As every body must his body here undress.”
In the centre of this dressing-room is a basin, and in the middle of the basin a fountain. There are more than a hundred inspectors walking round in high pattens, besides clean waiters (Dellák). The interior basin (the bath itself) has a cupola which some say is one hundred cubits high, it is covered with lead, and pierced with six hundred glass windows; the basin is like a sea into which you descend by six marble steps; at its four corners are figures of lions and dragons, which spout the water from their mouths. In the cooling place (Súklik) is a fountain (jet d’eau) which reaches to the top of the house. On the side of the basin are eight large vaults, underneath each of them is a bathing trough of stone, where those who perform their ablutions can see those who swim in the basin. The floor of the whole bath is paved with variegated marble, as though enamelled by goldsmiths. It has two private cabinets (Khalvetí), in that on the right is a small basin, the water of which is extremely warm, but when mixed with that of a cold spring which is adjacent, a proper temperature is obtained. Though this hotbath is not in such good repute as the former, yet it is a pleasant place, where lovers delight with their beloved, especially in the long winter nights; when these baths are lighted with candles, a thousand tricks are played by the bathers, some diving, some swimming, some wrestling in the water, some swelling their aprons into sails, others spouting water from their mouths, some lying dead flat on the water, others joining hands and imitating the cries of boatmen, “Tírá Molá,” drive the water round like a whirlpool, which forces all those who are in the water to follow the quick rotation of it.
There is also a private hotbath, called Kainárjeh, which, with many others, I did not see, because I was a stranger, and only setting out on my travels.
Description of the Market of Brússa.
There are nine thousand shops. The Bezestán is a large building with four iron gates secured with iron chains; its cupola is supported by strong columns. It contains three hundred shops (doláb) in each of which merchants reside, who are as rich as the kings of Egypt. The market of the goldsmiths is outside the bezestán, and separate from it; the shops are all of stone. There are also the markets of the tailors, cotton-beaters, capmakers, thread merchants, drapers, linen merchants, cable merchants, and that called the market of the bride, where essence of roses, musk, ambergris, &c. are sold. The brains of the passers by are refreshed with the most delicious odours, and nobody is willing to leave it on account of the fragrance of the perfumes and the politeness of its merchants. These markets are established around the Bezestán, and the shops are arranged in rows. In each corner is a fountain supplying water out of two pipes. In the summer months the servants sprinkle the ground with water, so that the whole market resembles a serdáb or cooling place of Baghdád. The principal men of Brússa sit here during the hottest hours of the day. According to the descriptions of travellers there is no where to be found so pleasant a market place. The market of Haleb and of Alí Páshá at Adrianople are famous, but neither they, nor even those of Constantinople, are to be compared with the markets of Brússa. The saddlers, and the long market are the most crowded; and the one occupied by the sellers of roast meat near the rice khán is very elegant. None of the provisions at Brússa are sold by Infidels but all by true Moslims. The shops of the Sherbet-merchants are adorned with all sorts of cups, and in the summer-time they put flowers into the sherbet and also mix rosewater with it, which is not the custom any where else. The fruit merchants ornament their shops with branches bearing fruit. There are seventy-five coffee-houses each capable of holding a thousand persons, which are frequented by the most elegant and learned of the inhabitants; and three times a day singers and dancers execute a musical concert in them like those of Hossein Bikara. Their poets are so many Hassáns, and their story-tellers (Meddáh) so many Abúl-ma’álí. The one most famous for relating stories from the Hamzeh-námeh is Kúrbání Alí, and Sheríf Chelebí enchanted his hearers by those he told from the Sháh-námeh. Other story-tellers (Kissah Khán) were famous for reciting the tales of Abú Moslem the hatchet-bearer, which may be compared to the memoirs (Seir) of Weissi. All coffee-houses, and particularly those near the great mosque, abound with men skilled in a thousand arts (Hezár-fenn) dancing and pleasure continue the whole night, and in the morning every body goes to the mosque. These coffee-houses became famous only since those of Constantinople were closed by the express command of Sultán Murád IV. There are also no less than ninety-seven Búza-houses, which are not to be equalled in the world; they are wainscoted with fayence, painted, each capable of accommodating one thousand men. In summer the Búza is cooled in ice, like sherbet; the principal men of the town are not ashamed to enter these Búza-houses, although abundance of youths, dancers and singers, girt with Brússa girdles, here entice their lovers to ruin. The roads are paved with large flint-stones, a kind of paving not met with elsewhere; these stones are not the least worn by age, but they are dangerous for horses, who stumble on them because they are so hard and bright.
Description of the bridge of Erghándí.
A market for weavers is established on both sides of the bridge of Erghándí at Gokdereh (the valley of Olympus) the small windows of each shop look on to the torrent of Gokdereh, which flows beneath. The shops are covered with lead, and the bridge is shut in on two sides by iron gates pierced with loopholes. A part of the bridge is reserved for the use of strangers to fasten up their horses. There is no covered bridge like this, either in Arabia, Persia or Turkey. The name of this bridge, Erghándí, is derived from the word Erghalándí, which signifies, “it has been shaken,” and to which the following tradition is attached:—
In the time of Sultán Orkhán, a warrior, going early to the bath here, heard a voice, saying, “Shall I come out or not?” The soldier being a brave fellow, called out, “Come out,” adding a curse or two; when out broke from the place whence the sound came, a rich treasure, with great shaking and trembling of the earth (Erghálandí). The soldier, upon seeing such a quantity of gold coins, went and related the story to Orkhán, who advised him to spend in pious works, what Heaven had thus granted him. He took the treasure to his home, paid a tenth of it to the revenue, and then built this bridge, which took its name from the circumstance. There are forty-eight large and small bridges in and about Brússa. The streets and some of the markets are adorned with festoons of grapes, which grow here in great plenty, and others with tall plane-trees and willows. Brússa is truly a garden-town; the number of gardens is said to be forty-seven thousand, all abundantly supplied with water.
Description of the Walks and pleasure-places of Brússa.
Of these there are no less than three hundred and sixty-five, so that there is one for every day in the year. The finest is that of Búnár-báshí, where if you eat roast meat and drink of the water, you feel hungry again immediately; of such digestive power is the water: a mosque adorns this famous walk. The walk of the Mevleví-kháneh, or convent of Dervishes, built by Orkhán, where twice a week the Mevlevís assemble for their religious dances (sima’á), and afterwards take their pleasure in the fields. The walk of Abdál Murád Sultán is situate in a valley high up on Mount Olympus, whence the finest view of Brússa is obtained. The verdure is so luxuriant, that the earth seems covered with green velvet. There are plane-trees, willows, cypresses and box-trees, of an immense height, under the shade of which ten thousand men may procure shelter. Swings are fastened with ropes to some of these trees, where lovers and their beloved swing each other. There are benches for company and benches for prayer; it is a most delightful place, and extends as far as the eye can reach. The walk of Fissdíklí is adorned with pine-trees, and is a secluded but very pleasant corner. The walk of Karanfillí, on the way to Kaplíjah, is a resting-place. The walk of Kaplí Kiaya is a fine spot without any buildings, and surrounded by woods, and that of Abd-ul-múmen is above all praise. Outside of the town, to the east, in a chesnut-wood, half an hour’s distance from the foot of Mount Olympus, stands the fountain of A’ssá, which is said to have rushed forth by a miracle, when the great Saint Emír Sultán struck his staff (a’ssá) into the ground on this spot. The chesnuts are grafted trees, each not weighing above forty drachms. The walk of Sobrán is also adorned with chesnut-trees. The place of Ulumest is a convent for the accommodation of strangers. The pleasure-place of Kazí-yailá (the judge’s Alp) is situate half-way up Mount Olympus, and is ascended from below in five hours. The Okmeïdán, or archery-ground, is so pleasant a place, that it is beyond all description. The walk of the Monks’ mountain (Olympus) obtained its name from its having been the retreat of Greek Monks.