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, tab signifies fever, and ríz pouring [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.
Description of the Mosques of Tabríz.
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 of Sultán 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.
Colleges of Tabríz.
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, or places 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.
Praise of the Air and Climate.
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.
Account of the Persian Crown (Táj).
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.