Pilgrimages of Ládík.
Sheikh Seid Ahmed Kebír, buried in his own convent, was the disciple of Sheikh Ekber who is also buried here in the old mosque, built by himself in the year 952 (1545); he was one of the Sheiks of Sultán Orkhán. Beneath the castle Sheikh Ya Wúdúd is buried, and Báli-dedeh at the meeting place of the caravan of Mecca. Ghází Tayár Mustafa Páshá is also buried here beneath a lead covered cupola.
I remained at this place three days with my gracious Lord, the Páshá, to whom great feasts were given, and then marched five hours to the west to the village of Shabín-ághá, of two hundred houses, where Kássim Aghá gave a grand feast; five hours further on we reached the village of Korkoí, of three hundred houses, a mosque and gardens. The next day, when the tails were about to be carried forward, two Chaúshes arrived as messengers from Constantinople to Diárbekr, whom the Páshá arrested. On their being searched nothing was found but a Khattí-sheríf to the Páshá of Baghdád, Sáleh Páshá, removing him from his government and recalling him to Constantinople in order that he might be made Kápúdán Páshá. The same day the Páshá despatched his messenger Sáleh to Murteza Páshá, the brother of Sáleh Páshá, the governor of Baghdád, to acquaint him that couriers from the Porte were on the way with an invitation to Constantinople to which he should pay no attention, but beware of the snare laid for him, and join instead the party of Várvár Alí Páshá, who was marching to Constantinople. The Courier Sáleh received an hundred ducats to join Murteza Páshá with all speed; and on the fourth day the Khassekí and Chaúsh, who were the bearers of the Imperial rescript, were set at liberty and continued their route to Baghdád. The Páshá remained six days at Korkoí and moved on the seventh, when after five hours march we reached the old town of Merzifún.
Description of Merzifún.
It was built by the Dánishmend family and conquered by Bayazíd I. It is now a castle in good condition and useful against rebels, in the sanjak of Amasia, belonging to Sivás, and is guarded by watchmen. The town is a wakf of Saint Pírdedeh and is commanded by the Kizlar Aghá. The judge, appointed with three hundred aspers, may annually collect from the different districts six purses. As it is an inland castle it has neither commander nor garrison. Its public officers are a Muftí, Nakíb, Serdár, Kiayayerí, Mohtessib and Naíb. We were here the guests of Diláwer Aghá, the Silihdár of Tabání Mohammed Páshá, who treated the Páshá and fourteen hundred men of his suite for ten days with the greatest hospitality: so that not even a bag for the horses nor a cup of coffee were provided for by the Páshás people. The officers were lodged in the town by billet (Yáfteh) and lived with their hosts in perfect harmony like fathers and sons; four thousand men of the troops were provided with lodgings in the neighbouring villages, the inhabitants of which, though Turks, are of a gentle and mild temper, and give freely of what they have. Every necessary for sustaining life is here found in abundance. The town is situated on the border of Mount Deshán and contains four thousand houses covered with brick, forty four quarters and seventy mosques, the oldest of which is that of Murad II., in the market-place; it is in the olden style with one mináreh, and is much visited.
The colleges are, that of Murad II., where lectures are held also on tradition, seventy schools for boys, and two dining rooms, one of which is at the convent of Pírdedeh. At an hour’s distance from the town is the Convent of Akásha, and in the towns are those of Abdul Kádir Jílání, and one of Khalvetís; the Kháns are in the market. On the left corner of the gate of the old khán is suspended the mace of a Pehliván.
Description of the Baths.
The old bath, divided for men and women, was built by Mohammed I., and has more than seventy troughs or basins. Round it dwell the felt and safian makers, who tan blue, yellow and red safian. The walls of the bath are all lined with chalk mixed with musk and amber, the odour of which pervades the whole building and renders it so dry that neither on the walls nor on the windows does a drop of moisture collect. Being an old building, however, it is not light, but rather dark. The water is very warm and limpid.
Praise of Pírdedeh.
When Murad II., the father of Mohammed II., was building a mosque and college here, the enemies of Pírdedeh calumniated him by saying, that he accompanied the women into the bath and foretold to them hidden things, which are forbidden in the Korán, such as whether they would lie in with a boy or girl. Murad II., angry at such scandalous behaviour, took his sword with the intention of performing a meritorious action by killing the accused. When he came to the bath and saw Pírdedeh walking about with an apron round his loins, he upbraided him for mingling with the women in the bath and rubbing them instead of letting it be done by the waiting women. Pírdedeh said, “My Prince, I do such service only to women who are pregnant with great Doctors and learned men, and therefore enter not the bath in the common way.” Thus saying, he entered through the stone wall which opened for him, and the place is yet shown where he passed through before the eyes of the Sultán. The Sultán then said, “I came hither Dedeh to kill you with this sword in a legal way.” “Such is not the act intended for you sword,” replied the Saint; “your sword is destined to conquer Smyrna, which Timúr was unable to subdue; but which has fallen into the hands of the Greeks. Go, therefore, and conquer Smyrna and eat this bread.” On saying this, he took up two pieces of marble lying before the bath, kneaded them like dough and presented them bread, one to Murad II., and the other to his son Mohammed II., foretelling the conquest of Smyrna to the first and that of Constantinople to the second. This prediction being fulfilled, twenty-six years afterwards Mohammed gave to his convent an endowment of three hundred and sixty-six villages, so that the whole town of Merzifún belongs to this foundation. Every year a Mutevellí (administrator) from the Kizlar Aghá, who is the Názir (inspector) accompanied by three hundred horsemen, comes to take possession of the village and distribute its revenues among the dervishes and other poor men. The two pieces of white marble bread are actually shown fixed into the wall, where the Saint passed through it. This bath is a place for miraculous cures, and is the counterpart of the bath built by Avicenna.
The houses of the town, adorned with Sháhneshíns (projecting windows) all look towards the kiblah. Its inhabitants are sound and healthy on account of the prevalence of easterly winds. In the summer the inhabitants repair to Mount Deshán for summer lodgings (Yaila). These alps were given of old, when the Dánishmend family came from Mohán in Khorassán, to the sons of Deshán and are now in possession of one of their descendants, who receives a duty for the pasture of many hundred thousand head of cattle. Some hundred rills and rivulets, flowing down from these heights, water all the fields and gardens of the town. The nature of the soil is such, that however copiously it may rain, the fields are not productive unless watered by the rills of Deshán; but then they become so fertile that the corn returns an hundred fold; for one kíle at least eighty. These rills are under the inspection of a particular Aghá, who regulates the distribution of them, for if such a magistrate were not appointed, the inhabitants of Merzifún would kill each other for the sake of the water. A part of the rills and sources of Mount Deshán flow in the direction of Koprí and water its fields and gardens; another into the district of Kaúza in the valley of Ládík; and another still to the northward to the valley of Osmánjik. The town of Merzifún stands on a hilly site backed by Mount Deshán. Amasia is fifteen hours on the kiblah-side of this town, Ládík twelve, Osmánjik sixteen, Gumish ten, and Kerkerán eight. On the northern border of Mount Deshán stands the castle of Koja Kala’assí, looking upon the town of Koprí. If you march from Merzifún along Mount Deshán for five hours to the northward you arrive at Koprí, and in three journeys further at Samssún, which is the harbour of Merzifún, it being nearer to it than Sinope.
Products.
Must, pure as that of Aintáb, sweet raisins, and the white bread of Pírdedeh; six hundred shops almost all occupied by dyers, who dye a peculiar blue even finer than the Persians. Its cotton stuffs are exported in great quantities to Crimea and exchanged for prisoners; the ferrájes and dresses of the inhabitants of Crimea are made of the stuffs of Merzifún. Its spun cotton, shirts, blankets, cushions and other printed articles are also in good estimation.
Pilgrimage to the Saints of Merzifún.
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, “Infidels, why have you killed this unfortunate Murteza Páshá? All your things and saddlecloths had been searched, and nothing was found but the diploma appointing Murteza, Kapúdán Páshá; where did you hide the order for his death? Pray, speak the truth.” They said, “Most fortunate Vezír we are servants who but do what we are ordered. The proverb says, ‘If there were not the Sultán’s words the executioner would not commit the deed.’ We hid the order for death in a leaden box, in the water-bottle, where it escaped the search. We reached Murteza Páshá before your messenger, who was struck by apoplexy, and after having prevailed on him to return from Baghdád to Diarbekr, we there opened the bottle, took out the firmán and executed it. The head is now at the Mehkemeh, and the command is yours; who should beware of your own head. Health to you!” The Páshá satisfied with the Khassekí’s answer gave him a purse of money, saying, “Now get you gone, or God may send you misfortune!” The Páshá was now troubled about his own fate, and began to collect Sárija and Segbán (irregular levies), wrote letters to Várvár Páshá and sent me to Koprilí Mohammed Páshá, who was then in the town of his birth (Koprí) and to Hassan Aghá who was at Kilis.
Journey from Merzifún to Koprí.
We set out on the 10th Moharrem in a northerly direction along Mount Deshán, passed the village of Begorán and in six hours reached Koja Kala’a a small castle on a rock accessible but by one road and one gate. It was besieged at different times by the rebels Karayázijí, Saíd Arab and Kalender, but never was taken by them. It was however conquered by Bayazíd I., from the Dánishmend family and belongs now to the district of Koprí; the garrison consists of an hundred men, and it has a mosque, cistern, magazine for corn and seven or eight small guns, but no bath, khán or bezestán. The inhabitants make cans of fir-tree, which go by the name of bodúj, they also manufacture musical instruments called chekúr, tanbúr, rádha, karadozen, yúnghár, &c. In six hours more, after passing many villages on the border of Mount Deshán, we arrived at Koprí.
Description of the old town and great bridge of Koprí.
We dismounted at the house of Yússúf Aghá, where we stopped as guests, and delivered our letters to Koprilí Mohammed Páshá and the other principal men, we then collected the Búlúk-bashís and ordered cryers to proclaim that all those who wished to have goods and slaves, and possessed breeches and a horse, were to come to us. After this we went to view the town. Koprí is a fortress in good condition on the border of Mount Deshán, in a tract intersected by hills and valleys at a place watered by two rivers. One of these is called Bogha-koí and flows past the bottom of the town; the other is at an hour’s distance, and is called Astavolúz. The town of Koprí is situated between them. At the time of their overflowing they inundate the whole plain of Koprí; the town derives its name Koprí (bridge) from the great wooden bridge by which the Astavolúz river is crossed. It is a wonderful work constructed of fir-trees. At an early period this town was called Shebender, the name for a bridge in the language of the Amalekites. The stone bridge, which was formerly here, broke down on the night of the birth of the Prophet, and was replaced by this wooden one. The two rivers which flow past the town of Koprí unite below it and fall into the great river Báfra. This town was first built by the Amalekites and was taken by Melek Ghází, the Prince of the Dánishmend family, from the Greek Emperors of Trebisonde. Bayazíd I. took the fortress, the abovesaid castle of Koja Kala’a, by capitulation. It now belongs to the government of Amasia, half of it being a ziámet and the other half a subáshílik subordinate to Tokát; the judge is appointed with three hundred aspers. Its districts contain no less than an hundred and forty villages with gardens, kháns, mosques covered with lead, and from three to four thousand houses all covered with bricks; the great borough Bogház-koí has three thousand houses; the other remarkable places of similar extent are Baghjeh-koí, Doyán-koí, Akdepeh-koí and Akoren-koí. From these hundred and forty villages and boroughs the judge annually collects seven thousand piastres. There is a Muftí, Nakíb, Serdár, Kiayayerí, Mohtessib and Naíb, but as it is an inland castle it has neither commander nor garrison. The rebels Kara Yazijí and Said Arab were natives of this town, but having been defeated at Erla they fled and became rebels. To secure this town against them a second castle of earth was built close to the stone castle, and the two have four gates, but the shops and markets are outside in the suburb.
The town of Koprí consists of six thousand houses covered with bricks of two stories, the lower story being built of stone and the upper of oak whitened with chalk; so that all the houses dazzle the eye by their brilliancy. The winter being severe they are all provided with chimneys, which lift their bonneted heads like white Minárehs. These chimneys looking like tall white columns give a good appearance to the town, which is all covered with red bricks. The principal building of stone in the castle is the Seraï of Elháj Yússúf Aghá built by Koprilí Mohammed Páshá; there are altogether seventy palaces, and twenty mihrábs, in eleven of which the khutbeh is performed. In the stone castle is the mosque of Hájí Yússúf Aghá, with a water basin, a jet d’eau, and a mináreh covered with lead. Of the convents the first is that of the great Sheikh, that of the Káderites, and of the Khalvetí, but there are none of the Mevleví. The people generally are friendly to Dervishes. There are eleven kháns, two imárets, and five colleges, because its lawyers, divines, medical men and students are numerous. The schools for boys are forty-eight, that of Hájí Yússúf is covered with lead and richly endowed. There are various baths, the best of which is the double one of Ahmed Páshá, a thousand shops, and a strong bezestán with four gates. Yússúf Aghá may be called the last builder of this town which he enriched by a great many endowments; the bezestán was also his building. The most elegant market-place is that of the tanners, who illuminate every night their shops with candles; there are also a great many dyers. Its gardens are in full cultivation and produce excellent fruits. The pears, grapes, cotton wares, wove and spun, and the blue linen are as famous as its rosy-cheeked beauties. The harbours of this town on the shores of the Black Sea are Báfra and Sinope, which are but a journey distant. At five hours distance is the strong castle of Ardoghán, which I am now about to describe.
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.
This is a very productive farm (Chiftlik) situated in the plain of Merzifún. As snow was falling here we suffered much from the cold and in three hours, after many difficulties, reached Kúlák Hájí Koí, a village of two hundred houses with a ruined khán and a mosque. The inhabitants had all fled and there remained not even a cock in the village. The troops were dying of hunger, and during the night so heavy a storm blew that the snow was five spans deep in the morning. When the trumpets of departure sounded we moved on, though every one cursed the march, and struggling with difficulty against the gale and snow reached the straight called Diriklipúl, where the distress was very great owing to the fury of the gale, the quantity of snow, the uncertainty of the road and the want of provisions. The Páshá distributed money and encouraged some of the bravest to go in search of the road, through the midst of the snow, which they passed over in shoes made of horse-hair. This sort of shoe is called Páchila, and is used in Turkistán and Persia when snow has fallen to any depth. It consists of a circle like a sieve, the inside of which is fashioned into a shoe made of horse-hair; this they put on their feet to walk over the snow. The circle round the shoe is to give a greater surface to the foot in order to prevent it from sinking into the snow. Provided with such shoes the troops entered the straight, but were in the greatest distress, for some were lost notwithstanding these Páchila. Mules, camels and horses were stumbling one over the other and cries and lamentations pierced the air. The Sárija and Segbáns, so many Calibáns (Kaltiban) were the first who fled. In short it was impossible to pass the straight of Diriklipúl and therefore we were obliged to repair with the rest of the troops and the heavy baggage of the Pásha to Gumish Kala’a (Silver Castle), which we reached after a six hour’s march. We remained here three days till the falling of the snow had ceased. All those who hastened to the fire lost their sight for some time, and those only who did not approach it, but endured the cold, retained the use of their eyes. Seventeen men lost either a leg or a hand or a foot by the excessive cold, and the leg or hand being cut off, the stumps were dipped into boiling resin, so that their cries pierced the air.
Description of the town of Gumish.
It was built by the Byzantine Emperors and was conquered by Melek Ghází of the Dánishmend family. When Bayazíd I. marched to the conquest of Amasia the inhabitants of Gumish met him, and presented him with some silver vases and the keys of the castle. The inhabitants are therefore free of all duties, but it is incumbent upon them to work the silver mines. The inspectorship is held by lease, and furnishes annually to the Porte seventy quintals of pure silver, and one thousand pair of horse-cloths. In the Ottoman Empire there are no less than seventy silver mines, but this affords the purest silver; the goldsmith alloy an hundred drachms of this pure silver with ten of copper, and yet it is a good white silver, which receives the Imperial stamp. There are seven veins underground, which increase from day to day. The inhabitants of the town are all employed in the mines, and their commander is the inspector of the silver mines. The judge, appointed with an hundred and fifty aspers, may collect seven purses a year. The castle of this town situated on a hill is in a ruined state and has no accommodation at all within; being an inland castle it has neither a garrison nor commander. There is a Serdár and a Kiaya-yerí of the Janissaries, and the town consists of a thousand houses covered with planks, eleven mosques, of which that in the market-place is the most frequented, but no hospital, the salubrity of the air rendering one superfluous. Its products are the purest silver and horse-cloths and bags, which the Imperial stables and those of the principal men of Constantinople are furnished with from hence. The gardens produce good grapes. In the town are heaped up mounds of earth taken from the mines. We remained here three days on account of the heavy gales, and then advanced five hours to the south, suffering from the snow, to Dankaza-koí, a village of an hundred houses belonging to the jurisdiction of Gumish in the territory of Amasia. Near the farm of Kosseh Sha’abán Páshá is the Pilgrimage of Bardáklí-bábá and Akche-bábá, who are both buried here. The first gained his living by making cans (Bardák) for which the village is still famous. We visited the tomb of Bardáklí-bábá; after holding a council we approached, amidst a thousand difficulties, the high mountain of Kirk Dilim, which was passed with much suffering and the loss of many stragglers who returned to Dánkaza. Alí Aghá, the Kiaya of the Páshá, encouraged some brave lads, who had not yet lost their hands and feet, to wrap up the feet of the horses and mules by tearing up many carpets and coverlets, and in this way passed them over the snowy mountain of Kirk Dilim; but the heavy baggage, the munition, cellar, kitchen, and artillery were all left in the snow. The Kiaya of the Páshá again distributing money, the bags and casks were dragged up and rolled over the snow. This night was passed in a woody valley without the means of getting on, and seventy men, who had lost their hands and feet, remained behind. The next morning we continued our way amidst snow and storms through the straight of Kirk Dilim, and arrived after eight hours painful march at a village, the name of which has escaped my memory, whose inhabitants had all fled upon the news of our arrival. Men and horses during the night were nearly dying of hunger, and there was such a gale and heavy storm of snow that in the morning it was five spans in depth. On the signal of departure being given the Kullákjí, conductors (Sarbán), and tent-pitchers (Mehter) assembled before the Páshá’s tent and declared they were unable to stir. Ten piastres were promised to the men, but they answered, “Health first, then wealth.” The Páshá said, “My children, how is it possible to remain in this place, where there is not a grain of provisions?” In short the Kullákjí (leaders) could not be induced to move on until they had received a present of fifteen purses from the Páshá. There was, however, such a storm of wind, hail and snow that the horses danced like Dervishes Mevleví, and the camels like Lúlús (Tatar robbers). The unhappy leaders of them put their hands in their bosoms and uttered a piteous cry. Praise be to God! we now entered a forest and were a little sheltered against the wind and snow, and after a march of five hours arrived at the great village of Bardákjí, in the jurisdiction of Gumish, consisting of an hundred houses. From hence continuing our march to the south we arrived in four hours at the station of Kirk Dilim, a place of two hundred Mussulmen houses in the sanjak of Chorún. Here both men and horses rested till the following day, when the weather clearing up we proceeded through cultivated villages to the town of Chorúm, said to have been built (God knows if truly) by Kilij Arslán, the Prince of the Seljúk family, who sent his son Yakúb Mirza and some hundred sick men to this town, where being cured, it received in consequence the name of Chorúm. From the hands of the Seljúkides it passed into those of the Dánishmend family from whom it was taken by Ilderím; it is now the seat of a Sanjak Beg in the government of Sívás. His khass is three hundred thousand aspers, nineteen ziámets, and thirty-one timárs. There is a Colonel (Alaí-beg) a Captain (Cherí-báshí) a judge appointed with an hundred and fifty aspers, and receiving from its districts annually five purses, a Muftí, Nakíb, Serdár, Kiaya-yerí, Mohtessib, Súbáshí, Inspector of the hall (Kapán Emíní) and Náíb of the town. The military officers are in great favour because the troops are numerous and there are a great number of bad men. Lodgings were positively refused to our Páshá; but mediators were employed and documents were made out at the Mehkemeh (Court of Justice), so that they were prevailed upon to give us lodgings, but only for the space of three days. The town consists of forty-two quarters in which are forty-two mosques, four thousand three hundred houses covered with bricks and surrounded with gardens; nine mosques where the Friday prayer is performed, of which that of Sultán Murad is the best, it had but one minareh which was throw down by Ilderím Bayazíd. The mosque of Sultán Ala-ud-dín was repaired under Sultán Súleimán by the architect Sinán; as it is situated in the market-place it is much frequented. That of Murad covered with lead is the finest. The new bath is a foundation belonging to the bath of Alí Páshá at Tokát; in the palaces are many other baths. Of the colleges, of which there are seven, that of Murad is the most frequented; there are eleven schools for boys, seven kháns and eighteen fountains, the water by which they are supplied was conducted hither by Sultán Súleimán, in honour of the martyrs of Kerbela (who died of thirst). The convents of Dervishes are three, but no house for reading the korán or for tradition exists. The shops are three hundred, in which all the necessaries of life are to be found, although this is a town of Turkistán. The temperature of the climate gives red cheeks and good proportions to the inhabitants, who almost all wear cloth. The fair sex and the winter are both renowned. The Castle on the kiblah side of the town has only been built for protection against riots and rebellion. It has an iron gate, a commander and garrison. God knows! but it seems to have been built since the Islám, because there is no trace of any building of the time of the infidels.
On the day we came here the late chief barber of the Sultán arrived in the quality of Kapijí-báshí accompanied by forty other chamberlains, saying, that he was the bearer of the diploma of the government of Diárbekr. The Páshá surrounded himself with all his guards, Sárija, Segbán, Gonullí (volunteers) three hundred pages and all the Levends. The forty kapijís entered trembling and the Páshá having asked, where the diploma was they had boasted of, was assailed all at once by them, but before they were able to do any harm to him, they were all disarmed and bound by his guards and soldiers. The Segbán and Sárija called for the executioners and were going to cut off their heads, when the principal men of the town kissed the earth before the Páshá, and begged the lives of these kapijí-báshís, who were, they said, only servants executing their master’s commands and therefore should be spared. The Páshá yielding to their prayers set them at liberty, instead of thrashing them to death as he ought to have done. Being liberated they went to the Mehkemeh, called the Sanjak Beg, read the firmán and demanded in consequence that the troops should be driven out of the town. The inhabitants remonstrated against it, showing that they might all be in danger of being cut to pieces and their houses burned down, if they were to undertake the least thing against the troops. The Páshá being made acquainted in time of what was going on, sent word to the kapijís immediately to quit the place if they wished to escape in safety. Thus they were all driven out of the town. The next day a messenger was despatched to Várvár Alí Páshá to acquaint him with what had happened. The inhabitants finding that our Páshá was a goodnatured and righteous Vezír gave him the salutary advice not to march to Constantinople, but always to remain at one or two journeys distance from Várvár Alí Páshá, and to take his station, until the snow should melt and the weather clear up, at Tokát or Kázova. The Páshá approving of their advice, visited the tomb of Sheikh Olván Chelebí, the son of Ashik Páshá, and proceeded to Tokát. In this plain we remained ten days, during which the Páshá received letters from Várvár Alí Páshá, exhorting him to be on his guard, and, as the spring was now approaching and the weather clearing up, to collect as many troops as he could for the march to Constantinople. The Páshá made as though he were going to Angora, and on the eleventh day we arrived in the plain of Chorúm at the convent of Sídim Sultán, a convent of bareheaded and barefooted Begtáshí, where the Páshá was lodged and splendidly feasted. The village of Kara Kechelí of two hundred houses in the territory of Chorúm is an hour’s distance from the red river. Here the snow beginning to fall and the wind to blow, the Sárija and Segbán drove the families out of their houses, threw the cradles with the children in them on to the snow, dug out the gates and thresholds to bring their horses into the rooms to the fire, and committed the same excesses, that they did at Gumish and Dánkaza, and which exceeded even the tyranny of Yessúf Hejáj. The next day we left Kara Kechelí and instead of passing over the bridge of Cháshnegír on the red river, proceeded to the passage of Kara Yechíd; which was indeed a bad measure, because the passage is a cruel one. It had ceased snowing but was so piercingly cold that the men and horses trembled like leaves; nevertheless the orders for the passage were given. It commenced with the tent-camels, the kitchen, stable and other heavy baggage of the Páshá’s led by twenty able pilots. Two hundred strings of camels and one hundred of mules belonging to the Páshá, as well as mine and the Kiaya’s passed over, and, went with all this heavy luggage to Kúrdseraí, but myself and the Kiaya remained on this side of the river waiting to see the passage of the baggage of all the Aghás. In the morning their heavy things arrived along with the treasure-camels of the Páshá, but at the moment the pilots had entered the river with them, there arose such a storm of hail and snow, of thunder and of lightning, that the strings of mules and camels were broken, numbers of them upset in the middle of the river, and a great many lost. Great masses of ice, the shape of mill-wheels, now began to float down the river and blocked the shores at the bridge of Cháshnegír. In the midst of the confusion which took place on both shores of the river, the Páshá arrived with his music sounding. He distributed large sums of money amongst the inhabitants of Kúrdseraí, who rescued the men and animals, while the troops on both sides of the river were running about crying and lamenting. Some brave fellows swam amongst the drifting shoals, but others were submerged, and camels, mules, horses and men, were floating about in confusion and dismay; some of whom were drowned and some saved. Some Kurds and Turcomans swam into the midst of the ice and rescued many camels, mules and horses, but as those who had crossed had left their clothes on this side the river, it so happened that a great number perished from cold. Of all the baggage, only that which had passed over before the ice began to drift was saved, the rest was lost. An hundred and sixty men, more than a thousand horses and mules were drowned, but only a small number of camels. The drowned men were for the most part Kulenkjí, Sárija and Segbán; some going to paradise and others to hell: the latter were at least delivered from the hell of winter. This horrible discomfiture lasted only from the morning till afternoon, when the drifting of the ice and the storm suddenly ceased, so that the Tatars, Delís, and Gonillás, who had waited till then, crossed over without the least difficulty. Witnessing these misfortunes I reflected on the cruel conduct of those troops, who had behaved in so barbarous a manner in the passage at Chardáklí-púlí, and now at Kúrd-dereh: burning down the houses, throwing infants on the snow and wounding men and women with battle-axes. The inhabitants of the villages came crying and lamenting to the Páshá,; but what was to be done with this crowd of Sárija and Segbán, of whom the Páshá stood in need and whose excesses therefore he was obliged to tolerate. I, poor Evliya, whilst witnessing those scenes, shivered at the thought of the vengeance which God would send one day on those cruel troops.
Praise of Sheikh Bárdáklí-bábá.
Near the above mentioned place is the pilgrimage of a Saint called Bárdáklí-bábá, a disciple of Sheikh Hájí Bairám. He obtained his living by making cans, which afforded a continual supply of water for the ablutions of his disciples. His can is suspended from his tomb and therefore he is called Bárdáklí-bábá, the father of cans or tankards. With the leave of the tomb-keeper, I took down the suspended can to perform my ablutions and found it full of clear water, though covered with the dust of forty years. The Páshá’s Imám and some others of his suite were astonished at this extraordinary sight, they asked the keeper if he would swear the can had not been recently filled with water. He swore that it had not been touched for forty years until I, poor Evliya, had taken it down to perform my ablutions. The Imám and the others said, “Well then Evliya hang it up again,” but I being determined to carry my point would not until I had performed the ablution in the legal way. The Imám and four other persons then did the same, but the water was not diminished in the least to our great astonishment. We again hung up the can, which was of a reddish colour, and on its side was written the verse of the Súra Ra’ad, “He sent water from heaven,” the number 66626, three Ks, two Js and one M, the figure of a glass and of a can. I now began to recite the Korán according to the intention of the Saint, with whom I made spiritual acquaintance, remarking the Prophet’s tradition, “If you are perplexed in your affairs look for assistance from the Inhabitants of the tombs.” The mirror of my heart was polishing and rubbing off the rust of sadness, when a woman walked in, who threw the body of a dead child and herself on the threshold of the tomb, crying and lamenting that her child had been killed by the troops, who had cast it on the snow, and calling down divine vengeance upon them, through the aid of the Prophet and the Saints. She was followed by a great number of injured men, who united their prayers and imprecations with hers. I trembled at hearing them, and drawing near with a friendly face, kissing their hands and cheeks, I said to them, “People of Mohammed, I also belong to the troops of the Páshá, who, God knows, does not approve of their excesses; but he has been forced to collect them in order to save his own head, which is endangered by the Grand Vezír, Ahmed Páshá, on whom must be laid the fault of all this.” An old man gave me some comfort by saying, that I was not included in this imprecation, which was to fall only on the troops; and a good deal of it was realized at the above described passage of the river, where so many lost their lives and goods, while I, poor Evliya, God be thanked for it! passed over safely to the opposite side.
The borough of Kúrdlar-seraí (wolves’ palace) is situated in the Sanjak of Kánghrí in the jurisdiction of Kala’ajik on the bank of the red river and consists of four hundred houses covered with terraces, a mosque, a khán and a bath. Here the Páshá appointed two Aghás to watch the endeavours made to retrieve from the river some of the lost baggage. Moving on to the north we arrived at the village of Boyalí, situated in the territory of Kanghrí; five hours further, the village Akche-Koyúnlí of an hundred Turcoman houses; and three hours further, the village of Kojí-bábá, situated in the jurisdiction of Kala’ajik, of two hundred Turcoman houses, which do not appear above ground but are all below it, with stables, kitchens and sitting-rooms. The reason for the construction of these subterraneous houses is the violence of the winter; they are all built of a soft stone, which has the appearance of having been whitened with chalk. Chests, boxes, and rafters are all cut in this stone, which is as soft as cheese; the houses are so large, that a thousand men might be lost in them, and yet is there nothing seen of them above ground. Here is the pilgrimage of Kojí-bábá, one of the disciples of Hájí-begtásh. There is no other building but the convent; the tomb is adorned with lamps and candelabras. His banner, drum, habit and carpet are all preserved as though he were himself present. The Turcomans have great faith in this saint. At Keskin (the name of this place) is also the tomb of Sheikh Ibrahím Tenúrí Ben Sarráf Hossein, one of the disciples of Ak-shems-ud-dín; he was born at Sivás. Five hours further to the north is the village of Sheikh Shámí of the order of Bairámís, whose name was Hamza; the sect of the Hamzeví take their name from him. Many miracles are recorded of him, one of them is the spring which he called forth by his staff and which is, therefore, actually called the Spring of the Staff. He is buried beneath a high cupola near the mosque which he himself built, but which is not covered with lead. Its mihráb is of very great dimensions, and the stones are adorned with inscriptions in Kúfí, Jellí, Mostea’assemí, Ríhání, and Thúlúth characters. The verses: “Every time Zacharias went before the Mihráb,” and “He was standing praying before the Mihráb,” and the verses Kursí and Emen-er-ressúl are written upon it. On both sides it is carved and sculptured in a most astonishing way with flowers and arabesque ornaments, so that the stone seems rather to be engraved or painted than sculptured. Some say it is the work of Sheikh Shám himself, and it is indeed probable because it is such a wonderful work, like the paintings of Mání and Behzád Aghá Riza Wání. Before his tomb rises the Spring of the Staff which is much visited. From hence we went five hours to the north to the village of Hossein Aghá in the district of Kala’ajik and five hours further to the village of Kala’ajik itself, which was built by the Prince of Brússa Sirúna for his daughter. Topál the commander of Kastemúní conquered it; and he resisted the Ottoman power, till at last Ilderím Bayazíd took by surprise this castle, which is not to be conquered in any other way. It is now the seat of a Subáshí of the Sanjak of Kánghrí, and a judge is appointed to it with an hundred and fifty aspers, and collects from the districts annually four purses; there is also a Dizdár and a garrison of twenty men.
Form of the Castle.
It is situated on a high reddish cliff, towering into the clouds, as though built by Ferhád. The walls are sixty royal cubits high, as it is an isolated rock there are no ditches. An iron-gate opens to the kiblah side and within the castle are about twenty houses, a mosque, a magazine of corn, a cistern, and six small guns. The inhabitants of the neighbouring tracts deposit in this castle their effects and precious things from fear of rebels and robbers, and the commander is the keeper of these deposited goods. It is not commanded by any neighbouring height and is surrounded with gardens. One the kiblah-side is a well-built suburb, but without fortifications (robát), consisting of two thousand houses partly covered with bricks and partly with earth; the largest is the palace of Shehsuvár Páshá, they all face towards the kiblah-side; the streets instead of being paved with stone, are all strewn with sand. There are seventeen mosques, that in the market place having one mináreh, thirteen schools for boys, a small bath, three khans and six coffee-houses; the air is good, but not the water. We lodged here in the palace of Shehsuvár Páshá, and I thanked God that I could change clothes, and lie quietly down after the many fatigues undergone.
The Pilgrimages of Karánjí-bábá Sultán.
There is but one steep path from the castle, at the bottom of which near the market is the tomb of this saint in a narrow place. On leaving it we marched five hours to the North to the village of Kúrbághlí, in the territory of Kánghrí and the district of Kala’ajik, of two hundred houses with mosques and gardens, where Sheikh Abd-allah, the son of Sheikh Shámí, is buried; his tomb is covered with a simple roof, and is without a convent. Five hours further to the North we came to the village of Nenegler, in the territory of Kala’ajik, a Turkish village of an hundred houses; a cubit of snow fell during the night, so that nobody could leave their lodgings. In the morning when departure was sounded the horses were loaded with the greatest pain; Turks served as guides, and thus we marched three hours to the straight of Alák-púlí, where we were assailed by such a storm and rain, that the confusion and horror was general, and many lost their lives. The Aghás of the Páshá, and even his treasurers left the treasure and fled away. Mustafa Beg the son of the Páshá with his governor (Lálá), master (Khoja) and servants were missing; the strings of mules and camels were broken and they were straying on the mountains. I halted a little in a sheltered valley and then with six of my boys and three packhorses looked for a house, where I found three others of my slaves and ten Cháshnegírs; so that we were now twenty-five persons. Thus we passed the straight of Sárí Alák and arrived happily at the plain on the other side without knowing where we were going to.
(Here six pages of the original are omitted, which give a detailed account of Evliya’s falling into a nest of robbers, headed by Hyder-zádeh, Kátirjí-zádeh and other robbers, who held their meeting at Háji-bábá’s, an old rogue. The robbers, on being informed by Evliya of the Páshá’s being near, made off, and Evliya was kept by Háji-bábá until rescued by his people and other armed men of the Páshá’s suite, with whom he shared the rich presents which he forced out of Háji-bábá upon taking an oath that he would not betray this den of robbers. Evliya again joined the Páshá at the village of Hossein Aghá.)
The village of Hossein Aghá is situated in the district of Jubúk-owassá on a high hill. This is the pilgrimage of Ghazí Hossein of Malatia the father of Sídí Battál. Where there are more than an hundred Dervishes Begtáshí versed in Arabic and Persian knowledge. The tomb is surrounded with golden candlesticks, Koráns, &c. There are two places of religious exercise for the summer and for the winter. The valleys of Jubúk, Yebán, and Merbút are at the foot of this convent: Every year a Mevlúd or birth-feast is held here, when forty to fifty thousand men assemble to celebrate the feast of Hossein Sídí Batál’s father, one of the descendants of Imám Hossein, and who like him was killed by the hands of the Infidels. I gave to the Dervishes ten piastres for alms, immolated three victims and received the Sheikh’s benediction amidst the general shout of Allah! At the foot of the hill I met my Lord the Páshá with whom during ten days I overran the plain of Jubúk, as if I were going on conscription. This plain comprehends seven districts, and seventy villages. We spent ten more days on the plain of Yebán, containing an hundred cultivated villages belonging to the jurisdiction of Angora, and ten days more in the jurisdiction of Jorba of eighty-six villages. We passed a month in these three plains and celebrated Nevrúz (the spring’s commencement) near Angora. The weather now was mild, but we were all exhausted from the continual fatigue of loading and unloading heavy loads. At last we returned to the village of Hossein in the commencement of the year 1058 (1648). From hence we marched in seven hours to the north amidst cultivated villages and arrived at Angora.
Description of Angora.
On the day that our quartermasters entered the town with the tails it was declared to them in the court of justice, that the Páshá would not be allowed to enter the fortress on account of his intentions being known to be those of a rebel, but that in consequence of the great number of friends and clients in the town, he would be well treated and lodged there for three days. We entered with a great Istikbál (procession of meeting) and were saluted by the firing of twenty guns. I was lodged in the house of Keder-zádeh and went straight to the convent of Hájí-bairám, where I read the Korán, and fulfilled the vow I had made when in the hands of the robbers, distributing to the Dervishes an hundred piastres of the money obtained at the village of Bálik-hissár from the robbers.
Angora was conquered by Yakúbsháh, the Prince of Kútahia of the Germián family and by his Vezir Hezár-dínar, and then by Sultán Orkhán. If Angora is viewed from the village of Erkiksú, which is a journey’s distance from the north, it appears a brilliant place; for the houses rising one behind the other, similarly to Buda on the Danube, makes it look like a ship of transport (Maúna) which has set up its trees and adorned its head. Buda, Ván and Angora are the three first fortresses of the Empire: its name (Engúrí) is Persian, given from the quantity of grapes (Engúr) which are found here. It is said to have been built by a Byzantine Emperor, and employed forty thousand workmen for seven years, who each day received forty nuts and a loaf apiece. It is also called the leafy castle (Motabbak), because its different parts cover one another like leaves of a tree, and the castle of the chains (Selasil) because the Emperor Heraclius surrounded it with seven chains on the birth year of the Prophet. The Mogols call it Ankra; the Tatars, Kermen Ankra; the Germans, Constantinople (!) the Turks, Aidín Karí, Unkúr and Ungorú. In the Imperial Registers it is spelled Ankra. It is the seat of a Sanjak Beg in the province of Anatoli, and has been given many times as living (Arpalik) to Vezírs of three tails. The khass of the Páshá is two hundred and sixty three thousand four hundred aspers, fourteen ziámets, and two hundred and fifty seven timárs, an Alai-beg (Colonel) Cherí-beg (Captain) and Yúzbáshí (Lieutenants). The Zaims and Timariots with the Jebelle make three thousand armed men. The Súbashís depending from Angora are, those of the town, that of Mertátova, of Yebánava, of Jubúkova, and of Jorba, which annually import forty thousand piastres. The Judge is a Molla of five hundred aspers, whose revenues may be calculated at twenty purses a year. There are also a Sheikh-ul-islám or Muftí, a Nakíb-ul-eshraf, or head of the Emírs, Seids and Sherífs (the relations of the Prophet), a Serdár of the Janissaries, a Kiaya-yerí of the Sipáhís, a Náíb of the town and a Mohtessib (provost and lieutenant of police) the commanding officers of the Jebejí and Topjí, a Dizdár (commander of the castle) and a garrison of an hundred men. The castle is situated on a high mountain, mocking all assaults, rising in four natural terraces, so that there is a distance of three hundred paces from one enclosure to the other; the height of each wall is sixty cubits and the breadth ten royal cubits; the foundations are all built on vaults. The castle forms an oblong square from east to west. It has four iron-gates one behind the other towards the west, each strengthened behind by iron cages. These iron cages or gratings are thrown before the gates in time of sieges, the bars are of the thickness of an arm. The gate on the extremity of the fortress looking to the Horse market opens to the west, on the upper part of it are suspended the arms of old knights, and the bones of a whale. The guards keep watch here day and night. If the commander leaves the castle the garrison are empowered to kill him, or at least to exile him for ever. Abaza, the rebel, besieged this town with an hundred thousand men, and took possession of the lower town, but wounded by a cannon shot from the upper castle, he was obliged to return to Erzerúm; the commander ever since has been prohibited from leaving the castle, and the watchmen all night long cry, Yegdir-allah, One is God! It has no ditch on one side on account of the rocks, and it is not easily to be attacked by mines because its quarters rise one behind the other. The four enclosures have eighteen hundred battlements, and its circumference is four thousand paces. On the east side is a place of pilgrimage situated on a hill, it is called Khizrlik; this hill looks over the town, which is of no consequence as it is not within gun-shot distance. The inner castle is defended by sixty-eight guns, but none of them are large. The houses number six hundred and are all terraced, but have neither gardens nor vineyards; the old mosque was formerly a convent. The lower town was surrounded with a wall by Ahmed Páshá against the rebels. It has four gates, and its circumference on the three sides, on which it does not join the citadel, is six thousand paces. On the east side of the superior castle you descend into the valley of Khizrlik by a road leading down for fetching water. In the inner castle are cisterns and magazines; but in the lower town are no cisterns, because water is in abundance, there being an hundred and seventy fountains, three thousand wells, seventy-six mosques, those of Ahmed Páshá and Hájí Beirám the saint, having been built by the great Sinán, fifteen convents of Dervishes with mihráb (mosques) the greatest of them is that of Hájí Bairám, where three hundred Dervishes of his order follow the rules of their founder. Their first patron is Khoja Abd-ul-Kádír Jeilání, by whom they ascend to the prophet; in Rúmelí they are called also Hamzeví from Sheikh Hamza. There is likewise a fine convent of Mevlevís founded by Ahmed Páshá. The colleges are richly endowed, three houses for lectures on tradition, an hundred and eighty schools for boys, two hundred baths, seventy palaces with gardens; all these buildings are of brick not stone, and covered with earth instead of with bricks, six thousand six hundred and sixty houses, and two hundred sebíl-kháneh or establishments for distributing water. The shops are two thousand, and there is an elegant bezestán with four gates with chains; the market places are almost all on elevated spots; the coffee houses and barber’s-shops are always crowded; the public places and streets are paved with white stones. Its divines, poets, and learned and pious men are innumerable, although it is a Turkish town, it counts more than two thousand boys and girls who know the Korán by heart; some thousand also know by heart the Mohammedieh, or works on the Mohammedan religion by Yázijí-zadeh Mohammed Efendí. Some of its inhabitants have the repute of performing miracles like Abd-ur-rahman Efendí, a pious man, who is free of four enticements, viz. hair, brows, beard and eye-lashes; he is descended from Hájí Bairám’s family, who had the same advantage.
Praises of Hájí Bairám the Saint.
In his youth he was once invited by a cunning woman, who in order to seduce the Saint, with whom she was in love, began to praise his hair, beard, brows and eye-lashes. The Saint retired into a corner and prayed to God that he might be delivered of these four inducements to lust, and become of an ugly form; he then returned without a hair into the woman’s presence, who shocked at his ugliness had him turned out of doors by her maidens. Hence the descendants of the Saint by his daughter actually wear short beards (Kosseh).
The rich inhabitants of the town wear Ferrájes of sable, those of the middle class, Serhaddís of cloth and Contoshes, the workmen Ferrájes of white linen, the Ulemas, of wool, and the women also of wool of different colours. The climate and temperature being mild the inhabitants are fair with red faces.
The Eatables and Products.
The calves’ and sheep’s feet of Angora are the counter part of those of Kútahia; the salted flesh (Pássdirma) of its goats has an excellent perfume. These goats called Teftekgechí are of a brilliant whiteness; of the hair is made the soft (Shalloon) of different, colours which is worn by Monarchs. If the wool is cut by scissors it becomes coarse, but if pulled out it is as soft and as fine as the silk of Eyúb (Job). The poor goats, when the hair is pulled out in that way, raise lamentable cries; to avoid this some wash them with a mixture of chalk and ashes, by which they are enabled to pull out the hair without difficulty or giving pain; thus the poor goats are stripped naked. The hair is then worked into Shalloons, and both men and women are busy at making or selling them. The Franks tried to transport the goats of Angora into their own country, but God be praised! they degenerated into common goats, and the stuff wove from their hair was no Súf (Shalloon). They then took the hair of the Angora-goat and tried to work it into Sof, but were never able to give it the true lustre (Máj). They now make of it for their monks a kind of black shalloon, which however has neither colour nor lustre. The inhabitants of Angora say that the exclusive working of fine shalloon is granted to them by the miracles of Hájí Bairám, and the water and air. Indeed the sof (Shalloon) of Angora is the most famous in the world; the chalk also of Angora is renowned. Its inhabitants make great journies to Frengistán and Egypt to sell their Shalloons. There are a great number of Jews, but few Greeks and Copts. The inhabitants are a goodnatured hospitable people. It is an incomparable town, which may God preserve till the end of time in the 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 works exalt.’ Honour thy parents, and the Sheikhs (Pír), and thy end shall be happy. Say now a fátihah with this intent.” Here I was awoke by a noise and voices saying, “Is there no tomb-keeper?” I arose from beneath the cover of the coffin and to the question of the visitors, “Whether I was the tomb-keeper?” replied, “Yes!” When they were gone I returned home shedding many tears, and related my vision to the Páshá, who also related to me a similar dream that he had had. He instantly gave orders that all the Sárija and Segbán should deliver up their arms and leave in quiet the inhabitants of Angora. The Páshá had had some idea of shutting himself up in the town and declaring it in a state of rebellion, but he immediately abandoned it after these visions. I then made it a duty to myself to visit every day, during my stay at Angora, the tombs of Hájí Bairám and Er Sultán and others of the Saints, which I am now about to mention.
Pilgrimages.
Sheikh Hájí Bairám, the pole and column of sanctity, was born on the bank of the river Chepúl in the village of Solkoi and was the disciple of Sheikh Hámed. At the time when Sultán Báyazíd I. was at Adrianople, Sheikh Bairám preached there in the old mosque, and the pulpit which he ascended is still shown. Different Sheikhs who tried to ascend this pulpit could never utter a word, because none were worthy to preach after him in the same place. After his death, which happened in Báyazíd’s reign, he was buried beneath a high cupola in the inner castle of Angora. Sheikh Er Sultán, the leader of divine truth, the discoverer of mysteries, called Mahmúd by his proper name, was born at Angora, and reposes beneath a small cupola in the wood market. East of Angora on a high mountain is the pilgrimage of Hízr, a pleasure place from which a fine view of the town is enjoyed. This Saint was the disciple of Sheikh Hossám-ud-dín, and being imprisoned at Angora he gave the order one evening to be buried the next day, and in the morning, without any body having been near him, he was found washed, perfumed, and ready for burial. Sheikh Kátib Saláh-ud-dín was a great astronomer, a second Pythagoras. There are a great number of other Saints, which I do not mention, as I could not visit their tombs during my short stay.
The day of our departure being fixed, I made myself as light as possible, by giving away a part of what I had taken from the robbers’ den in alms, and the rest as a pawn to the master of the house where I lodged and got ready with seven Mamlúcs and one light pack horse. In the morning I heard an uproar and riot by which heaven and earth was thrown into confusion. Some were exclaiming that they were satisfied with the Páshá, others that he was a rebel for having united with Várvár Páshá, and that it was necessary to obey the Emperor’s command. In short Mustafa, one of the Emperor’s Kapijí, had arrived with forty of his companions; they had shut the gates of the castle and proclaimed a general call to arms (Nefír-a’ám). Most fortunately the Páshá, who had been terrified by a disastrous dream, was gone incognito to visit the tomb of Sídí Battál’s father, and could not therefore be found in his palace, which was searched in every part by the Kapijí. The Páshá of course did not re-enter the town but repaired to the village of Erkeksú, which is to the north of it, and sent a letter to his Kiaya to request him to send his troops. In the mean time the Páshá not having been found the gates were opened and a proclamation issued, that all who belonged to the Páshá were to leave the town instantly; I therefore took leave of the master of my house and Hájí Bairám and Er Sultán, and arrived after seven hours’ march at the village of Erkeksú consisting of two hundred houses and a mosque at the foot of a rock. Seven hours further on we arrived at the great place Istanozí, with a judge of one hundred and fifty aspers, in the district of Mortátova, bordering on a valley, on each side of which are towering rocks; it has a thousand houses without gardens, a mosque, a bath and market: the river Erkek flows through it. This place had formerly two great gates at either end, which were destroyed in the time of Murad III. by the rebel Korayazijí; if these two gates were restored it would be impossible to take the place, because it is situated between two walls of high rocks on which eagles and vultures build their nests, but to which man scarcely dares to lift up his eyes. These rocks are as tremendous as those of Ván, Shabín and Márdín, some of them are excavated below like Mount Bisútún and some are shaped above like dragons, lions and elephants. The inhabitants are for the most part Armenians. About a thousand looms are employed in working Súf. This place being enclosed by two rocks the air is very warm. The Armenian girls here are famed for their beauty. There are caverns which can hold a thousand horses. Formerly an old castle stood here on a rock.
The day we entered the town there was a great conflux of men to see tumblers and wrestlers exhibit their tricks; Istanoz and the town of Kodoz in Anatoli being the places where tumblers and wrestlers assemble to make bets. They stretch the rope from one rock to the other and place watchmen at each end, that enemies may not cut it when they are dancing on it. The rocks and the valley beneath are crowded with spectators and on both sides of the river, which flows through the valley, tents are pitched for the spectators. We witnessed during three days the tricks of seventy six tumblers, who were followed by three hundred scholars, to whom they gave lessons in their art.
(The Description of the tricks, and an account of two letters from and to Vávár Páshá, are here omitted.)
Having received the letters of My Lord the Páshá I passed Hossein Ghází and Bálik-hissár, halted at the village of Sárí Alán, and further on passed Kala’ajik, Sheikh Shámí, Akche-koyúnli, and the river Kizil Irmák with great ease at Kárdlar, heard that Várvár Páshá had left the station of Túrhál, and met him further on to the eastward at Gergezár. I first went as the rule requireth to his kiaya, who conducted me to the presence of the Páshá. He was seated in a tent, like Solomon surrounded by many thousand Sárija and Segbán. I kissed the ground and delivered the letter in the usual form. Having looked into my face and said, “Art not thou Evliya Chelebí, who at the mosque of Aya Sofia recited in the night Kadr, the Korán in eight hours? and who was received by Sultán Murad amongst the pages of the Kíldár.” Having replied, “Yes,” he asked further in what office I was to the Páshá. I said, that on the way to Erzerúm I was head of the Muezzins, but that he afterwards made me clerk of the Custom-house and sent me three times into Persia, and that now I was his Imám and intimate companion. The servants having been ordered to withdraw he called the Diván Efendí and read the letter. “It is a pity,” said he, “that your Páshá did not with such an army shut himself up at Angora; he might have played the devil there, and by this glorious deed have hung his sword in the skies (like that of Orion).” Rejoiced, however, at the number of our troops he gave me an hundred zechins, a rosary of corals and a watch set with jewels. I was also invested with a magnificent sable pelisse and recommended as a guest to the Khazinedár.
The same day news arrived that Koprilí Mohammed Páshá and seven Vezírs had taken post at the bridge of Osmánjik and the rocks of Sárimshik, where they were entrenching themselves; and that Hossein the Páshá of Amasia had closed the pass (Púl) of Diriklí and carried the population away to the mountains. Upon this news Várvár Alí Páshá directed his march straight to the passage of the Kizil Irmák. Our march was, from Kiraz to Dánkaza seven hours, to Bardáklí-bábá seven hours and to the river Kizil Irmák six hours. The passage of the river was effected in the best order, without the least harm happening to any body. We halted at Airak which lies north of the Kizil Irmák in the Sanjak of Kangrú; it has an hundred houses and a mosque. We here visited the tomb of Mohammed Sháh Dedeh, who came with Hájí Begtásh from Khorassan to the court of Bayazid I., a large hospitable convent of an hundred Dervishes Begtáshí. I witnessed the Páshá perform his visit to the tomb with a devotion and a faith outshining that of many preachers from the pulpit. The tomb is surrounded with censers, vases for rose-water, lamps and candelabra. Every year the Sheikh of this convent kills a horse and abandons the carcase to the eagles and vultures of the rocks, who live upon it till the next year. The Sheikh has bred eagles instead of falcons for hawking beasts of all kind. From hence we marched for three hours along the bank of the Kizil Irmák to the village of Tordúk, in the territory of Kánghrí. At the convent of Hassám Efendí a great repast was given to the Páshá. Three hours further on we came to the convent of Kúm-bábá, and then we entered the Keskin of the Turcomans in the land of Kánghrí. Having overran it for ten days we halted on the eleventh at the village of Sálí. I perceived that the army was preparing for battle and learned that spies had brought the news, that Koprilí Mohammed Páshá, who had been named commander against Várvár, was ready to give him battle on the following day. The troops having armed during the night, the Páshá put himself in the morning at the head of six thousand men of light troops, and pushed on for seven hours towards the kiblah. Here the two armies engaged and that of Koprilí was entirely routed; a great number were killed and the rest dispersed or made prisoners. Amongst the last was Mohammed Koprilí Páshá himself, the Páshá of Amasia, Kor Hossein, and the Páshá of Kara Shehr, both of two tails, who were obliged to walk on foot with chains on their feet and blocks on their necks, along with the tails of Várvár. Such is the state of the world, that these great and powerful men were now in the power of the Sárija and Segbán, who tortured and killed their men before their eyes and the executioners flung their swords over their necks. In brief a Vezír (Koprilí) and five Begler-begs were bound to the poles of Várvár’s tent, who elated with this victory declared now more than ever open rebellion, collected all kinds of rabble, wrote letters to Begs and Begler-begs enforcing them to come and join him with their troops, and in fact collected an army of thirty-seven thousand men. When we arrived at the village of Búzoghlán, in the Sanjak of Kanghrú, I waited on him wishing him joy of his victory, and begging he would despatch me with the letters expected. I endeavoured to persuade him to be mild and merciful, and to pardon and set at liberty his prisoners, according to the text, “O God! Thou art all-pardoning, Thou likest pardon, pardon me.” He however remained obstinate, saying, I should see in a few days what would happen when his friends little Chaúsh Páshá, Ipshír Páshá and Shehsuvár Oghlí Páshá should arrive to join him. He was an open frank man, but extremely simple and of little judgment, and therefore blindly believed in the assurances of these Páshás; and being overjoyed with the news he had received from them, he despatched me with letters to my master, presenting me with an hundred piastres, a completely caparisoned horse from Koprilí’s stable, and a complete dress.
From Yúz Oghlán in the Sanjak of Kánghru I rode for three days trusting in God, left Angora on my right and met with the Páshá on the plain of Múrtát. The Páshá hearing of Várvár’s blind confidence glowed with anger and said, “He shall see it, the blockhead (Potúr).” He then gave me Ipshír Páshá’s letter, which he had sent him to read, and I saw it was full of flattery and deceit. The Páshá was about to answer this letter, when a Khassekí and Kapijí-bashí arrived with Kiátib Alí Chelebí, the Khazinedár of Seyavúsh Aghá Kiátib Alí Chelebí. The Imperial rescript was instantly read, and contained the most positive orders to join till the first of Jemází-ul-akhir the united troops of Ipshír, Chaúsh, Bákí, Ketgáj and Sídí Páshá against Várvár, whose head or the Páshá’s was required. If he refused to comply all his property was to be confiscated, and his children and relations killed; but under the supposition of ready obedience the Governorship of Egypt was conferred upon him. The Páshá made immediate obeisance, ordered the tails to proceed, gave to the Khassekí a purse for the expenses of the road, and recommended him as a guest to his kiaya. The next day the Cháhnegír (head carver) of Várvár arrived from Constantinople with a Khattí-sheríf of the following tenor: “My Lálá, (Governor) thy fault is pardoned, but the rebellion of Defterdár Oghlí, who wished to put himself in possession of Erzerúm and Angora, is evident. His head or yours is demanded. If you send the first the Governorship of Egypt is assured to you.” The Páshá remained dumb at the sight of this Khattí-sheríf and instantly despatched me back with that which he had received to Várvár.
(Here follows the relation of Várvár’s complete defeat by Ipshír Páshá by whom he was ensnared; occupying three sheets of the original.)
Evliya at last, afraid for his head, waited on Ipshír Páshá and asked for letters, that he might return as he came. “Here,” said Ipshír showing Várvár’s dead body, “is the man from whom you may ask your expedition.” Evliya begged to be spared as he was no rebel and no Sanjak Beg. Ipshír Páshá laughed and said, “What art thou doing at thy master’s; wert thou not previously with Melek Ahmed Páshá?” “By God,” I, poor Evliya, answered, “I am the common servant and joint subject of two Vezírs, whom I accompany alternately as they come into high offices for the pleasure of travelling. Defterdár Zádeh must now be removed from office at this place, and your Excellency is most likely to go as Governor to Damascus or Baghdád, in which case I attach myself to your service.” “No,” said Ipshír, “go and follow Melek Ahmed.” “Well,” I, poor Evliya, replied, “there is no difference between you three. Is not the mother of my present master the nearest relation of Melek Páshá’s and your mother?” “Look here,” said the Páshá, “he reminds me of my relationship with Mohammed Páshá, in order to become the mediator of peace between us.” I got up, kissed his hand and begged he would give me a letter to My Lord the Páshá, to give him some solace in the present state of his affairs. He ordered me a tent, seventy secchins, a horse (being an extremely avaricious and low born Abázá) and a letter, with which I got under way.