Asia -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Mongols -- History; Polo, Marco, 1254-1323?; Voyages and travels
[The Seljukian Sultanate of Iconium or Rúm, was founded at the
expense of the Byzantines by Suleiman (1074–1081); the last three
sovereigns of the dynasty contemporaneous with Marco Polo are
Ghiath ed-din Kaïkhosru III. (1267–1283), Ghiath ed-din Mas’ud
II. (1283–1294), Ala ed-din Kaïkobad III. (1294–1308), when this
kingdom was destroyed by the Mongols of Persia. Privileges had been
granted to Venice by Ghiath ed-din Kaïkhosru I. (✛1211), and his
sons Izz ed-din Kaikaus (1211–1220), and Ala ed-din Kaïkobad I.
(1220–1237); the diploma of 1220 is unfortunately the only one of
the three known to be preserved. (Cf. Heyd, I. p. 302.)—H. C.]
Though the authors quoted above seem to make no distinction between
Turks and Turkmans, that which we still understand does appear
to have been made in the 12th century: “That there may be some
distinction, at least in name, between those who made themselves a
king, and thus achieved such glory, and those who still abide in
their primitive barbarism and adhere to their old way of life, the
former are nowadays termed _Turks_, the latter by their old name of
_Turkomans_.” (_William of Tyre_, i. 7.)
Casaria is KAISARÍYA, the ancient Caesareia of Cappadocia, close to
the foot of the great Mount Argaeus. _Savast_ is the Armenian form
(_Sevasd_) of Sebaste, the modern SIVAS. The three cities, Iconium,
Caesareia, and Sebaste, were metropolitan sees under the Catholicos
of Sis.
[The ruins of Sebaste are situated at about 6 miles to the east of
modern Sivas, near the village of Gavraz, on the _Kizil Irmak_.
In the 11th century, the King of Armenia, Senecherim, made his
capital of Sebaste. It belonged after to the Seljukid Turks, and
was conquered in 1397 by Bayezid Ilderim with Tokat, Castambol and
Sinope. (Cf. _Vital Cuinet_.)
One of the oldest churches in Sivas is St. George (_Sourp-Kévork_),
occupied by the Greeks, but claimed by the Armenians; it is
situated near the centre of the town, in what is called the
“Black Earth,” the spot where Timur is said to have massacred the
garrison. A few steps north of St. George is the Church of St.
Blasius, occupied by the Roman Catholic Armenians. The tomb of
St. Blasius, however, is shown in another part of the town, near
the citadel mount, and the ruins of a very beautiful Seljukian
Medresseh. (From a MS. Note by Sir H. Yule. The information had
been supplied by the American Missionaries to General Sir C.
Wilson, and forwarded by him to Sir H. Yule.)
It must be remembered that at the time of the Seljuk Turks, there
were four Medressehs at Sivas, and a university as famous as that
of Amassia. Children to the number of 1000, each a bearer of a copy
of the Koran, were crushed to death under the feet of the horses
of Timur, and buried in the “Black Earth”; the garrison of 4000
soldiers were buried alive.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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