I visited the tombs of Sídí Belál Sultán, Súbhan Khojá, that of Jují Sultán, in the green monument within the Castle; that of Kází-Beg Sultán in the college of Ala-ud-dín, that of Bekir Khojá below it, that of Imrza Efendí at the Sand-gate, and those of Hamza and Emír Efendi near it.
South of the town is the high mountain called, Búzdepeh (ice peak) opposite to which the rocks of Kilghra are seen on the European shore; foxes, jackals and bears abound on this mountain. We spent three days in this town, then re-embarked and at the end of three miles came to Findíják-ághzí, whose inhabitants are all boatmen and ship-builders. The river Kizil Irmák here enters the sea, it rises from a mountain in the sanjak of Angora, passes under the bridge of Cháshnegvír to the castle of Osmánjík, and to Hájí Hamza near Túsia, it derives the name red river from its reddish colour. Higher up the river in the mountains are found cornelians large enough for handles of knives and daggers; no village in the neighbourhood is cultivated through fear of the Cossacks; forty miles further on we came to Báfra, the seat of a Súbashí subordinate to the sanjak of Jáník. The judge is appointed with one hundred and fifty aspers a day; there is a separate Serdár (officer of the janissaries). The distance from Samsún is a day’s journey. Báfra lies south-west of Samsún and at two farsangs distance from the Black sea. The Kizíl-Irmák, which comes from the district of Gunánabád flows on the west side of Báfra, and near this place it is crossed by a bridge of fir-trees, which forms a wooden arch from one side of the shore to the other; it is well worth seeing. There are two mosques and two baths at Báfra, and the houses are all built of fir.
Description of the Castle of Samsún.
It was first taken from the Greeks, who built it, by Ala-ud-dín a prince of the Seljúk family, and afterwards by Sultán Ilderím; it is the seat of a voivode subordinate to the sanjak of Jáník. The judge’s provision is fixed at one hundred and fifty aspers. Order is kept by a commanding officer of the janissaries (Serdár Kiayayerí), and the commander of the castle, Dizdár, but there is neither Muftí nor Nakíb-ul-ishráf. The inhabitants are all packers and boatmen, no great rich men (Awán) but a number of Ulemás. Every body dresses according to his means. The distance between Sinope and Samsún is by sea one hundred and fifty miles, and five days journey by land. Sinope lies to the south of Samsún, which is a strong fortress on the seashore. In the time of Mohammed III. the conqueror of Erla, the Cossacks took this castle and destroyed the fortifications in some places, which, after they were driven away, were repaired, and the garrison strengthened, with great store of ammunition; it is now five thousand paces in circumference, has seventy towers, two thousand battlements and four gates. The river of Chárshenbe-Bazárí, which passes before Amasia, disembogues in the Black Sea on the east side of Samsún. It is a large river, not fordable, rises in the sanjak of Bolí, goes to Tokát, and then passes before Amasia; hence originates the proverb coarsely applied by the inhabitants of Tokát to those of Amasia; “you drink what we have defiled.” The water of Samsún is called bad, it is however clear and transparent. The houses are faced with brick and surrounded with gardens, it has a mosque and kháns, but no college or reading establishment, seven abecedarian schools, a bath, and a market, but no port. It is an open place but the anchoring ground good. The grapes and pears of Samsún are pickled (túrshí) and sent in casks to Constantinople; its cables, ropes and resin are famous. The town is situated on the edge of a gulf. We visited all that was to be seen at this place and then re-embarked with our companions.
Description of the Castle of Onia.
It was built by one of the Emperors of Trebisonde, was first conquered by Keikúbád of the Seljúk family, and afterwards by Orkhán. It is the seat of a Voivode subordinate to the sanjak of Jáník. The judge is appointed with one hundred and fifty aspers: a Serdár and Dizdár are in possession of the military power, but there is no Muftí nor Nakíb-ul-ishráf. The castle is a square stone building on the seashore; the houses well inhabited, the mosques light, and the markets populous. Having seen all this we re-embarked, and proceeding a few miles with a favourable wind, came to Fátsha on the seashore, consisting of three hundred houses, a mosque, a khán and a bath. It is a ziámet belonging to Janík; the inhabitants are for the most part Greeks. The cape of Stephan is a sharp point advancing ten miles into the sea. The mountains are interspersed with well cultivated Greek villages. We passed it and came more northward to the castle of Wúna, built by the Genoese, and conquered by Úzún Hassan the lord of Azerbeiján, who took this castle together with those of Gumish Khání, Baiburd and Jánkha, at a later period it was taken by Mohammed II. It is the seat of a Súbashí from the sanjak of Janík. The castle is of a round shape, and stands on a hill by the seashore, but it is not strongly garrisoned; the gate looks to the east. It is ruled by a Serdár, and a judge with an income of one hundred and fifty aspers. It has mosques, kháns and baths. The inhabitants are known by the name of Wúna Greeks and Turks. It is a good port, where the largest ships can anchor at any time. We went from hence, straight before the wind, one hundred miles to the castle of Gíressin built by Constantine the founder of Constantinople. It fell into the hands of Úzún Hassan, was afterwards taken by the Genoese, and lastly by Mohammed II., who ordered his general Mahmúd Pashá to enter the castle in the night, the name of the castle is said to have originated from this order, “giressin” (thou shalt enter). It is on the frontier of the Pashalik of Trebisonde, to the Khass of which it belongs; its public officers are, a judge with one hundred and fifty aspers, a Serdár of the janissaries, a Dizdár of the castle, an inspector of the custom-house, a Muftí and Nakíb-ul-ishráf. It is situated on the seashore between Janík and Trebisonde, to the east of the latter. By the appearance of the ruins, it was a large town when in the possession of the Genoese, but it is now only a small one, with mosques and kháns, a bath and a market; the gardens yield fruit plentifully. Though the anchorage is excellent, yet the harbour affords no shelter against contrary winds. On the west side of it is a small island, where the Cossacks concealed themselves when they burnt and plundered this town, which is not defended by the Castle. As it belongs to the government of Trebisonde, some hundred men of Omer-Páshá’s suite took horse here and continued their journey to Trebisonde by land. We then steered our boat to the north, and arrived at the castle of Purpolúm, which is a small square castle, situated on a hill by the sea-shore, with a commander (Dizdár) and a garrison; the inhabitants are Greeks. We weathered the Cape of Zemreh, where villages are to be seen in the mountains. The castle of Kúrelí is a district belonging to Trebisonde. The castle is situated on a hill by the seashore. Further on we came to the station of Popolí on a great gulf, where traces of ruined castles are to be seen in many places. Further to the north is the castle of Kelpe, a district belonging to Trebisonde. The castle stands on a high hill by the seashore, and was built by the Genoese. The castle of Bozúr-búrní is a small square castle on a rocky cape, called the point of Bozúr, which was the name of a monk who built it. The castle of Akche-abád, a large district belonging to Trebisonde. The castle is a strong pentagon on the seashore, also built by the Greeks. Pulta Bazárí is the seat of a Súbashí and Naíb subordinate to Trebisonde. A fair is held here every week which is visited by many thousand inhabitants from the neighbouring villages; it belongs as Wakf to the foundations of Khatúnieh the mother of Selim I., the Súbashí is at the same time the Mutevellí or administrator of the Wakf. The port is one of the most celebrated in the Black sea on account of its safety. The torrent of Kalatímána, which rises in the mountains of Trebisonde, enters the Black sea near the harbour of Púlta. The valley of Seredere is enlivened by cultivated villages, whose inhabitants go in boats to the market of Trebisonde, to the south of which these places are situated.
Description of the Town and ancient Fortress of Trebisonde, the Capital of the Lezgians; God guard it from all mischief!
It was built by the Greeks and was conquered by Úzún Hassan, the Prince of Azerbeiján, but retaken by the Greek Emperors at the time of Timúr’s invasion, until, in the year 878 (1473), it fell into the power of Mohammed II. He brought forward an immense army by way of Jánkha, and gave battle to Úzún Hassan in the field of Terjián, where forty thousand of Úzún Hassan’s men were slain, and he himself fled to the Castle of Azerbeiján. Since the victory at Kossova of Sultán Murád I. no greater victory had been gained. Mohammed II. conquered the town of Trebisonde thirteen years before; its name was spelt Tarbefzún (joy increasing). Mohámmed II. fixed his residence here, coined money, had public prayer performed in his name, and remained here three years. He subjected the northern provinces of Georgia, Mingrelia, and Abaza, established his son Báyazíd here as commander, and went himself to his third residence, Constantinople. Báyazíd II. having ascended the throne in his father’s place, gave the government of Trebisonde to his son Selím I. who twice passed over to the Crimea, and heading the Tátárs led them against his father. Being defeated in battle, once at Varna, and once at Adrianople, he left his son Súleimán his Lieutenant at Trebisonde, and retired in disguise into Persia, where he played at chess with Sháh Ismaíl, then travelled over Baghdád, Meshhed, Mecca and Medina to Egypt, conversed there with Ebú Sa’úd Járehí, and Mezrúk Kafákí, who said “O Selím go into Rúm and Persia, and then come to Egypt.” After three years travel he returned to Trebisonde, from whence, keeping up secret intelligence with the janissaries and with Menglí Geraí Khán, he led a Tátár army against his father, whom he vanquished at Chorlí, and banished to Dimitoka, where he died at the village of Hawsa. Sultán Selím remained absolute monarch, and immortalised himself by the victories of Chaldir and Egypt.
Súleimán was brought up at Trebisonde, which has been the seat of four Ottoman Emperors. In remembrance of his youth spent here, he sent his mother to this place and raised it to a separate province, with the addition of the sanjak of Batúm. It is a Beglerbeglik of two tails, but was given more than once to Vezírs of three tails as arpalik, in the reign of Murád IV. and Ibrahím. The Khass of the Páshá consists according to the Kanún (law) of forty thousand aspers. Two Súbashí are attached to this place, and the Páshá may get, in a fair way, every year, nineteen thousand piastres, but if he is severe, even thirty thousand piastres. There are five sanjaks, viz. Jánkha, Batúm, Zír, Gonia, and Trebisonde, which is the chief place. The feudal officers are a Defterdár of the Timárs, a Kiayá of the Defter, an Inspector of the rolls (Defter-emíní), and a Kiayá of the Chaúshes; an inspector of the Chaúshes is also appointed here. There are forty-three ziámets, two hundred and twenty-six timárs in the sanjak of Trebisonde, and thirteen ziámets with seventy-two timárs in the sanjak of Batúm, altogether one thousand eight hundred well-armed men, besides a thousand Jebelis of the Páshá, so that the whole including the officers amounts to three thousand men. They hold villages and land on condition that they should go to war under the command of the Páshá, which if they do not they forfeit their leases.