The head fountain of the water Bállí-kiasú, which flows through the town, is a pleasant walk on the Kiblah side. Another famous walk on the east side is called Frenk-gozí, the Frank’s eye; Hossein Páshá built a koshk by the splendid spring which arises here; the water is so cold that people cannot take out of it three stones consecutively. The rivulets formed by those two sources of Bállí and Frenk-gozí flow through the town supplying water to the palaces, kháns, mosques, gardens, and mills, and terminate in the lake of Ládík. Another walk is that called Akbínár, a fountain of cold water, which does not flow through the town, but outside. All these sources rise in the high mountains to the north of the town and find their way into the lake of Ládík. On the west of Ládík, a pleasure-place called the monastery, a delightful spot with a water called Rámja, which is sweeter than the water of Ma’avia. These united sources divide below the castle into two branches, one of which waters the gardens of Kowa-mahallessí below the pilgrimage of Khizrlik, and the other passes by the pilgrimage of Bálídedeh, where the principal men come to meet the pilgrims returning from Mecca.
The warm laths of Ládík.
A hot spring is situated one hour and a half on the west of Ládík on a high hill in a village, called Khalliz, below which it flows as a small rivulet, turns some mills, and falls into the Kizil Irmák; being situated behind the mountains of Ládík it cannot fall into the lake. The warm bath of Khalliz is much renowned. In the cherry season this place is visited by thousands of people, who here renovate their health by God’s command. An outlet from this hot bath flows into the river Khalliz which empties itself into the Kizil Irmák. Another warm bath (Ilije, Turkish; Humma, Arabic; Germáb, Persian;) is on the west side of Ládík in the jurisdiction of Kaúza. Kaúza is in this country the name of a hot bath, which in Rúmelí is called Kainarje; in Tartary, Ilissí; in Mogolastán, Kerenda; and Frangistán, Bagno. It is a double bath so that men and women have their separate bathing places. The basin in the men’s apartment is ten feet square and is such a delightful sight that it might restore dead men to life. The water rushes forth from four lions’ mouths, which are at the four corners. The water is not very warm, but in addition to this great basin there is a small one the water of which is so extremely hot, that no man can bear it. On the four sides of this great basin under vaults are eight bathing troughs, where thousands of men are cured in the cherry season. In the same bath is a cold, limpid spring, called the maiden’s eye (Kiz-gozí), which gives fresh life to those who drink of it. The distance between this spring, cold as ice, and the hot spring is but a yard.
Description of the Lake of Ládík.
This is a large lake to the east of Ládík, which would take a day to go round; eleven different sorts of fish are found in it, the description of which would be too long to give. Twenty-six springs and rivulets flow into this lake on its four sides, from the districts of Zedaí, Súnssa, Kaúza and Zeitúm; it has no outlet. On its border is Bogházi-koí, a pleasant village, and the village of Otúz, renowned for its kaimak (cream), which is no where better; it can be cut like cheese and is elastic as gum. If any Kaimak can be compared with it, it is that of Bíngol (thousand lakes). Amasia lies eight hours to the south of Ládík, and to the eastward is Ník-hissár; the jurisdiction of Kavákelí is at a journey’s distance. To the west is the town of Koprí and the jurisdiction of Zeitúm at a journey’s distance. North to it is the harbour of Samsún and further on Sinope.
Pilgrimages of Ládík.
Sheikh Seid Ahmed Kebír, buried in his own convent, was the disciple of Sheikh Ekber who is also buried here in the old mosque, built by himself in the year 952 (1545); he was one of the Sheiks of Sultán Orkhán. Beneath the castle Sheikh Ya Wúdúd is buried, and Báli-dedeh at the meeting place of the caravan of Mecca. Ghází Tayár Mustafa Páshá is also buried here beneath a lead covered cupola.
I remained at this place three days with my gracious Lord, the Páshá, to whom great feasts were given, and then marched five hours to the west to the village of Shabín-ághá, of two hundred houses, where Kássim Aghá gave a grand feast; five hours further on we reached the village of Korkoí, of three hundred houses, a mosque and gardens. The next day, when the tails were about to be carried forward, two Chaúshes arrived as messengers from Constantinople to Diárbekr, whom the Páshá arrested. On their being searched nothing was found but a Khattí-sheríf to the Páshá of Baghdád, Sáleh Páshá, removing him from his government and recalling him to Constantinople in order that he might be made Kápúdán Páshá. The same day the Páshá despatched his messenger Sáleh to Murteza Páshá, the brother of Sáleh Páshá, the governor of Baghdád, to acquaint him that couriers from the Porte were on the way with an invitation to Constantinople to which he should pay no attention, but beware of the snare laid for him, and join instead the party of Várvár Alí Páshá, who was marching to Constantinople. The Courier Sáleh received an hundred ducats to join Murteza Páshá with all speed; and on the fourth day the Khassekí and Chaúsh, who were the bearers of the Imperial rescript, were set at liberty and continued their route to Baghdád. The Páshá remained six days at Korkoí and moved on the seventh, when after five hours march we reached the old town of Merzifún.
Description of Merzifún.
It was built by the Dánishmend family and conquered by Bayazíd I. It is now a castle in good condition and useful against rebels, in the sanjak of Amasia, belonging to Sivás, and is guarded by watchmen. The town is a wakf of Saint Pírdedeh and is commanded by the Kizlar Aghá. The judge, appointed with three hundred aspers, may annually collect from the different districts six purses. As it is an inland castle it has neither commander nor garrison. Its public officers are a Muftí, Nakíb, Serdár, Kiayayerí, Mohtessib and Naíb. We were here the guests of Diláwer Aghá, the Silihdár of Tabání Mohammed Páshá, who treated the Páshá and fourteen hundred men of his suite for ten days with the greatest hospitality: so that not even a bag for the horses nor a cup of coffee were provided for by the Páshás people. The officers were lodged in the town by billet (Yáfteh) and lived with their hosts in perfect harmony like fathers and sons; four thousand men of the troops were provided with lodgings in the neighbouring villages, the inhabitants of which, though Turks, are of a gentle and mild temper, and give freely of what they have. Every necessary for sustaining life is here found in abundance. The town is situated on the border of Mount Deshán and contains four thousand houses covered with brick, forty four quarters and seventy mosques, the oldest of which is that of Murad II., in the market-place; it is in the olden style with one mináreh, and is much visited.