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.
Pilgrimage of Riza, the Son of Hossein Bikara.
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 to the 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; the Kiaya 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 having arrived, 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.