Burckhardt, John Lewis, 1784-1817; Nile River Valley -- Description and travel; Nubia -- Description and travel
We remained in the Khan that morning, and quitted the town at noon
to return to our ship, leaving the Tripoline behind to settle our
affairs. The little I saw of Tarsus did not allow me to estimate its
extent; the streets through which I passed were all built of wood,
and badly; some well furnished bazars, and a large and handsome
mosque in the vicinity of the Khan, make up the whole register
of curiosities which I am able to relate of Tarsus. Upon several
maps Tarsus is marked as a sea town: this is incorrect; the sea is
above three miles distant from it. On our return home we started
in a S. W. direction, and passed, after two hours and a half’s
march, Casal, a large village, half a mile distant from the sea
shore, called the Port of Tarsus, because vessels freighted for
Tarsus usually come to anchor in its neighbourhood. From thence
turning towards the west, we arrived at our ship at the end of
two hours. The merchants of Tarsus trade principally with the
Syrian coast and Cyprus: Imperial ships arrive there from time to
time to load grain. The land trade is of very little consequence,
as the caravans from Smyrna arrive very seldom. There is no land
communication at all between Tarsus and Aleppo, which is at ten
journeys (caravan travelling) distant from it. The road has been
rendered unsafe, especially in later times, by the depredations
of Kutshuk Ali, a savage rebel, who has established himself in the
mountains to the north of Alexandretta. Tarsus is governed by an Aga,
who I have reason to believe is almost independent. The French have
an agent there, who is a rich Greek merchant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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