JOURNEY FROM NAKHSHIVAN TO TABRIZ.
From Nakhshiván we proceeded for eight hours towards the Kiblah, and arrived at the place Kessik Kunbed, containing one thousand houses with gardens, three mosques, a Khán and Hamám.
The inhabitants of the kent told us, that it was the tomb of the son of Hossein Bikara, but on the marble coffin was written Murád Ibn Beháder Shefád Ibn Hossein Bákara. It is a high cupola, and the tomb-keeper is one of the descendants of Hossein Bikara. We continued our journey from hence seven hours along the Arash, which rises in the mountains of the Curds Bínpánshí, in the province of Ván, flows to the North and joins the river Zenghí. It may be crossed on horseback. We now advanced for some time amongst gardens, and arrived at Karabágh, a town of Azerbeiján, which was built by one of the princes of this country, and ruined by Koja Ferhád Páshá one of the Vezírs of Sultán Mohammed the conqueror of Erla. The traces of havock are still to be seen.
When Sultán Murad IV., on his expedition to the conquest of Eriván, came to this country, he again pillaged the town, which is just now rising from its ruins. It is the seat of a Sultán, who commands one thousand men. Its officers are a Kelenter, Darogha, Múnshí, Bínbáshí, and Dizchoken-agassí. The town is situated on a beautiful wide plain, and consists of three thousand houses, seven mosques, seven baths, three kháns, and six hundred shops. The youth of both sexes are pretty; the products good and plentiful; the air salubrious and the water excellent; it is adorned and surrounded with gardens. Among the fruits deserve to be mentioned twelve different sorts of ruby-coloured grapes, and eighteen sorts of cherries; some of its quinces are of the size of a man’s head. Its waters are carried in some places through subterraneous conduits, and are most refreshing in summer time. The cupolas of the mosques are built in the old style of architecture, that is to say, pointed, and are covered with china of different colours; eleven minarehs are conspicuous, but there are altogether seventy mihrábs. The inhabitants have been exempted from the payment of all gifts and duties, on condition that they would rebuild the town; they only contribute annually to the Sháh of Irán an hundred camel-loads of dried fruits. In short, there are three towns in Azerbeiján called Karabágh, each of which is a garden resembling Paradise. We went from hence turning towards the Kiblah, and arrived at the place where the river Irs joins that of Shán. We crossed it amidst a thousand difficulties; it collects its waters from the mountains of Punyánshí (Bínpánshí?) Bíredos, and Bághassí. Three stations below the plain of Nakhshiván the Irs runs into the Zenghí, the Zenghí into the Aras, the Aras into the Kúr, the Kúr into the Terek, (?) and the Terek into the Caspian Sea. After having crossed the river we came in six hours to Kent Kerken, which is situated in the province of Tabríz on the frontier of Merend, consisting of three hundred houses, a mosque, a khán, and a bath; but the inhabitants are extremely uncivil Persians; they are all cotton weavers, of which their plain produces a large quantity; bogassins of various colours are manufactured here.
After a march of nine hours towards the Kiblah, we arrived at the kent of Zeneves, one thousand well-built houses, ten mosques, a khán, and bath. Ten hours further on, towards the Kiblah, is the town of Tessúí; it is situated on the frontier of Merend and the bank of the Irs, and has three thousand houses with terraces, seven mosques, three baths, and six kháns. Its Sultán commands one thousand armed men; there is a Kelenter and Darogha, a Múnshí and Kádhí. It was also destroyed by Murad IV., and is now recovering from its ruins; it is twelve farsangs distant from the town of Merend; the fruits of Tessúí are celebrated. The inhabitants are Shiítes, who live by gardening. We now passed tothe south, drinking fresh water from wells, because the greatest part of the water is here subterraneous, and at the end of twelve farsangs we reached the town of Merend, the residence of the Khán of Elvend, and the seat of a Sultán commanding one thousand men. Its authorities are a Kelenter, Darogha, Munshí, and Dizchoken Aghá. The interval of fourteen farsangs between here and Tabríz is all well cultivated ground. Merend lies to the east of Tabríz. It was formerly a hunting place of Sháhrokh, the son of Timúr, and was in a flourishing state, but Sultán Murad IV. laid it waste; there are now three thousand houses, seven mosques, three kháns, five baths and six hundred shops, but no Bezestán, no colleges nor abecedarian schools; but praise must be given to its seventy fine walks and gardens, each of which outrivals those of Eden. Its youth of both sexes are pretty and eloquent. The inhabitants are for the most part military men, all the sect of the Shiítes; on the Kiblah side of the town is the tomb of Hossein Teftazání, one of the ancestors of the great Teftazání, also of Alí Khándí, Sheikh Súsemári, and Alí-ud-dín. We received presents from the Sultán of this town, and went on seven hours, on the Kiblah side, through roads planted on both sides with willows and planes, so that we always travelled in the shade, sheltered against the rays of the sun. We halted at the wells, and arrived at Kent Kuherín, belonging to the Secretary of the Khán of Tabríz, of one thousand houses, six mosques, three baths, and two great palaces. It is an extremely flourishing kent. May God destroy it! because they are all Shiítes, and because I heard here for the first time, curses uttered against Omar. Allah confound them! I was obliged to listen quietly to those obloquies, though I had a great mind to kill the rascal, which I might have done without incurring much responsibility, because envoys travelling from Rúm to Persia are free in all their actions, even if they should kill a Persian.
We now marched six hours further to Kent Sehlán, which is the khass of the Khán of Tabríz, situated in a plain, consisting of one thousand houses, seven mosques, a khán, a bath and some small markets (Súk). Its streets are all planted with willows and planes. The inhabitants of Tabríz have their koshks and pleasure-houses in this kent; the inhabitants of the place pretend to be Sháfiítes, but are all cursed Ráfedites; the young people and the air of the place is praiseworthy. As we continued our journey, we saw on our right, the high cupola of Ghazán Mohammed Sháh towering into the skies, conspicuous at six hours distance. We said a Fátihah to his memory, halted on a fine meadow, and sent a messenger to Tabríz. After three hours we mounted our horses for the solemn entry, I and the Envoy of Tabríz side by side; before the envoy marched his soldiers well dressed, and before me forty persons composing my train; theKiaya of the Khán of Tabríz came to meet us in solemn pomp (Istikbál), and accompanied by him we made our entrance into the town of Tabríz, where many thousand persons in the market were collected to stare at us; our march from the town-gate to the palace of the Khán at the other extremity of the town lasted for two hours. The Khán received us in his Diván, where a great Council was assembled, the Persian music consisting of kettle-drums and trumpets were three times sounded, and the troops paraded. After the music was over, I got up, and drew forth from my breast the letter of Defterdár-zadeh Mohammed Páshá, the governor of Erzerúm, giving it into the hand of the Khán, who got up and kissed it, and put it on his head. The Ishek Aghá (master of the ceremonies) then shewed me my place, where I stood in the Mohammedan fashion. The Khán gave the letter to his secretary (Múnshí), who kissed it respectfully, and read it with a loud voice. At the mention of God’s name, and the Prophet’s name, all stood up praising the Prophet, but at the mention of his four friends, some looked askance (not liking to hear Omar mentioned amongst them.)
The reading being finished the Khán said: “With the aid of God I will send to my honourable brother the Vezír of the Emperor, before a month elapses, a caravan of a hundred horses, and one of a hundred camels.” Then adding different kind greetings and words, he made us sit down close to him, and ordered the repast to be brought in. After dinner, I delivered the pearl beads, the quiver and the Venetian stuffs, which, said I, “the Páshá has furnished me with, that I may not appear before your Excellency with empty hands; he has added to these two Arabian horses of high breeding, which shall now make their appearance, if your Excellency would be pleased to see them.” He rose up, and we came to the end of the room; the horses richly caparisoned were on the signal given by me led into his presence: they came dancing and capering to the great astonishment of all the gentlemen of the Diván; saying, “Bismillah!” I gave the bridle of the horse into the hands of the Khán, adding “Mobarek-bád” (Be it prosperous!) The Khán took some turns on the horse, riding without stirrups in the fashion of Persian horsemanship. I then presented him with the second horse (Yelkendiz), with which he was no less satisfied, and sent it to his stable. At a signal by the Khán all our servants were served with sherbet, rosewater and incense was repeated; and we were then given in to the care of the Mihmándár, Kúrújí-báshí, Darogha, and Kelenter. The latter conducted us to his garden, where we remained. The Khán sent me forty tománs bath-money, a caparisoned horse (Karajabuk), with an elegant saddlecloth, and seven camel-loads of provisions. The public cryers now published, throughout the town, an order of the Khán to make known that an Ottoman embassy of Sunnís havingarrived, every body should be cautious of insulting them, lest they might be killed by the Sunnís. They curse neither Abúbekr nor Osmán, but Omar gives them a terrible head-ache, and they cannot refrain from injuring him by slanderous words. The same day the Khán sent us ten fine youths all dressed in embroidered cloth. They were led by our Mihmándár to kiss our hands, according to the ancient etiquette by which the Kháns of Persia used to send ten fine youths as servants to the Ottoman Envoys. We now began to take a view of the town.
In the Moghol language it is called Túris; in the Derí dialect, Táríz; in the Dihkání, Tábríz; and in the Farsí, Tabríz: in all these dialects,tabsignifies fever, andrízpouring [dispersing], because the air is so salubrious, and the water of Aján so good, that people who come from regions where fever prevails, completely recover here; the fortress of Cairo is also a place where no fever is to be found. Tabríz was founded by Zobeide, Harún Rashíd’s wife, who, when pregnant with Mamún, built a pleasure-house here on account of the excellent air. Afterwards a large town was built at an immense expense, and of such extent that it took three days to go round it. In the time of Calíf Motevekel, it was ruined by an earthquake which destroyed forty thousand men. Motevekel came himself from Baghdád to rebuild the town at the expense of immense treasure. It rests on one side upon mount Aján, on another side upon mount Sehlán, on a third side upon mount Senján, and on the fourth upon the Maiden’s mount (Kiztágh). The actual circumference of Tabríz, is six thousand paces, there are three hundred towers, three thousand battlements, and six gates, viz., that of Aján, of Berserván, of Serzúd, and of Shámnemázán, each of which is guarded by five hundred watchmen. The third builder of Tabríz was Húlagú, who resided here seven years, and embellished it wonderfully: Mohammed Khodabende Ibzárgún Sháh transferred the whole palace, built by Húlagú, on camels to his new built town. The timber used in the buildings was all cypress and aloe wood, and they have been faced with china ever since. The fourth builder was Mohammed Sháh Ghazán, who extended the boundaries to the mountains of Senján, Aján, and Sehlán, and surrounded it with a wall, which required four days to make a tour of it. The town formerly built by Motevekel became then the inner castle or citadel of the new town. In the year 959, it was taken by Sultán Suleimán, who did not ravage it, but made a present of it to Sháh Elkáss Mirza. In the year 994 (1585), it was taken by the Persians. In the reign of Murad III., Uzdemir-oghlí Murad Páshá undertook the expedition into Persia with an immense army, the van of which was led by Jighála-oghlí Sinám. Osmán Páshá, one of his generals, took the town of Tabríz out of the hands of the Sháh.
To defend this town a strong citadel was then built of twelve thousand seven hundred cubits, which seems as though it had been built by Ferhád, and on the gate of which the name of Uzdemir is inscribed. Uzdemir Páshá, the fifth builder, finished the castle in thirty-six days, and filled it with all necessary stores, and a garrison of forty thousand men. But he was not so happy as to perform the Friday’s prayer, having died before it; the whole army proclaimed Jighála-zadeh Sinám their commander, who was not however confirmed in his place by the Porte, which when made acquainted with the news, named Khándin Ja’affer Páshá, formerly Governor of Tripolis; under whose government the flourishing state of Tabríz excelled even that at the time of Sultán Gházán. According to the description made in his time, Tabríz reckoned eighty thousand houses, and three hundred thousand inhabitants. During the troubles which took place soon afterwards by the rebellion of the troops, it happened, that the Persians became masters of Genje, Shirván, Shamákhí, Eriván, Nakhshiván and Tabríz, until the time of vengeance arrived in the reign of Sultán Murad IV. He conquered the fortress of Eriván in seven days, ransacked the towns of Nakhshiván, Merend and Karabágh, remained a week at Tabríz, levelled the palace of Sháh Abbás, and set fire to all the wooden houses, so that only stone buildings, such as mosques and baths, remained; after which havock he returned to Constantinople. Sháh Abbás returned, conciliated the inhabitants, and began to restore it to its former splendour. It is now the capital of Azerbeiján, and the seat of the Khán its Governor, who commands ten thousand men. Its officers are the Muftí, Nakíb or head of the Seids (Emírs), the Molla (Judge), Kelenter (Lieutenant of police), Múnshí, (Secretary), Darogha (Provost), Kúrújí-báshí (chief of the guards of the woods and heaths), Dízchoken Aghá, (commander of the garrison), Chiyek-yeyen Aghá (another officer of the troops), Yassúl Aghá (Inspector of the sentinels), and Ishek Aghá (Master of the Ceremonies) Mihmándár. These public officers keep good order in the town of Tabríz, so that justice prevails as it did in the time of Núrshírván, and no person can take a grain of mustard-seed from another.
There are altogether three hundred and twenty mihrábs, nineteen of which are Imperial mosques. The first is the old mosque of Zobeide, the cupola and walls of which are all inlaid with china (fayence;) the mortar of the Mihráb having been mixed with musk, exhales the sweetest perfume; its minareh is also entirely inlaid with china. The mosque of Motevekel is a mosque in the old style, with one minareh, which like the former is faced with china. In the course of time the builder’s name has been lost, and it is now called Meshkieh. The mosque ofSultán Mohammed Shám Ghazán, which was formerly a splendid mosque, is now falling into decay in an obscure place; the mosque of Jihán Sháh Emín is a high building with a dome vying with that of Ták Kesra, like the mosque of Táher Bibars, at Cairo; its walls are white polished like Chinese paper, and before the Mihráb is a fine garden, the scent of which perfumes the air. The name of this fine mosque is Dihshetí-Behesht (terror of Paradise). The mosque of Sultán Hassan, the Prince of Azerbeiján, the same who built the fortress of Hassan Kala’a to the east of Erzerúm, and who was defeated by Sultán Mohammed II. in the field of Terján. He is buried at this mosque, the cupolas of which are inlaid with china inside and out; it is quite equal to the mosque of Sultán Hassan at Cairo. The minber, mihráb and mahfil are adorned with such elegant sculptures and carving, that the greatest masters of the present day would not be able to finish it in that style; the windows shine with unparalleled splendour, but the greatest masterpiece is conspicuous in the arabesques and ornaments of the great gate. Above all the gates and windows are inscriptions in the character of Yakút Mostea’assemí. On the side of the altar are two columns of a yellow stone, each of which is worth the revenue of Irán and Turán: these two columns have no equal, either in Egypt, Syria, Arabia, or Persia. The other Imperial mosques are also faced with china, paved with marble and adorned with paintings and suspended ornaments, so that each is quite a Chinese gallery. These five mosques are not however so much frequented as those in Turkey, because prayers are not performed in community, but singly by persons, who enter and leave abruptly. Opposite to the mosque of Uzún Hassan is that of Sháh Ismail, and near it that of Sháh Makssúd, the son of Sultán Hassan; the old mosque of Chármenán, the mosque of Abbás the first, and the great mosque, so large that from the great gate to the mihráb opposite, a man can hardly be distinguished.
There are forty-seven large Colleges, where lectures are held on all sciences; the first is that of the lady of Sháh Jihán: and twenty rooms for reading the Korán (Dár-ul-kira) but they read it wrong throughout all Persia. There are seven houses for reading tradition (Dár-ul-hadíth), but the doctors of tradition are not much renowned, because they confine themselves to the tradition of Alí and the twelve Imáms, and have some thousand books on the traditions of Alí alone; six hundred schools, where boys are taught to spell and read the Korán, and are clothed once a year; one hundred and sixty convents of dervishes; six fountains, which all issue from mount Semendán. The town is besides furnished with seven canals of water, and there are one thousand and forty Sebíls, orplaces for distributing water, which are well covered. The town is divided into one thousand and sixty quarters which are called Derveze. The water magazine (serdáb) which was cleaned by Uzdemir Páshá furnishes the water of the canals. One thousand and seventy palaces of great men, two hundred caravánseraïs, seventy kháns for merchants and one hundred and ten for single workmen; seven thousand market streets (Súk) many of which are vaulted like those of Haleb; and a great Bezestán, which is the seat of the richest merchants, with four iron gates.
By the mildness of the climate the inhabitants are all healthy and stout, with red cheeks and black beards, merry faces, and lips like rose-buds; the women are pretty, and conscious of the fairness of their skins are extremely proud; those advanced in age are of sweet company, so that the proverb, “the old is sweeter than the young,” may well be applied to them. The inhabitants are all Shiís or Mulhad (impious), a great number are Dumbúlí, Khaljání, Turcomans, and Gokdúlák. There are two thousand Ulemás, amongst whom are excellent doctors, surgeons and oculists. There are more than seven thousand pious Sheiks, who are much esteemed in this town, the inhabitants never do any thing without consulting them, but their sect is not exactly known. Eighty-two most eloquent poets, authors of Diváns. Yárí and Shábí are the Saíb and Unfí of their time. Of the Mujazib or Santons (Saint fools) we saw Sherímí, whom no person ever saw eating, drinking, lying down, sleeping, or performing any of the natural offices of life for seventy years. The Persians are generally called Kizil-básh or red heads, because they wrap red sashes round their heads, though many of them also wear the Mohammedan white turban; but the cap is always pointed, and that of the Ulemás, which is called Táj, or crown, is more than two yards long. The great men wear sable.
The shape is founded on a dream of Ibrahím, the founder of the dynasty of Sefí; he dreamt that he bore a child to an ass, that had seventy fingers. This dream having been interpreted as foreshadowing the Empire, he swore, that if it should be fulfilled, he would commemorate the circumstance, by wearing an asinine phallus in his turban, and by imitating the cries of the animal in music. This is the reason why the Persian crown and head-dress have the present shape, and why their music resembles the braying of an ass.
The purity of the air drives away all fevers, and prolongs life to the age of one hundred and seventy years. The water issues from mount Semenden, and isdistributed into more than nine hundred conduits and pipes, which furnish the town with water. The water aids digestion, and like the air is rather cold. There is also good water in wells, but the water of the canals is better; some of the wells are from forty to fifty cubits deep, in the summer their water is cold, and in the winter it is warm. Astrologers say that Tabríz was built by Zobeide, under the influence of the sign of the scorpion when ruled by Mars, and that for this reason, it has been so many times disturbed and ruined by rebels and by conquerors, such as Timúr, Gengíz, Húlagú, and Murad IV.
There are twenty-one pleasant baths each with one or two basins, a half soffa, and fountains (jets d’eaux). The attendants are fine youths, the water and air are excellent. Besides the public baths there are seven hundred private ones, where the silver-bodied youth swim like angels of the sea. On the china or fayence of these baths, is written the famous poem of Fozúlí, called the poem of the bath (Kassideí Hamám). There are seven sorts of corn growing at Tabríz, besides an abundance of barley. There are also seven sorts of cotton.
Painters, architects, goldsmiths, and tailors are nowhere to be found so perfect as here. Precious stuffs manufactured here go all over the world; the velvet is much renowned. The provisions consist of the white bread called Kerde, and Súmún, cracknels, pastry, roasts, chicken pies, forty different kinds of pilaw with spices, the Herisse and sweetmeat, Palúde. Among the abundance of delicious fruits are particularly the pears and exquisite apricots, they are not found in such perfection even at Constantinople. The beverages consist of seven sorts of Muscat wine, the common wine of the Royal grape, the pomegranate, the cherry wine, and oxymel; and for the common people búza of millet and rice.
There are some dining establishments for the poor, such as the Imáret of Sháh Yakúb, of Sultán Motevekel, of Lady Zobeide, and of Sultán Hassan, large buildings with kitchens worthy that of Keikavús, but in the hands of the Persians they have all decayed.
The principal walk is the mount Surkháb (Red-water) near Tabríz; at noon the sea of Rúmie may be distinguished from the top of it; it is at a farsang distance from Tabríz.
The number of gardens amounts to forty-seven thousand, the finest is that of Sháh Yakúb, where the Khán gave me a splendid entertainment. Eleven times in the day, seventy dancers and singers exerted themselves in the practice of their art, so that it resembled an evening party of Hossein Bikara. This garden owesits origin to Koja Ferhád Páshá, Governor of Tabríz under Sultán Murad III., who adorned it with numerous koshks, bowers and pleasure-houses; and at the time of the pillage of the town by Murad IV., this garden was preserved by the care of Osmán Aghá. The Chronostic of the koshk where we dined, alluding to the name of the builder, says that, Ferhád built this sweet (Shirín) palace. The walk of Sháh Sefí cannot be praised enough. It is the place of the Maïl; in the centre of it two immense columns lift their tops up to Heaven; on one of them every Friday a silver plate is put, which is aimed at by all the bowmen, who shoot at it, encouraged by the presence of the Khán. On New Year’s day (Nevrúz) or the beginning of spring, battles are fought in this place by horses trained in the dark during forty or fifty days, by camels, buffaloes, sheep, asses, dogs, and cocks. These fights are peculiar to Persia. Every year on the tenth of the month Moharrem, being the feast of A’ashúra, all the population of the town assemble under tents in this large place, and during three days and nights cook many thousand dishes of A’ashúra (a kind of hotch-potch), in remembrance of the martyrs of Kerbela; these dishes are distributed with an abundance of sugar-sherbet, which is carried round in crystal vases, and cups of cornelian and turquoise: at the same time singing certain verses, such as “Their Lord gave them of the purest beverage.” Some of the great men on this day carry cans and tankards round their necks, and go about distributing water like common porters. But the finest show is in the variegated tent of the Khán, where all the great men of Tabríz are assembled, and where a Hymn on the death of Hossein is recited, in the same manner as the Hymn on the Prophet’s birthday is in the Turkish mosques. The hearers listen, sighing and lamenting, but when the reciter arrives at the passage where Hossein is killed by accursed Shabr, a curtain opens behind him, and a severed head and trunk of a body, representing that of the Imám when dead, is thrown on the ground, when there rises such an uproar of cries and lamentations that everybody loses his wits. At this moment some hundred men mingle in the crowd with razors, with which they cut the arms and breasts of all loving believers, who desire to shed their blood on this day in remembrance of the blood shed by the Imám; they make such deep incisions and scars, that the ground appears as if it was blooming with tulips. Some thousands brand the marks and names of Hassan and Hossein on their heads, arms, and breasts. They then carry Hossein’s body away from the ground with much pomp, and finish the ceremony with great howlings.
The town has numerous fine walks and pleasure grounds, each of which may be compared to the gardens of Ispúze and Merám. The beautiful koshks worthy to be the seats of Sherín and Ferhád, of Wámik and Azra, are every where renowned;but I must refrain from their praise and description, as I have yet so many other things to mention. God be thanked! I remained here two months, which I spent in full pleasure and delight, and I shall now give the description of the districts and castles, which I visited in the Khán’s company. Round Tabríz are seven districts, which furnish military men, whose office is to train birds and dogs for hunting.
The first is the district of Mehránrúd, five farsangs to the east of Tabríz, the three places Koraúkendrút, Isfenj-kent, and Sa’ád-abád are like large towns, with numerous mosques, kháns and baths. The second district is that of Sera-vurúd on the west side of Tabríz; containing eighty well cultivated villages. The third district is that of Dídeher, four farsangs south-west of Tabríz, twenty-four kents with mosques, kháns, baths and gardens. The fourth district is that of Ardenik, on the west side of Tabríz at only a farsang’s distance; thirty well cultivated villages. The fifth district is that of Rúdkát behind mount Sorkháb, and north of Tabríz, at a farsang’s distance from it; a hundred great kents with gardens, mosques, markets, &c. The sixth district, that of Khánumrúd; twenty elegant villages. The seventh, that of Bedostán behind Rúdkát; seventy villages. If I were to describe minutely all the hunting and pleasure parties on which I accompanied the Sháh for the space of twenty days, it would alone fill a book, because Tabríz is like Isfahán, one of the finest towns in the world. God grant its possession to the Ottomans, and keep it from ruin!
One day being in company with the Sháh he presented me with the purest wine. I said, “By God! with God! through God! and by Ali’s purest spirit, since I was born I never drank wine or any other spirituous liquor, and since our great ancestor Khoja Ahmed Yessúí, none of our family have ate or drank any thing of an intoxicating quality. I beg, therefore, to be excused by you.” The Khán said, “My beloved and darling brother, what are you afraid of; if it is of your Emperor, he is five months journey from you; if it is of your Khán (the Páshá), it is forty days distance from Erzerúm to Tabríz. The Khán of the Sháh of Irán and the dog of Alí, my Sháh, has expressly forbidden me to drink a drop of wine; what do I care for that, I drink it secretly and delight in it; follow my example.” I said, “Very well, my Khán, if your Sháh has prohibited it to you, it is prohibited to me by the express command of the Sháh of Sháhs, the Lord of Lords, who says in the Korán, ‘wine, gaming and fortune-telling are Satan’s work:’ it is of this Lord, that I am afraid.” “You are,” said the Khán, “a rigorous Methodist (Mutea-assib).” “By God!” replied I,“I am no Methodist but only a true follower of the orthodox sect of Na’amán Ben Thábet, and a true lover of the Prophet’s family.” At this reply the whole company became silent, the Khán rose up with all his youthful attendants, and sitting down close to me, he said, “My dear Evliyá Aghá, which of these my favourite servants would you like to have, I will make you a present of him if you drink a cup of wine out of his hand. Come drink a glass, if you love red Alí and the twelve Imáms; let us be warm of head and tender of heart, let us enjoy a moment of delight in this perishable world.” So saying, all the youths came to salute me, and I returned their salutes; yet did I implore at the same time Heaven’s assistance, and then said, in answer to his further pressing requests; “You drink wine to get into good humour, but the first thing is to be good-humoured in God; I beg you will let me have a half-drum to accompany my own song, in order to show you how people get good-humoured in God.” “Be it so,” said he, “for Alí’s sake bring a half-drum to Evliyá, my brother;” I took it, and sang three tetrastichs on Divine Love, in the tune Sigáh, which made all the hearers appear as though they were drunk. The Khán, being extremely pleased, invested me with his own sable pelisse, gave me a thousand praises, and a Georgian slave as a present, ten tománs of Abbássí, and a racehorse (Karajubúk). “Now,” said he, “I will not plague you any more with a request to drink wine,” and I continued to enjoy his conversation undisturbed during a whole month, feasting every night. I spent this time observing all that was worth seeing at Tabríz, the good order and government of which is worthy of all possible recommendation. The inhabitants are merry, but orderly people, and I never saw a drunkard in the streets. It is in their praise that the verse was composed, which says, “The people of Tabríz, though given to pleasure, are as pure as the glass of a mirror; and if you say they are not true to friends, you must know that the mirror only reflects the object before it as it really appears.”
The first and most agreeable properties of Tabríz is the abundance of water, by which means the streets are washed and cleansed from all dust, as though it was continually New Year’s day. The second praiseworthy circumstance is, that the Sherífs or descendants of Mohammed do not give their daughters indiscriminately to servants, but only to their equals. They proposed the following nice point to me, saying:—“You take Infidel girls as women, because you say that the man plants the seed, and that is very well; but you also give your own daughters to Moslíms, who were first Infidels and afterwards converted; now if this new Moslím relapses into his former error, what then becomes of the children, who though their mother be a true descendant of the Prophet, may become apostates and fly into the land of the Infidels?” I answered, with the tradition of the Prophet, which says, “that even the children of Christians and Jews are born true Moslims, but that they are afterwards seduced into error by their parents.” There was no reply to that. The third good thing is that all sales are transacted with Persian money coined in the country, and that no foreign coin is received. Money is coined in seven towns, viz. at Erdebíl, Hamadán, Baghdád, Isfahán, Tiflís, Nehávend, and Tabríz. The inscription on one side is, “There is no God, but God, and Mohammed is the Prophet, and Alí the friend of God;” on the reverse is the name of the Sháh, with the epithet of Alí’s dog: their small coins or pennies are called Kázikí, they bear only the place of the coinage on one side, and the date of the year on the other: on their measures and weights are also written the words, “There is no God but God,” and who dares to cheat in the name of God is blinded by a heated stone drawn over his eyes. Before their shops and markets, scales of yellow brass are suspended, which are never taken away, but always remain, and all eatables and drinkables are sold by weight according to the fixed market prices; even corn and wheat are sold by weight. The fourth good things are the cookshops, fitted-up with china and furnished with plates of the same material; they are opened with prayer as usual in the morning, and then filled with all kinds of pilaws, and stewed meat (Herisse), which are also sold by weight. The waiters, clean and smart, stand with pewter dishes under their arms, on which are inscriptions like the following: “No nobility above the Islám;” “The nobility of the place depends upon who occupies it;” “The nobility of the house depends upon its inhabitants; and the nobility of the inhabitants upon their generosity.” After dinner these waiters bring clean basins and cans for washing, but vulgar people (Tolúnkí and Tokir) wipe their right hand under their left shoulder, and their left hand under the right.
It is a bad custom in Persia that only twelve classes of the troops and as many of the Ulemás and the other ranks of society are allowed to have regular kitchens in their houses; all the rest eat from the market, therefore, although their dinner is cheap it is very bad. The army has its cooks, who cook in that way at a fixed price, so that they are not allowed to take a grain more or to furnish a grain less than the established quantity. When the army takes the field, the kitchen is established in tents made of felt.
Another bad thing in Persia is that they do not kill or hang their delinquents, but the Darogha and Mohtessíb (two officers of police), bring them to the publicplace, where the executioners torment them in a most cruel manner; during three days and nights, they inflict on them three hundred and sixty different kinds of torture. They first give them three hundred strokes of the whip and Korbáj, press their knees, introduce reeds under their nails, cauterize the whole body with fire, force them to swallow greasy rags with a rope attached, which if dragged out again brings the stomach and bowels with it; nail their hands and feet down, bore holes in the elbows and knees, and then pour melted lead in the holes so that the lead runs out with the marrow: they tie the four first fingers and toes tight together, suspend the delinquent and perfume him with sulphur and asses’ urine, so that the poor men’s cries pierce the skies; they cut pieces out of the back, and attach burning candles to the shoulders; they squeeze the testicles, tickle the nose with pointed thorns, put iron kettles on the head, and blind the eyes; and inflict even more horrible tortures than those already described. God forgive us our sins! They paralyse thieves by cutting the sinews. They cut off the ears, noses, and hands and feet of false witnesses, and fasten other delinquents to seven different kinds of gibbets and pales, and leave them so exposed during three days and nights. The Khán having one day glorified himself with these cruel tortures, in my presence, I asked him, “What was the object of such manifold cruelties;” he said, “That death being pronounced on these culprits, the tortures were added, in order to terrify others by the example.” I said, “That it was not lawful, because the text of the Korán states no other punishment for thieves but cutting off the hand, and retaliation in cases of murder; and that this was quite sufficient to keep the people in terror and awe.” He was obliged to acknowledge that I was right. These additional tortures have been contrived by them, because their people are all riotous and heretical, that they may be kept in order the easier. So they established it as law.
In the cemeteries are many places of pilgrimage of great and holy men. In the cemetery of Súrkháb are the tombs of poets, such as Enwerí, Khakání, Zahír-ud-dín Faryábí, Felekí of Shíráz, and Felekí of Shirván.
Of Saints buried in the neighbouring villages, there are, in the village of Gúchúchán the Saint Khoja Mohammed Gúchúchání; in the village of Sabádabád, no less than seven hundred learned writers. Essáma Ben Sherík, the Prophet’s companion is buried near Tabríz on the martyrs’ mount; and Sárut-ul Jebel, the brother of Hamza, who was carried wounded from the battle of Nehávend to Tabríz, died here. The Sheikh Sejid-ján Memí, a writer deeply versed in ancient and modern sciences and in mystics. On mount Súrkháb, two children ofAlí are buried; in the quarter of Serde the place is shown where Efasiáb’s head is buried. Sheikh Nassr-allah, the son of Ak-Shems-ud-dín. It would be too long to describe all the monuments which exist at Tabríz, and we contented ourselves with these.
We left Tabríz accompanied by one thousand horse, and after a march of five hours through flowery gardens came to Kent Ajisú, half way to Kúmla, two hundred houses with gardens belonging to the Khán’s khass, a mosque and three convents. The waters of this plain are subterraneous, flowing from village to village, and there are some thousand wells on the great roads, this place is called A’jisú (bitter water) because its water is a little brackish. We continued our road next day to the burying-place of Mohammed Shám Gházán; it is called so because this country bears great resemblance to Damascus (Shám). Mohammed Gházán Sháh built this castle, and peopled it with from ten to twelve thousand subjects free from all duties and gifts. He then built this monument, which has no equal either in Arabia or in Persian Irák, it is a tower lifting its head to the skies like that of Galata. When I saw it, it was a little damaged on the side of the gate by an earthquake; it is a monument well worth seeing. I entered it with the Khán, said a Fátíhah, and read the inscription on the marble coffin. More than two hundred Dervishes inhabit the convent; outside of the gate, piles of sheep’s heads are erected, many thousand sheep being immolated here by the inhabitants of Persia, who have great confidence in this place; a well ten yards deep affords refreshing water in summer.
The name of Shám Gházán is a corruption of the Moghol language, in 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.
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 thenorth 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.
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 onthe 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 vaultof 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!”
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.