by
apoplexy at Nissibín and remained there, while the two messengers of
the Porte, who started four days after him, arrived at Murteza Páshá’s
lodging at Diarbekr, presented him first with the diploma of Captain
Páshá, for which good news they received a sable pelisse and a purse
of money each, and then attacked him suddenly and severed his head
from his body. They now arrived at the Mehkemeh (Court of Justice) of
Merzifún with the head in a box, which they there deposited, and then
came into the presence of the Páshá, who was surrounded by all his
men, their hands grasping the daggers in their belts. The Khassekí
and Chaúsh trembled like leaves, kissed the threshold of the gate and
after having sat down on their heels, the Páshá upbraided them saying,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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