There are forty tombs much frequented by visitors. The tomb of Derekhorkhot, a great Saint, in whom the people of Shirván had great faith. Several thousand great Saints are buried here, but I visited and made myself acquainted with those only that I have mentioned. God’s mercy upon them all! After having seen all the curiosities of this town I received from the Khán a horse of the race (Kádhibeg,) and a trotting horse (Chapár), ten pieces of cotton stuff of Guzerát, and two hundred guards to accompany me on the journey; I took leave of all my friends the Kháns and Sultáns, and set out on my journey to Gúrjistán, or Georgia.
JOURNEY TO GEORGIA.
After a march of sixteen hours to the south-east through woods, we arrived at the place called Kúr, of a thousand fine houses and a mosque, on the frontier of Dághistán, not far distant from Táyeserán, the residence of Mikhál Sháh, Prince of Dághistán. Every Friday people flock here together to buy and sell, not for money, but by exchange. There are ten thousand inhabitants, all Sunnís and Sháfiítes. I saw no women at all here; the women of Dághistán are not allowed to leave the house, excepting on a journey to Mecca, or to be carried to the cemetery after death. The men are hospitable. We left this place, passed a ruined castle in the midst of woods, and then entered the great district of the Avárs: it is a district belonging to the khass of the Prince of Dághistán, and during three days journey we saw seventy great kents with mosques and kháns.
Description of the Castle Serír-ul-allán.
This ancient town was built by Hormúz the son of Núshirván; it was wrested from the hands of the Princes of Dághistán by the Persian Sháh Kor Khodabende, and fell into those of the Ottomans, who destroyed the castle that it might not be used as a defence against them; it is now a large ancient town situated on the border of Mount Caucasus, belonging to the government of Aresh. According to fabulous history it was in this town that Solomon set up his throne, which had been carried through the air by Genii, when he came with Balkis and an immense army to view Mount Caucasus; this is why it was called the throne of Lán, a Persian word signifying both a nest, and one who walks or travels. It is situated between the towns of the gate of gates, Shamákhí, and Niázabád, but is not much cultivated as it is on the extremity of the frontier, its gardens are few on account of the coldness of the climate; there are three thousand houses with terraces, and some mosques not much frequented, seven baths, eleven caravánseraïs, and seventy shops: as we remained here but one night, it was impossible to see much of it. It is the seat of a Khán, Judge, Kelenter, Darogha, and Munshí, and has a garrison of a thousand men; there are a great number of Sunnís, who get their living by cleaning cotton. The waters which give life to the plantations of cotton, all issue from the west side of Mount Caucasus, and fall into the Kúr. We marched for some hours towards the Kiblah, to the district of Khata a dependence of the Princes of Dághistán, a woody tract comprising three hundred kents, with mosques, kháns, and gardens. We remained here for three days as guests, and continued our journey on the fourth to the district of Zákhor, consisting of a hundred and fifty villages and large kents, governed by Yússúf one of the Princes of Dághistán, who commands seven thousand brave warlike men; the Beg, with whom we spent a night, presented me with fifty skins of wild cats, and I gave him three handkerchiefs embroidered by Sultána Kia.
Tomb of Emír Sultán.
He was a great Saint. The Divines of this country, all learned Doctors, have no enmity amongst themselves, but they shun all communication with the Reváfes (heretic Persians). Here ends Dághistán, and the province of Georgia begins.
The frontier castle Ur belongs to the Persians; we passed it on our left, and skirted the boundaries of the castle of Shekí, which I formerly saw on my way to Shamákhí, and arrived at the kent of Zakhorie on the frontier of Tamarass-khán, belonging to the Khán of Tiflís; the inhabitants are all Georgians, Armenians, and Gokdúlák.