Description of the fortress
of Baku and the Shahsevens of Baku
After
a grand repast we delivered the letter of Defterdar-zadeh Mohammed Pasha the
governor of Erzerum, our gracious Lord, with the presents consisting of beads
of pearls, Irak stuffs, and a fine sword. I also delivered the letters of the
Khans of Tabriz and Nakhshivan, complimenting him on the feast of his wedding;
the Khan entertained me as a guest in his sister’s palace, the festival lasted
ten days and nights, during which he praised the presents he had received
through me, in the presence of all the Khans and Sultans,; he then presented me
with a Persian dress, ten tomans of Abbassi, and ten tomans of Bisiti; after
which, with my companions, I went to view the town.
The
castle of Baku is built on a hill and is of a square form; the gate looking to
the west is of iron from Nakhshivan, the circumference is seven hundred paces,
it has seventy towers, and six hundred battlements, the height of the wall is
forty royal cubits; being situated on a rock, there is no necessity for a
ditch. Within the castle are seventy houses with terraces, a mosque of Hyder
Shah, but without a minareh. In the castle is no khan, bath or market, but on
the shore of the Caspian Sea the suburb (Robat) consists of a thousand houses
with gardens, mosques and khans, surrounded with walls on three sides; there
are three gates, the gate of Guilan to the north; the gate of Derbend to the
south; and west-ward towards the sea-shore is the harbor-gate. Seven minarehs
of as many mosques are to be seen, the names of which I am ignorant of, and
three baths, the most brilliant of which is that of Mirza Khan. This place
being a frontier fortress opposed to Russia is garrisoned with excellent troops
called Shahseven and Dizchoken (who love the Shah and bend their knees before
him.) It is the seat of a Khan in the province of Shirvan, ruled by twelve
magistrates. The Russian Cossacks have several times pillaged the town of Baku,
and the province of Guilan; they besieged it at the instigation of the Persians
soon after its conquest by Uzdemir-oghli Osman Pasha, when Kobad Pasha was
governor, but were all cut down, and their bones are yet piled up on the shore.
The climate is mild and favourable to the cultivation of rice and cotton; the
water all smells of Naphta which is found in seven mines near the town, of
different colours, yellow, red and black. The inhabitants of the districts of
Musekker, Sedan, and Rineb do not use oil or grease, but all burn black Naphta.
The people are sound and stout, and some of them fine figures; they are for the
most part Sunnis. The distance between this town and Derbend is four days
journey, peopled by wandering Turcomans. Three journies east of Baku is the
town of Shaburan, and Shamakhi is five journies to the east; the part of
Shamakhi is much frequented by Chinese, and Tartars, Kalmuks and Russians, who
bring different wares, in exchange for which they take salt, naphta, safian,
and silk. Round the town are many places, where if a portion of earth is dug up
fire bursts forth, which is used by the Caravans in cooking their victuals.
Near the town to the north flows the Kur, which is sometimes navigated by
Cossack and Russian pirates, who ravage the Persian provinces, and sell their
prisoners privately in the markets of Guilan. It is a great river like the
Danube, broad but not deep. I remained some days at Baku to witness the
festival at the wedding of the sister of the Khan of Erivan, who was married to
the Khan of Baku. If I were to describe minutely all that took place at this
festival it would more than fill a large book. During a fortnight’s stay I
received many valuable presents, from the Khan and others, viz. rich cloth,
seven horses, three Georgian slaves, a Persian sable pelisse, two camels,
ambergris, &c. ten tomans of Abbassi for the expenses of the journey, and
as much to be distributed amongst my servants. We took leave of our friends,
and the Khan himself, out of friendship, accompanied us when we left the town.
Narrative of Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa in
the Seventeenth Century by Evliya Efendi, Vol. II (1850)
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