which this Prince is called Shanb, whence Shám originated. The castle
which bears his name on Mount Welián is now in ruins. At the foot of
it is the Kent-Welián consisting of three hundred houses with a fine
mosque, khán and bath, founded by the Vezír Rashíd-ud-dín Dembolí. We
reached after five hours from hence, the Castle of Kúmla, built by Koja
Ferhád Páshá, the Vezír of Sultán Murad III. in the year 998 (1589),
it is a square castle at the foot of Mount Welián. It is eighty paces
in circumference, has seven towers, and two gates, one to the east and
one to the west; the eastern one is that leading to Tabríz. It was
from this place that Ja’afer Páshá, when besieged by the troops in
rebellion, made a sally at night, and completely routed the rebels. He
afterwards built this gate. Within the castle are seven hundred houses
and a mosque; the suburb forms the town of Kúmla, which abounds in
gardens; the grapes and pears of Kúmla are much celebrated. There are
seventy mosques, eleven of which are Jamiís (wherein Friday prayer is
said), the best is that of Ferhád Páshá. It is the seat of a Sultán
subordinate to Tabríz. A Kelenter and Darogha keep public order; a
Sultán is here the same as in Turkey a Sanjek Beg, and a Begler Beg is
called a Khán; a Vezír of three tails is called Itimád-ud-devlet; a
Commander-in-chief (Serdár) is here named Sipehsalár; Múnshí answers
to the Turkish Reis Efendí; Kelenter is the same as Alaï Beg, that is
to say Colonel of the Militia, and Darogha is the same as Súbashí or
Lieutenant of police; the head of the Chaúshes or ushers here takes
the name of Yessaúl Aghá, and the Aghá of the Dízchoken is the same
as an Aghá of the janissaries in Turkey. The names of Kúrúji, chief
of the forest guards, and Mihmándár or travelling commissary, are
common both to Turkey and Persia. We advanced from hence five hours
to the district of Serawerd, a great Kent north-west of Tabríz, with
a mosque, khán, and bath. We were entertained here during a whole
night by the Kelenter, and continued our journey next day, hunting
along the river Serawerd to the Kent-Dúsht, where we dined and halted
a little. We proceeded for six hours to the Kent-Jevlán Dorúk in the
district of Serawerd on the river of that name, with one thousand
houses, a bath and mosque. Further on is the Kent of Kánidlis, three
hundred Moslim houses and a mosque; the Armenians have three churches
and three thousand houses. Three hours further is the Kent-Lákid, the
khass of Rokhsháh’s Lady; the inhabitants are Armenian weavers, there
are two thousand houses, a mosque, a khán, and three convents; on the
mount of Serawerd stands a ruined castle. The Kent of Kujabád has five
hundred houses, a khán, a mosque and a bath. We now went eastward to
the district of Rudkát on the north of Tabríz behind mount Sorkháb, a
district of a hundred Kents, which we passed in hunting during three
days.
_Description of Merágha._
It is the seat of a Sultán commanding a thousand troops, and has a
Judge, Kelenter, Darogha and Múnshi; it was built in the earliest time
by Húshenk-sháh, and is the first town of Azerbeiján and its ancient
capital, surrounded with fruitful gardens, eleven farsangs distant from
Tabríz; eleven mosques, forty kháns, sixty mesjíds, forty convents of
Dervishes, eleven baths and three thousand shops. The inhabitants are
all weavers, who manufacture excellent Bogassin. The beautiful youth of
both sexes at Merágha are everywhere renowned. The town has risen from
its ruins since the havoc it suffered from the army of Sultán Murad
III. Its builder in the time of Islám was Merván Ibn Mohammed Al-Himár,
in whose time it extended to Mount Sehend and comprised seventy
thousand houses; but since it was destroyed by the Moghols in Húlagú’s
time, the buildings are at some distance from Mount Sehend, which as it
intercepted the north wind, was the reason that the air of its former
situation was so heavy. The water, however, issues from the mountain,
and abundantly furnishes the houses and gardens. Its pomegranates and
cotton are famous, the inhabitants are white and gazelle-eyed, of sweet
words and shining faces; a great part of them secretly follow the
orthodox rite of Hánefí. They mostly speak Pehleví; the whole country
is divided into eight districts, viz.: Serajún, Penajún, Jerút, Kaodúl,
Hestrúd, Behsánd, Engúrán, and Kizilorán; each district containing
from eighty to one hundred cultivated kents; altogether five hundred
and sixty kents, sixty towns, and seven castles; the description of
which, if we could undertake it in detail, would alone fill a volume.
We left Meragha and entered the district of Túrnachairí, wherein the
town of Aján is situated; the kent of Petiker of one thousand houses is
situated in this district.
_Description of Aján._
On the east side of mount Aján a large town was built by Peshen the
son of Keiúmerth, and, being ransacked by Húlagú, fell into decay, so
that all its inhabitants were transferred to Tabríz; it was rebuilt by
Gházán, who also built a castle of two thousand paces in circumference
on the edge of the mountain, with an iron gate opening to the east;
within it are one hundred houses, but no garrison, outside there are
three thousand houses, seven mosques, three baths, seven kháns, and
six hundred shops. The water comes from mount Aján; the inhabitants
are Sháfiítes, but keep their doctrine secret, they are merry fellows
(Ehl meshreb), and no rigourists (Ehl mezheb). The Armenians have two
convents. After having seen the town we continued our journey, hunting,
to the district of Mehránberúd, five farsangs to the east of Tabríz,
of sixty great kents. We passed those of Werd, Isfej and Saídabád,
built by a Vezír of that name in the time of Sultán Tahmurass, a large
kent of two thousand houses, seven mosques, a khán and bath, which
was ransacked by Sultán Súleimán in his way to Baghdád, but escaped
the havoc of Sultán Murad. We remained one night here and next day
proceeded seven hours towards the south-east to the Kent of Mán, built
by Máhkúr the daughter of Khodabende; nine hours further we arrived at
the castle of Kehreván built by Sháh Tahmáss, out of fear of Sultán
Súleimán. At the time of the expedition of Kojá Ferhád Páshá, as soon
as he arrived at Baghdád, he sent the General Solák Ferhád Páshá
against this place, who besieged the castle in vain during seventeen
days. This Khán Meimendí made continual inroads, till at Tabríz he was
completely routed by Ja’afer Páshá of Tabríz, who took seven thousand
heads and five thousand prisoners from him. The next day Ja’afer set
out with seventy thousand men for the siege of Kehreván, which was
taken on the third day. Meimendí being brought into the presence
of Ja’afer Páshá, his ear was cut off, his property confiscated and
himself hanged at the gate of the castle, the keys of which were
sent to Sultán Murad; there is even now a mosque named after Sultán
Murad: it remained eleven years in the hands of the Ottomans. It is
situated on a hill on the road to Baghdád; it is six thousand paces
in circumference, and has two gates, one to the south, and one to the
north; its Sultán commands one thousand men. The suburb consists of
seven thousand well-terraced houses, and sixty mosques, in eleven of
which public prayer is performed on Friday, seven baths, eleven kháns,
and eight hundred shops; the sheets and blankets manufactured here
are celebrated. We advanced seven hours further eastward, to a large
kent embellished by a mosque of Jíghála’s son; and nine hours further
on we arrived at the large town of Erdebíl, the first residence of
the Persian Sháhs of the Safí dynasty. It has been taken and retaken
several times by both Ottomans and Persians, and is now the seat of a
Khán, who commands three thousand men; it is a day’s journey from mount
Seilán, and is surrounded by high mountains at the same distance; it
lies in a fertile valley close to a lake. It was built by an Armenian
King in fear of Omar’s power, in the same year that Sáriet-ul-jebel
was sent to Nehavend; this is one of the principal reasons why Omar
is so much hated by the Persians, who do not show so much dislike to
Abúbekr and Osmán. This town formerly extended as far as mount Seilán,
from which it is now two farsangs distant; the farsang is equal to
twelve thousand ordinary paces, so that two farsangs are equal to
twenty-four thousand paces. The top of Seilán is always covered with
snow, which shines like silver in the middle of summer, and furnishes
all the water of the town; it is a very digestive water, which enables
the inhabitants to feast like Ma’adikarb. The inhabitants pretend to
be Sháfiítes; they are great liars. The distance between Tabríz and
Erdebíl is twenty-five farsangs, which with a good horse may be gone
over in two days. The climate much resembles that of Erzerúm; hard
winter, and a fruitful soil, the corn multiplying eighty fold: there
are no fruit-trees and vines, but gardens for vegetables and rosebeds.
The lake near Tabríz on the east side is covered with many hundred
fishing-boats, on the west it is but a farsang’s distance from Rúmie;
between Erdebíl and the lake the country is covered with wood, and
villages are interspersed in the forest; there are seventy sorts of
fish; the boats on the lake also trade to Rúmie, Dúmdúmí and Dúmbúlí;
the circumference of this lake is greater than that of Wán, a man may
go round it in ten days; the water of the lake of Wán is bitter as
poison, but this is sweet as the water of life. Its depth is seventy
cubits. This lake was produced on the birthnight of the prophet, when
the vault of Chosroes, and that of Ayá Sófiyah, and the idols of Mecca
fell down by an earthquake; forty-five large and small springs flow
into it; the river Seilán which affords water to Erdebíl, the river
Kuherán and others fall into this sea. On the banks of the river Seilán
lies a large round mass of iron, three quintals in weight, extremely
well polished, on which ancient philosophers have written a kind of
Hebrew inscription with a figure lifting its two arms up to Heaven; if
rain is wanted this stone is carried in procession into the town, and
it never fails to rain day and night without ceasing till the stone is
replaced. The basis on which this marvellous stone reposes is a large
rock, covered with strange inscriptions; it also has twelve holes, from
which as soon as the iron mass is rolled away, water begins to rush
forth, and ceases not until the stone is returned to its place. Some
persons assert this to be the stone which Moses struck in the desert,
others believe that this miracle is performed in favour of Sheikh
Safí; be it as it may, it is a great talisman. Erdebíl is famous for
its immense number of mice which are great destroyers of cloth. Cats
are, therefore, so dear that they are sold in cages by public auction;
some of Dívrígui fetch the price of a hundred piastres, but they are
short-lived like all cats of Erdebíl. The cryers at the auction call
out; “A good hunting cat, well bred, a good companion, an enemy to
rats, which steals not!”
_Places of Pilgrimage at Erdebíl._
The first of all is the tomb of Sheikh Safí, the son of Sheikh Khoja
Alí, the son of Sheikh Sadr-ud-dín Mússa, the son of Sheikh Safr-ud-dín
Abú Ishák of Erdebíl, the founder of the dynasty of the Safís. His
tomb-keepers are some hundred dervishes, a large foundation. Sheikh
Safí governed only in a spiritual sense; his son Hyder was his
successor, and Ibrahím the son of Hyder having dreamt of concubinage
with an ass, his possession of the Empire was foretold by his grandsire
Sheikh Safí; indeed Sheikh Ibrahím was the first who enjoyed the rights
of sovereignty; from Sheikh Safí to Sháh Abbás are five Sháhs who
coined money. We left Erdebíl, marched nine hours further to the north,
and came to Kent Rarám, a kent of six hundred houses with gardens;
eight hours further we came to the Kent Yár Alí, three hundred houses,
a mosque, no khán or bath, but a large number of shops and a weekly
market; six hours further to the north, the Kent of Merzáde Amád in
the district of Dídher, eight hundred houses. After eight hours, we
arrived at Tabríz again, where I remained some days more, passing from
one entertainment to another. Letters were now written for the kháns
and commanders of the places I was to pass through on my return, and
the letter of the Khán to the Páshá made ready. The presents sent to
him consisted of ten camel loads of rice, dried raisins, dried pears,
pomegranates, and two racehorses of the breed Karajubúk, four trotting
horses, and two boys dressed in precious cloth perfumed with musk. To
me he gave ten tománs Abbássí, a Georgian slave, a Persian pelisse, a
Persian dress, six turbans, and a string of camels, loaded with rice,
a black horse of the race Karajubúk, a trotting one (Chapár-átí), with
Persían bridle and saddle. I took leave of all my friends, and next
day left Tabríz in grand procession with the khán, accompanied by the
Royal music of trumpets and kettle drums. We halted at the place Ain
Alí, where a grand dinner, and five tománs Abbássí more, were given to
me for the expenses of the journey. My suite received twenty tománs of
aspers, a piece of velvet, three of Alas, and six turbans. The Khán
recommended me to the care of a Yessavúl Aghá, who was to escort me
with three hundred men, embraced me, and returned to Tabríz, while we
took the road to Eriván.
JOURNEY FROM TABRIZ TO ERIVAN.
In God’s name we set out from Tabríz to the north, and reached the Kent
Hají Harámí, of three hundred houses surrounded with rose gardens;
a foundation of Shám Ghazán, whose tomb may be seen from hence. The
next day the Kelenter took leave, and we continued our way to Kent
Safián, which was formerly a great kent, but has since been ruined
by the Mogols and still more by Sultán Murad IV., it is a delightful
place on the territory of Tabríz. Some learned men and writers are
buried here, but I don’t know their names; there are more than twenty
cupolas. In the month of Moharrem on the day of A’ashúra, the feast in
commemoration of the murder of Hossein is celebrated here with great
pomp, the people are all Sháfiítes. Further to the north we reached
Mezídkhán on the frontiers of Tabríz; five hundred houses covered
with terraces, two mosques, a very spacious khán, a bath and royal
market-place. Seven hours more to the northward is the station of Kent
Keremish, on the frontier or Nakhshiván; a thousand houses, seven
mosques, a khán and bath. Our way now led northward through marshy
grounds, and we pitched our tents on the borders of Wishlechaí. This
river issues from the mountains of Nahkshiván and joins the Aras. We
suffered much from dust here, and after two hours travelling reached
the castle of Khúí, a fine town of Azerbeiján, the seat of a Sultán,
who commands a thousand men; the public authorities are a judge,
Muftí, Darogha, Kelenter, Nakíb, Múnshí, Kúrújí and Dízchoken Aghá.
The castle is built in a square form on the plain, its circumference
is seven hundred paces; the ditch is not very deep. Of its two gates
one leads to the south, the other to the west; it contains a hundred
houses and a mosque. Its builder was Ferhád Páshá, but the old town
was built by Sháh Haider, and it has been sacked more than once since.
This suburb or outer town consists of seven thousand houses with
terraces, seventy mosques, eleven of which are Jamis, two baths, seven
kháns, and a thousand shops with gardens. I and my boys measured the
circumference, which is ten thousand paces. The air is rather warm
and favorable therefore to the culture of rice. The river issues from
Mount Selmás, and flows into the Araxes. The fruits are famous, above
all the Prophet-pears, which have no equal in sweetness and delicious
taste. Owing to the mildness of the climate, the inhabitants are all
white, and the women are innumerable. Some historians call this town
Asháristán, Iránistán or Turkistán. Its districts reckon one hundred
and eighty villages, the inhabitants of which are for the most part
Sunnites, Sháfiítes, who paid a capitation tax to Sháh Ismail for the
privilege of letting their beards grow (Sakál Túlí), but have been
exempted since the time of Sháh Sefí.
_Pilgrimage to the Tomb of Shems Tabrízí._
He died in the year 495 on his way from Antiochia to Isfahán, in this
town of Khúí. After a stay of two days, we continued our journey with
two hundred armed guards to the north, and arrived at the end of nine
hours at the town of Behestán, the seat of a Kelenter. It was anciently
a town of the size of Tabríz but was ruined by Húlagú; it is now a
small place of a thousand houses, three mosques, a khán, bath and small
market, with innumerable gardens. Three hours further northward, we
reached the castle of Joris on the frontier of Nakshiván; the seat of
a khán, who commands two thousand troops, a judge and twelve public
officers in honour of the twelve Imáms. The castle, a pentagon, is
situated on a hill, simply walled and therefore not very strong. It
was first built by Uzún Hassan the Sháh of Azerbeiján and was ruined
by Murád IV. its ruined parts are now chalked off [fenced off?] like a
Palanka. Though situated on a hill, yet the hill itself is at the foot
of a high mountain. It has a gate looking to the south-east; within the
castle there is no remarkable building but the mosque of Rúshen Hassan
Páshá. The outer town consists of seven thousand houses, and eleven
mosques, of which that of Uzdemír Osmán Páshá and Ferrúkh-zadeh Sháh
Ibn Timúr are the best; there are three mosques, seven kháns, and two
hundred shops. The young people are extremely pretty, with eyes like
the roes of Khoten, sweet-tongued with merry faces, who, if they walk
dressed in red embroidered dresses, like peacocks of Paradise, make all
their lovers lose their wits, and by half a look make as many Mejnúns
of them. We spent three days and nights here with Eyúb Khán the Khán
of the town, continually entertained by music. On the fourth day we
continued our journey, after having been overwhelmed with presents.
We now passed on towards the east where the river of Karajubúk issues
from the mountains of Joris, and then joins the Araxes; in the summer
months this river may be crossed by sheep and goats. We advanced to
the north amidst Kents for four hours to Kent Hallí, on the frontier
of Eriván; five hundred houses with gardens, a mosque and a bath,
on the banks of the Hallí river, which issues from the mountains of
Sepend and joins the Aras. Passing on to the north through woods,
we came after eight hours march to the pleasant meadow of Tútolúmí,
where there are some hundred shady trees, but no village. The Daroghas
and Kelenters of the neighbouring kents flocked together to furnish
us with necessary provisions. We passed one night here, and next day
continued our journey along the Aras, crossed it, and came to Kent
Kagáj situated on the eastern bank of the Aras; it has a mosque, a
khán, a bath, and three hundred houses, with a great number of rice
fields. We passed through sandy ground with great dust, nine hours to
the north, and reached Kent Ashárlí in the territory of Eriván, with a
thousand houses, a mosque, a khán, and a bath; its product is rice; it
takes its name from the inhabitants, who belong to the tribe Ashárlí.
Travelling along the Aras through well cultivated fields and gardens,
we reached after seven hours the town of Shúreglí, the seat of a
Sultán, who commands one thousand horsemen; there is a mosque, a khán
and a bath. After ten hours we came to Sheráb Khán with five hundred
houses, a mosque and a khán; then to Kent Seif-ud-dín on the frontier
of Eriván, and on the banks of the Aras, it was built by Seifkúlí the
Khán of Eriván, and belongs to the khass of Eriván, there are a hundred
and eighty houses, a mosque, and some plantations of rice. Five hours
further to the north along the Aras is the Kent Tílfirák, of a thousand
houses, a mosque, a convent, a khán, a bath, and plantations of rice.
At the time of the siege of Eriván, Murad IV. cut down seventy thousand
trees which were used as bulwarks, but since that time an immense
number of trees have grown again. We sent a message from hence to the
Khán of Eriván, next day crossed a lively river, halted on a meadow,
and met a great procession (Alaï,) which was the Kiaya of the Khán of
Eriván who was sent to meet us (Istikbál); we made our entrance into
Eriván with him, were saluted by twenty guns, and lodged in a palace of
the Khán. Hassan Beg went on from hence with the letters and presents
of the Khán of Tabríz to Erzerúm, and I occupied myself in delivering
those for the Khán of Eriván.
_Description of the Town of Eriván (Reván)._