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._