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
hands of the Ottomans!
The day I entered Angora I visited the tomb of Hájí Bairám, recited
the Korán and then returned to my lodgings where I soon fell asleep.
In a dream I saw a man with a yellow beard, honey-coloured cowl and
a turban of twelve folds on his head, who upbraided me for having
visited Hájí Bairám’s tomb and passed by his. I asked, who he was? and
he said, “Didst thou not call on Sárí Sáltik Dedeh, when in thy youth
thou performed prayer in the Convent of the Wrestlers at Constantinople
in Sultán Murad’s presence? didst thou not say that I was known here
by the name of Er Sultán? I am lying here under a thick cupola near
the wood market, where thou shouldest visit me and give me joy with a
fátihah. I will send to-morrow morning a man of my resemblance, who
shall lead thee to my tomb.” I awoke, said my prayers, and was waiting,
when a man came of the form of him I saw in my dream, and told me,
that Er Sultán had appeared to him in a dream and had commanded him
to show me his burying place. This man had a radiant face, and his
voice was as hollow as if it came from underground. We passed through
eleven quarters of the town and visited in passing all the tombs of
Saints, which I shall mention by and by, if it pleases God! At last
there appeared on the western side of the wood-market a small cupola,
which my companion pointed out to me, saying, “This is the tomb of Er
Sultán.” Whilst I was looking at it on my right side, he disappeared
on my left, and I was at a loss to know what had become of him and
fancied that he must have walked through a door covered with felt
which was near me. I opened it, walked in, and saw it was a Búza-house
full of riot. Ashamed of having got into such society I left the room
immediately and made the best of my way to the cupola which had been
shown to me. There I laid my face on the threshold and prayed to the
Saint, saying, that I had arrived by his blessing, and begged he would
not let me depart void of benediction in this and the other world. I
now commenced the recital of the Korán, and sheltering myself under
the green Súf with which the coffin was covered, said, “Protection,
protection, O Er Sultán!” I then fell asleep and sweated to such
a degree that when I woke my clothes were wet. Er Sultán appeared
to me again and I begged that he would not let me go hence void of
benediction. He replied, “Thou wilt not be void of it, because thou
art a Háfiz (knowing the Korán by heart) and a lover of the Saints
(Evliya) whose tombs thou always visitest. I led thee myself to this
place, I am a perfect leader (Murshid Kámil), thy path is straight. Be
merciful to the poor and weak, and tell thy Páshá not to molest the
inhabitants of Angora. God will grant to thee travel and good health,
and in thy last moments faith. Eat, speak, sleep and know little, but
do a great deal, for actions are necessary to discover the way to
God, because He hath said in the Korán, ‘Good words ascend, and good
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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