by Keikúbád of the Seljúk family, and afterwards by Orkhán. It is
the seat of a Voivode subordinate to the sanjak of Jáník. The judge
is appointed with one hundred and fifty aspers: a Serdár and Dizdár
are in possession of the military power, but there is no Muftí nor
Nakíb-ul-ishráf. The castle is a square stone building on the seashore;
the houses well inhabited, the mosques light, and the markets populous.
Having seen all this we re-embarked, and proceeding a few miles with a
favourable wind, came to Fátsha on the seashore, consisting of three
hundred houses, a mosque, a khán and a bath. It is a ziámet belonging
to Janík; the inhabitants are for the most part Greeks. The cape
of Stephan is a sharp point advancing ten miles into the sea. The
mountains are interspersed with well cultivated Greek villages. We
passed it and came more northward to the castle of Wúna, built by the
Genoese, and conquered by Úzún Hassan the lord of Azerbeiján, who took
this castle together with those of Gumish Khání, Baiburd and Jánkha,
at a later period it was taken by Mohammed II. It is the seat of a
Súbashí from the sanjak of Janík. The castle is of a round shape, and
stands on a hill by the seashore, but it is not strongly garrisoned;
the gate looks to the east. It is ruled by a Serdár, and a judge with
an income of one hundred and fifty aspers. It has mosques, kháns and
baths. The inhabitants are known by the name of Wúna Greeks and Turks.
It is a good port, where the largest ships can anchor at any time. We
went from hence, straight before the wind, one hundred miles to the
castle of Gíressin built by Constantine the founder of Constantinople.
It fell into the hands of Úzún Hassan, was afterwards taken by the
Genoese, and lastly by Mohammed II., who ordered his general Mahmúd
Pashá to enter the castle in the night, the name of the castle is said
to have originated from this order, “giressin” (thou shalt enter).
It is on the frontier of the Pashalik of Trebisonde, to the Khass of
which it belongs; its public officers are, a judge with one hundred
and fifty aspers, a Serdár of the janissaries, a Dizdár of the castle,
an inspector of the custom-house, a Muftí and Nakíb-ul-ishráf. It is
situated on the seashore between Janík and Trebisonde, to the east
of the latter. By the appearance of the ruins, it was a large town
when in the possession of the Genoese, but it is now only a small one,
with mosques and kháns, a bath and a market; the gardens yield fruit
plentifully. Though the anchorage is excellent, yet the harbour affords
no shelter against contrary winds. On the west side of it is a small
island, where the Cossacks concealed themselves when they burnt and
plundered this town, which is not defended by the Castle. As it belongs
to the government of Trebisonde, some hundred men of Omer-Páshá’s suite
took horse here and continued their journey to Trebisonde by land.
We then steered our boat to the north, and arrived at the castle of
Purpolúm, which is a small square castle, situated on a hill by the
sea-shore, with a commander (Dizdár) and a garrison; the inhabitants
are Greeks. We weathered the Cape of Zemreh, where villages are to be
seen in the mountains. The castle of Kúrelí is a district belonging to
Trebisonde. The castle is situated on a hill by the seashore. Further
on we came to the station of Popolí on a great gulf, where traces of
ruined castles are to be seen in many places. Further to the north is
the castle of Kelpe, a district belonging to Trebisonde. The castle
stands on a high hill by the seashore, and was built by the Genoese.
The castle of Bozúr-búrní is a small square castle on a rocky cape,
called the point of Bozúr, which was the name of a monk who built it.
The castle of Akche-abád, a large district belonging to Trebisonde.
The castle is a strong pentagon on the seashore, also built by the
Greeks. Pulta Bazárí is the seat of a Súbashí and Naíb subordinate to
Trebisonde. A fair is held here every week which is visited by many
thousand inhabitants from the neighbouring villages; it belongs as Wakf
to the foundations of Khatúnieh the mother of Selim I., the Súbashí
is at the same time the Mutevellí or administrator of the Wakf. The
port is one of the most celebrated in the Black sea on account of its
safety. The torrent of Kalatímána, which rises in the mountains of
Trebisonde, enters the Black sea near the harbour of Púlta. The valley
of Seredere is enlivened by cultivated villages, whose inhabitants
go in boats to the market of Trebisonde, to the south of which these
places are situated.
_Description of the Town and ancient Fortress of Trebisonde, the
Capital of the Lezgians; God guard it from all mischief!_
It was built by the Greeks and was conquered by Úzún Hassan, the
Prince of Azerbeiján, but retaken by the Greek Emperors at the time of
Timúr’s invasion, until, in the year 878 (1473), it fell into the power
of Mohammed II. He brought forward an immense army by way of Jánkha,
and gave battle to Úzún Hassan in the field of Terjián, where forty
thousand of Úzún Hassan’s men were slain, and he himself fled to the
Castle of Azerbeiján. Since the victory at Kossova of Sultán Murád I.
no greater victory had been gained. Mohammed II. conquered the town of
Trebisonde thirteen years before; its name was spelt Tarbefzún (joy
increasing). Mohámmed II. fixed his residence here, coined money, had
public prayer performed in his name, and remained here three years.
He subjected the northern provinces of Georgia, Mingrelia, and Abaza,
established his son Báyazíd here as commander, and went himself to
his third residence, Constantinople. Báyazíd II. having ascended the
throne in his father’s place, gave the government of Trebisonde to
his son Selím I. who twice passed over to the Crimea, and heading the
Tátárs led them against his father. Being defeated in battle, once at
Varna, and once at Adrianople, he left his son Súleimán his Lieutenant
at Trebisonde, and retired in disguise into Persia, where he played
at chess with Sháh Ismaíl, then travelled over Baghdád, Meshhed,
Mecca and Medina to Egypt, conversed there with Ebú Sa’úd Járehí, and
Mezrúk Kafákí, who said “O Selím go into Rúm and Persia, and then
come to Egypt.” After three years travel he returned to Trebisonde,
from whence, keeping up secret intelligence with the janissaries and
with Menglí Geraí Khán, he led a Tátár army against his father, whom
he vanquished at Chorlí, and banished to Dimitoka, where he died at
the village of Hawsa. Sultán Selím remained absolute monarch, and
immortalised himself by the victories of Chaldir and Egypt.
Súleimán was brought up at Trebisonde, which has been the seat of four
Ottoman Emperors. In remembrance of his youth spent here, he sent his
mother to this place and raised it to a separate province, with the
addition of the sanjak of Batúm. It is a Beglerbeglik of two tails,
but was given more than once to Vezírs of three tails as arpalik, in
the reign of Murád IV. and Ibrahím. The Khass of the Páshá consists
according to the Kanún (law) of forty thousand aspers. Two Súbashí are
attached to this place, and the Páshá may get, in a fair way, every
year, nineteen thousand piastres, but if he is severe, even thirty
thousand piastres. There are five sanjaks, viz. Jánkha, Batúm, Zír,
Gonia, and Trebisonde, which is the chief place. The feudal officers
are a Defterdár of the Timárs, a Kiayá of the Defter, an Inspector of
the rolls (Defter-emíní), and a Kiayá of the Chaúshes; an inspector of
the Chaúshes is also appointed here. There are forty-three ziámets, two
hundred and twenty-six timárs in the sanjak of Trebisonde, and thirteen
ziámets with seventy-two timárs in the sanjak of Batúm, altogether one
thousand eight hundred well-armed men, besides a thousand Jebelis of
the Páshá, so that the whole including the officers amounts to three
thousand men. They hold villages and land on condition that they should
go to war under the command of the Páshá, which if they do not they
forfeit their leases.
_Begs of Abaza Tribes._
The tribe of Jájlar, of Erlán, of Chándalar, of great Chándalar,
of Kechilar, of A’rtlar, of Kámishlar, of Sújelar, of Bozúrúk, of
Kúnassí, of Ashuflí, of Yokarúlí, of Jembeh, and of Súntija. There
are seventy Abaza tribes, who have made obeisance since the time
of Sultán Súleimán, and who every year in token thereof, send in a
tribute consisting of boys and girls, camphor, candles, pelisses, and
a thousand pieces of coarse linen for towels for the Imperial kitchen,
to the Páshá of Trebisonde, who then renews the treaty of protection
with them. Envoys come every year from Mingrelia with this tribute
to Trebisonde, according to the constitution of Sultán Súleimán. The
Judge, a Mollá with five hundred aspers, extends his jurisdiction to
forty-one districts, and makes annually a revenue of eight thousand
piastres.
_The Commanding Officers and Magistrates of Trebisonde._
These are the Páshá, Muftí, Nakíb, and instead of the Serdár of the
janissaries a Chaúsh of high authority, a Kiaya-yerí of the Sipáhís, a
Súbashí, an Ayák Náíb, a Mohtessib, an inspector of the Custom-house
and of the fish-market, a Sháh Bender or chief of the merchants, an
inspector of the dyers, of the wine, and wax, in short seventeen public
magistrates appointed by an Imperial rescript. The inhabitants also
possess an Imperial privilege which allows them to kill the Jews who
enter the town, the reason of their being thus empowered shall, if it
pleases God! be detailed in another place. The town is situate on the
eastern side of the Black sea and is surrounded by delightful gardens.
The distance from Constantinople is exactly a thousand miles. The
mountains of the Lezgís are towards the south and the east; the name
Lezgí has been corrupted into Laz. Mohammed II. having conquered this
town, colonized it from all quarters and rendered it a populous place;
the inhabitants are Lezgís and Janissaries, who inherit this right
from father to son. Their names are, Alí, Welí, Khodaverdí, Ja’fer,
Peshír, Feslí, Memí, Meizer, Fakhzád, and Memet, with the word báshá
added to the end, which is pronounced here páshá. The surnames are, son
of Fertúl, Fodúl, Fazár, Kashúmbúr, Katráz, Kalafát, Kosdúd, Júndah,
Alialí, Súrmenelí, Pípolí, Kashíd-bárí, Siámí, Jorkájí, Khángí-chíchú,
Kotúzmeslí, A’álí, Gúnelí; the names of the women, Omkhán, Esma
Khán, Rábieh, Assieh, Hánifeh, Afífa, Saikha, Fátima, Khúftí, Túntí,
Gulshákhí, Mihrmáh, Khiva, Khúma, Zákhila, and Ánifah; the names of the
slaves, Ússuf, Paiván, Kananan, Allah-kúlí, Rostem, Apártí, &c. These
names were originally pure Arabic names, but are spelt in such a way by
the Lezgians, that they appear quite strange. Many of the inhabitants
of the order of the Dervíshes Gulshení wear necklaces of coral, jasper
and turquoise. Both Prose and Poetry are cultivated to a high degree,
and there are in our age no less than eleven poets, every one of whom
is the author of a Diván or alphabetical collection of Ghazels (Odes).
_Praise of the Poets of Trebisonde._
Ghanayí Efendí was Secretary to Tayem-Páshá, and afterwards to Melek
Ahmed Páshá. He knew the dictionaries of Kamús and Shemií by heart,
as well as the discourses of Urfí and Túzúlí. Ghanayí went with Melek
Ahmed Páshá to his government of Rúmelí, and is buried at Sofía in
the mosque of Dervish Mohammed Páshá 1021 (1612). Alí-jání succeeded
to his father’s office. He left three volumes in verse and prose, in
comparison with which Weissi himself is but a stammering child.
_Form and Size of the Town, and Description of its Monuments._
It consists of two great castles between the edge of Mount Bozdepeh
and the shore of the Black sea, and is divided into three parts; the
first is the lower castle, the second the middle castle, and the
innermost or tower castle, it is extremely strong being protected by
mount Bozdepeh. The ditch is very deep, and seventy paces broad, all
cut in lime-stone; inside this castle is a mosque, barracks for the
garrison, magazines and storehouses. On the north side a gate leads to
the middle castle, which is the only open gate; a second secret gate
(Oghrún Kapú) is always kept closed. The middle castle is an oblong
square enclosed by walls. The gate on the east side which leads from
the tower or innermost castle is called the New Friday’s gate, the
second gate is also at the end of the same wall. The tanneries are
outside of it, and it is therefore called the tanner’s gate. In front
of it flows a rivulet which rises in the mountains of Bozdepeh and the
Lezgían mountains on the east, and passes through the tanneries into
the sea; it sometimes swells into a furious torrent. In the centre of
the tanner’s market is a large bridge built of stone by Úzún Hassan
the lord of the castle, it lies to the east of Erzerúm. The third gate
of the middle castle is on the western wall and is called the prison
gate, where the malefactors and debtors are confined. From this gate
you pass over a stone bridge to the gate Za’anús. The fourth gate is on
the northern side of the wall, and leads to the lower castle, or third
division of the town, and is therefore called the lower castle gate.
_Description of the Lower Castle._
The north wall abuts on the sea, the castle is of a square form,
nineteen thousand paces in circumference. It has also four gates,
viz.—the gate of Za’anús next the prison gate close to the walls,
leading to a long bridge; the gate of Sútkháneh leading to the quarters
of the Christians; the gate of Mevlúz which signifies in Greek (?) a
small stone, from the abundance of pebbles that lie on the shore. In
the language of the Lazes, Mevlúz is the name of spurs or piers which
are raised to support ruined walls. The walls of the lower castle
extend on both sides to the sea, so that the town is closed against
hostile invasion, by a wall running along the seashore. The fourth gate
is that of Múm Kháneh or the wax fabric, because all the candles, of
which a great number are made at Trebisonde are manufactured outside
of this gate. Three quarters of the town are inhabited by Moslims and
Christians, but by no Jews. The houses rising one above the other are
all faced with brick and look to the north or west.
_Description of the Mosques._
In the centre of the castle was an old Christian church, Mohammed II.
having conquered the town in the year 865, turned the mihráb from
the east towards the Kiblah. Its mihráb and minber are of ancient
workmanship, and on the east side is an oratory (mahfil) of most
elegant carving. The wood is cypress, nut, and box; it is always
closed, and reserved entirely for the Emperor’s use. There are besides
three other mahfils or oratories supported by pillars in this mosque,
where people are also allowed to pray when there is a great crowd.
It has two gates, an elegant mináreh, and cells for students in the
courtyard outside; it is covered with lead. In the west suburb are also
four mosques, and two in the eastern; the mosque of the tower castle
is a beautiful structure with a mináreh much ornamented. The mosque of
Khatúnieh was built by the mother of Selím I. who was born here, it is
extremely well endowed, the market called Púlta-bazárí belongs to its
foundation, with many cultivated villages. The cupola is illuminated
by candles every night, its elegant mináreh pierces the sky. The gate
and walls of this mosque are built of black polished stone, and white
marble, in alternate rows; it was built in the year 920. The mosque
of Súleimán Beg on the west of the mosque of Khatúnieh, but at a mile
distance from it on the place of Kawák, has one mináreh covered with
lead.
The mosque of Ayá Sofiyáh is on the seashore on the west side, it was
built in the time of the Infidels. Kúrd Alí-beg took it out of the
hands of the Christians, in the year 951 (1573), and adorned it with a
fine minber and mahfil; it is beautified with many marble and granite
columns, which cannot be described with sufficient praise. The mihráb
and minber are in the ancient style, and it is surrounded by vineyards
and plantations of olives.
The mosque of Wárdogdi-Beg stands half a mile distance south of the
mosque of Khatúnieh in the quarter of Tekfúr-seraï, it was raised from
a mesjíd into a mosque by Torghúd-beg in 985 (1577). It has a well
proportioned gate and mináreh. The new mosque was formerly a church,
and stands in a lofty situation. The mosque of Iskender Páshá, known
by the name of Káfir-Meidání, (the Infidel’s place) has its cupola
entirely covered with lead, with a well proportioned mináreh.
_Description of the Scientific Colleges, Baths, Market-places, &c._
Outside of the courtyard of the mosque of the middle castle is the
college of Mohammed II. with a great number of cells and students.
There is a general lecture (Dersí-a’ám), the lecturer holds the degree
of a Molla; it is a mine of poets, and meeting-place of wits. The
college of Katúnieh is adorned with cells on four sides; the students
receive fixed quantities of meat and wax for their subsistence. The
college of Iskender Páshá on the north side of the mosque, that bears
the same name, is richly endowed with stipends for the students. The
reading-houses of Trebisonde are those of the middle castle, at the
mosque of Mohammed II., where reading after the manner of Ibn Kether
is introduced; that of Khatúnieh, where works on the Korán are read
after the seven established methods of Jeserí and Shátebieh; and that
of Iskender Páshá close to its mosque. The abecedarian schools for boys
are that of Mohammed II. in the middle castle; the school of the new
mosque, a school so blessed, that a boy who has been taught here to
read the Bismillah (in God’s name!) cannot fail to be a learned man;
the elegant school of Khatúnieh on the west side of the mosque is built
of stone, with a cupola, where orphans are supplied with mental and
bodily food, with dresses on great festivals and presents besides; and
the schools of Iskender Páshá; these are the most celebrated.
There is a pleasant double bath for the use of both sexes, in the
middle castle near the gate which leads to the lower castle.
The bath of the tower is on the north wall of the innermost or tower
castle; it is a single one, and is said to have existed in the time
of the Infidels. The bath of the Imáret, built by Khatúnieh mother of
Selím I. The bath of the lower castle is a single one, that of Iskender
Páshá is double; the bath of the Infidels is between the New Friday
quarter and the Infidels’ place, and the bath of Tekfúr-seraï. There
are besides at Trebisonde two hundred and forty-five private baths, and
a great number of Kháns. The Khán of Khátúnieh has a stable equal to
that of Antar, which will accommodate one hundred horses; besides many
other Kháns for merchants and single persons.
Of the Market-places, the first is outside of the gate of the
wax-manufactory. There is a well-built Bezestán where the Arabian and
Persian merchants reside, who are extremely rich and wealthy. In the
middle castle the market called the small market, is furnished with
every thing; its shops amount to the number of eighty.
The Imárets are those of Mohammed II. in the middle castle,
accommodating both rich and poor. The Imáret of Khátúnieh, close to
the mosque, is not to be equalled, even at Trebisonde; passengers and
boatmen may dine here at their pleasure; there is an oven for baking
white bread, and a cellar (kílár) for keeping the provisions of the
Imáret. Near the kitchen is the eating-place for the poor, and the
students have a proper dining-hall. Every day, in the morning, and at
noon a dish of soup and a piece of bread is provided for each, and
every Friday a Zerde Pilaw, and Yakhní (stewed meat); these regulations
are to remain in force, as long as it pleases God.
_Description of the complexion of the Inhabitants of Trebisonde._
The climate and the air being extremely favourable, the inhabitants are
all jolly merry fellows, who think of nothing but eating and drinking,
of amusement and pleasure. Being all idle amorous fellows, their
colour is red, and the women are fair, coming from Abaza, Georgia and
Circassia; every one a moon or a portion of the sun.
_Occupations, Guilds, &c._
The inhabitants are divided from the earliest period into seven
classes. The first are the great and mighty Princes and sons of Princes
(Beg and Beg-zadeh), who are dressed in magnificent pelisses of sables.
The second are the Ulemás, the sheikhs and pious men, who dress
according to their condition and live on endowments. The third are the
merchants, who trade by sea and land to Ozakov, into the country of the
Cossacks, into Mingrelia, Circassia, Abaza and the Crimea; they dress
in ferrájís of cloth and dolimáns called kontosh. The fourth are the
handicraftsmen, who dress themselves in ferrájís of cloth and bogássín.
The fifth are the boatmen of the Black Sea; they have their peculiar
dress, with iron buckles, shalwárs, dolímáns of cloth, and a kind of
lining (astár) wrapped round the head, ready, thus accoutred, to trade
or to fight at sea. The sixth class are the men of the vineyards,
because the mountains of Bozdepeh are all planted with vines, and in
the register are set down no less than thirty-one thousand gardens and
vineyards, so that if only one man is reckoned to each garden, there
are thirty-one thousand gardeners, but in some there are two and three.
The seventh class are the fishermen, a calling in which many thousand
men are employed.
_Description of the principal Arts and Handicrafts._
The goldsmiths of Trebisonde are the first in the world. Selím I. being
brought up in this town was taught the art of a goldsmith, and cut dies
for the coin of his father Báyazíd, so skilfully, that they appeared
as if engraved in marble; I saw some of this coin at Trebisonde.
Súleimán (the great) himself was the apprentice of a Greek called
Constantine, who was the foster brother of Yahya Efendí, who is buried
at Beshik-tásh. From this time the goldsmiths of Trebisonde became the
most famous in the world, and work vases for rose-water and incense,
swords, daggers and knife-handles in most wonderful perfection. The
knives of Ghorghúr-oghlí are the most famous of all; the hatchets
of Trebisonde are a new and clever invention. The inlaid work of
pearl-shells, with which tables, pulpits, inkstands, sand-boxes and
chairs are ornamented in such perfection, that they cannot be equalled
in any country, except it be by the pearl-shell work of India.
_Eatables and Beverages._
The water of Trebisonde is fresh as the spring of life; the must of the
raisins of Bozdepeh is sweet, and gives no headache to those who drink
it; the sherbets called the triple, the muscat, and the clove wine are
the best. The gardens produce most exquisite fruit; fine flavoured
grapes, cherries red as woman’s lips, pears of different kinds, apples
called Sinope, figs called Bádinjíán-Injúr, which are not found so
sweet any where else, different kinds of lemons, oranges of a deep
purple colour, pomegranates and olives, of which alone there are seven
sorts to be found nowhere else except at Damascus and Jerusalem. One of
the small sorts is eaten before it is quite ripe and resembles a black
cherry; this is also an exclusive production of Trebisonde. Another
fruit, which is called the date of Trebisonde is roasted on stoves, and
is exported to many places; it is a sweet fruit, and has two or three
kernels. The ruby-coloured pink which grows here, is peculiar to this
place, each blossom is like a red rose, and perfumes the brain with the
sweetest scent, and weighs, without the stalk, from five to six drachms.