The Station of Khandak-bazárí.
A small place belonging to the territory of Koja Ilí, with woods, mountains, gardens, a mosque, a khán, a bath, a market, a judge appointed with one hundred and fifty aspers, an officer of the janissaries, and a Súbashí. In the woody marsh here, is a long wooden bridge (causeway) famous all over Arabia and Persia. We marched twelve hours further on through thick forests, and came to Dúzje-bazár, the first place belonging to Bolí, in a mountainous region, with a mosque and two kháns founded by Shemsí Páshá, who also paved the road. In the neighbourhood are many villages.
West of this place on the side of Akcheshár, and two hours beyond the river Melán is the place of Úskúbí, a khass of the territory of Bolí, with a mosque, a khán, and a bath. Nine hours further on we reached Bolí, conquered in Osmán’s name by Sonkor Baí Shemsí, to whom and to whose descendants it was given as hereditary property (Ojáklik). Its castle was built by the Greek Commander of Brússa, it is a small ruined castle, on a high mountain without vestige of cultivation. According to the division of Sultán Mohammed II. it is the seat of a sanjak. The khass of the Beg amounts to three hundred thousand one hundred and twenty-two aspers, fourteen ziamets, and fifty-five timárs, with the Jebellis two thousand eight hundred swords. The judge is appointed with three hundred aspers: five districts belong to it, viz. the district round the town of Bolí, that of Gokjesúí, that of Sázák Kerde to the left of Bolí, that of Túrtúr-diván, and that of Yaflije. The annual revenue is five thousand piastres, and those of the Beg fifteen thousand. But the judge and Beg are obliged to be very cautious, because if they commit the smallest injustice, the Rayas can reach Constantinople in three days, and complain of the oppressor. There is an officer of the janissaries, of the Sipahís, and a Nakíb-ul-íshráf. Though the inhabitants are Turcomans, yet there is a great number of merchants. It is a large town of thirty-four quarters and as many mosques, three thousand well covered houses, some of which are faced with bricks; some seraïs and mosques. In the market-place is that of Mustafa Páshá and of Ferhád Páshá, much frequented; they are both the work of Koja Sinán the great architect: the best and most pleasant bath is that of Shemsí: seven kháns, and seven fountains, all founded by Shemsí Páshá; four hundred elegant shops, but no college or school of tradition, as far as I know of; but there are seventy schools for boys, and more than two hundred of whom know the Korán by heart. The book Mohammedieh is much read here; they have also story-tellers who recite moral maxims (Oghúz). The mildness of the air contributes to the beauty of the inhabitants. The women wear Ferrájís and large head-dresses, they are very decent and modest ladies. There are a great number of gardens and vineyards. Of its eatables and products the cherries are the most renowned. The water-cans of fir-tree refresh those who drink out of them like the living spring; these cans are called Akasik and Podúch. The inhabitants for the most part are merchants. The surrounding forests being composed of fir-trees, the inhabitants live by cutting and making planks of them, which are much esteemed at Constantinople. Two journies to the west from this place is the landing-place of Akcheshár; those of Ereglí, Bartín, and Hissárogí, also belong to the sanjak of Bolí. The hotbath lies to the south, on the outside of the town; amidst the gardens is a small hotbath, extremely hot and particularly useful against the itch. It purifies the stomach and cleanses the body. People of all degrees flock to this hotbath on waggons.
Places of Pilgrimage at Bolí.
The convent of Yúzghád Baba near the hotbath. We marched twelve hours to the east, through cultivated villages to Kerde, the seat of a Súbashí subordinate to Bolí; a judge with one hundred and fifty aspers. The town consists of a thousand wooden and brick-built houses in a large valley, nine quarters, and eleven mosques, besides the Mesjíds; three convents, three kháns, two hundred shops, and seven coffee-houses. The knife-cutlers and tanners of Kerde are renowned for the knives and Safien of this place. The air is pleasant, and the inhabitants healthy; they are mostly students eager for information (Súkhte Thalebí). It is a common saying that Kerde is famous for its thieves, its tanners, and its winter, which is compared to that of Erzerúm; the inhabitants are a set of lively stout Turks. At the four points of the compass, and particularly on the south towards Kánghrí, are cultivated districts inhabited by forty or fifty thousand Turks. The names of the districts are, Kizíl-úzú, Alaja-úzú, Aleh-diván, Bir-diván, Ikí-diván, Uch-diván, and so on to seven Diváns, all in the mountains. The name of Diván given to these districts originated in the time of Ertoghrúl, who, being named Beg by Ala-ud-dín the Prince of the Seljúk family, granted to the Infidels, whose districts he conquered, the privilege of kettle-drums. The name is thus preserved in seven districts, whose inhabitants are a rebellious people, speaking a peculiar language of their own.
From Kerde we travelled to the eastward for the space of eight hours, through cultivated villages, to the village of Bayander in the district of Bolí, a jurisdiction of one hundred and fifty aspers. The conquest of these villages situated amongst steep mountains cost much blood to Osmán. Here are three hundred covered houses, a khán where every passenger is allowed to stay, and receives wood, straw and water, gratis. We travelled thence through a straight, called Hamámlí Bogház, and came with a thousand difficulties at the end of nine hours to the place Jerkesh, the seat of a Súbashí in the sanjak of Kánghrí. Here is a judge with one hundred and fifty aspers, an officer of the janissaries, and Sipáhis. The town consists of three hundred houses, a mosque, a bath and from forty to fifty shops. Mustafa Páshá, the sword-bearer to Sultán Murad IV., built a khán here of fifty fire-places, and one hundred shops, but died before it was finished. Once a week a great market is held here. Seven hours further on is the village of Karajalar, a ziámet in the jurisdiction of Kánghrí, three hundred houses of poor but very obstinate Turks; they will sell a trunk of a tree forty times over, putting it in the water every night, so that you may be compelled to lay out ten aspers in brushwood to set it on fire. A traveller marked one of these trunks by fixing a nail in it, and when he returned three years afterwards from the siege of Eriván, they gave him the very same trunk, which he had tried in vain to burn three years before. Thus they will sell a trunk forty times, and praise it as being forty years old. They also trade in different small articles, particularly in girdles, for which Karajalar is renowned.
Pilgrimage to Habib Karamání.
Habíb was born at Ortakoí near Nikde, and is buried here. He died a Sheikh of the Beirámí in the reign of Mohammed II. Hamza Efendí was one of his disciples. We left Karajalar, and after nine hours walk, we came to Kojhissár a jurisdiction of Kánghrí. Its castle was conquered in the year 708 by Osmán, and destroyed in order that it should no longer afford shelter to the Infidels. Nine hours further on, we reached the town of Tússia, conquered by Mohammed I, the seat of a Súbashí, and of a judge appointed with one hundred and fifty aspers. The public officers are a commander of the janissaries (Serdár), an officer of the Sipáhís (Kiaya-yerí), a Muftí and Nakíb; though it is a Turkish town, yet there is a great number of learned divines. The town is situated on an elevation, and consists of three thousand wooden houses faced with brick, there are eleven quarters, twenty-one mosques, besides the mesjíds, seven kháns, three hundred and forty shops, and a Bezestán with an iron gate. The Kúzlí and Leblebí Halwa (two sorts of sweetmeats) of the place, are famous. The air is heavy; the inhabitants are Turks, but very kind to strangers. Outside the town in a fine meadow is the tomb of Sheat Baba Sultán, to which pilgrimages are performed.
Our road now led for eight hours, amongst the mountains along the border of the Kizil Irmák (Red river) when we arrived at the village of Háj Hamza, the companion and disciple of Habíb Karamání; this village was his birth-place: there remains only an ancient mosque on the great road, the other houses are in ruins. It is on the banks of the Kizil Irmák, the opposite shore of which is laid out in elegant gardens. The Kizil Irmák issues from the mountains of Churúm and enters the Black Sea near the village of Báfra, where it forms a cascade, the noise of which alarms men like the rolling of thunder; the river rushes on with great impetuosity, and is not navigable. Its colour is red both in winter and summer; it is a cruel water, for, in attempting to cross to the opposite shore on horseback I was upset with my horse in the middle of it, and saved with difficulty by getting hold of a willow. We left Hájí Hamza and continued our road to the eastward among the mountains and along the Kizil Irmák. The road winds along the rocks at the base of the high mountain called Sárímáshiklí, so that on the right side are the cliffs, and on the left a precipice, at the bottom of which flows the Kizil Irmák, which in some places must be crossed. After eight hours march we came to the Castle of Osmanjík. Some say that Osmán was born at this place, and the castle built by his successors. In the year 795 it was taken out of the hands of the Turks by Ilderím Bayazíd. It is the seat of a Voivode belonging to the sanjak of Chúrúm, and has a judge with a salary of one hundred and fifty aspers appointed to it; there is a Serdár and Kiaya-yerí, but no Muftí or Nakíb. There are few distinguished inhabitants, but a great number of gardens. You cross the Kizil-Irmák by a bridge to the castle, it is of a strong architecture, no more than eight hundred paces in circumference, with an iron gate. As it is situated so amazingly high I did not see the interior, but only the outer town or suburb, consisting of a thousand old Tátár houses covered with planks and earth, there are seven quarters and as many mosques, three kháns, and a small bath, the water of which is drawn from a well supplied by the Kizil Irmák. On three sides of the town is sandy ground. Raisins are very sweet here on account of the heat of the soil. In the sand grows a plant called Kabre (Capers) which preserved in vinegar is in great use. The poor and almost all the inhabitants are Dervishes of the order of Hají-Begtásh, because one of their principal Saints is buried on the west side of the town on an elevated spot.