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 castle of Ardoghán is situated on a high hill, which is ascended
by five hundred steps and therefore only accessible to men; it is
a single rock like the fortress of Márdín. The highest point is a
crooked rock, which seems to threaten ruin every moment. Melek Ghází,
the conqueror of Nigissár, also conquered this town; and it was
afterwards taken by Bayazíd I. It is commonly called Seddí Turkmán,
the dyke of the Turcomans. The castle now contains an hundred and
fifty houses, a cistern, mosque, and magazine for corn. Precious
articles are kept within this castle and in that of Koja Kala’a on
the border of mount Deshán. A Dizdár and forty-eight men do the duty.
The castle is rendered safe by a drawbridge against the attacks of
rebels. There is no market khán or bath. The district belongs to the
jurisdiction of Koprí. Six hours westward is the station of Gol, a
village in the district of Zeitún, with a mosque, a khán, and a bath.
Six hours further, the village of Súrúk in the jurisdiction of Zeitún;
and after a march of six hours along the Yaila of Kondúz we arrived
at Zeitún, a large place in the territory of Amasia of two thousand
houses with kháns, mosques, baths, schools and numerous gardens. Six
hours further is the large place (Kassaba) Karghú, belonging to the
sanjak of Kanghrí, of six hundred houses with gardens, a mosque, khán,
and bath. Six hours further, the town of Túsia which has already been
described. We remained here one day and returned again to Merzifún. The
third day I arrived at Koprí, where I found every thing in the greatest
confusion and the whole town in an uproar, because Koprilí Mohammed
Páshá had received orders from the Porte to march against the rebels.
From hence I went in six hours towards the kiblah to the village of
Begoran on the border of mount Deshán, which we had passed in coming
but did not stop at. In another six hours we again reached Merzifún
and met Defterdár-zádeh Mohammed Páshá, my gracious Lord, to whom I
brought two hundred men, Sáríja. He was overjoyed at this and instantly
formed them into two companies (Bolúk), giving them the names of the
company of Evliya Guzerlí and Habíb; and in addition to twenty-four
other companies of irregular levies, they made together twenty-six
hundred men. I remained ten days longer at Merzifún employing my time
in collecting men, and on the 27th of Moharrem left it for the farm of
Murteza Páshá, which I reached in six hours.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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