Hazirlayanlar

502

HOŞGÖRÜ TOPLUMUNDA ERMENİLER

wheat, and barley, the Garners and stonehouses for all the countries round 

it. On the west side of city Van lay a pleasant and delightful plain wherein 

the Janisaries do exercise themselves twice a week after their manner in 

the feats of war. Late Arctamar was called in antique time the more or Mar-

ish martiana or Margiana or mantiana, Out of this lake were caught yearly 

an innumerable quantities of fi sh like our Herring which being dried in the 

sun, they dispersed and sell them all over the country. (38)

The mountains of Ararat, the Periardi mountains now called cheilder 

Monte are renowned and “notable for its great rivers which do so fructifer-

ate the country that the barbarous people call it “leprus” (which is to pay, 

Fruitful. First the river Araxis which throws its many channels and enrich-

es that Champaine and dry country. this river springs out of the hill Taurus 

in this part, where Periardo is siluated on the side of the Hill Ado, and 

so runeth by East even to the confi nes of Servan, and windeth itselfe to-

wards the West, and by North, where it is joyned with the River Cirus, and 

then passeth to Artaxata, now called Nassivan, a cities of the Armenians, 

right against Reivan another Citie, and so watereth Armenia, and cours-

ing along the Plaine of Araxis, dischargeth it selfe into the Caspian Sea, 

on the one side by South leaving Armenia, and on the other side by North 

leaving the Countrey Servania; whose chiefe Citie is Eris.The River cirus 

likewise springeth out of Tauras, and so descending into the champaines 

and Plaines of Georgie, charging it selfe, and being greatly encreased with 

other Rivers, it is joyned with Araxis, and so maketh his issue also into the 

Caspian Sea. This river the Inhabitant of the Country at this day call by 

the name of Ser, in their owne Language, but the Turkes call it chiur. Out 

of these Mountaines also springeth the River Canac, which maketh (as it 

were almost) an Iland, a little on this side the Citie Eris, and afterwards 

unite it selfe in the Channell with Araxis, and so runneth into the Caspian 

Sea.Two other Mountaines are of great note in this place; the one is anti-

Taurus, now called Mons Niger, the blacke Mountaine, which runneth up 

into Media; and the other Gordaeus, the tops of which Mountaines are 

covered continually with white and hoary Snowes. The Mountaine Gor-

daeus is environed with many other petie Mountaines, called the Gordaean 

Mountaines; on the tops whereof (as wee passed) wee found many ruines 

and huge foundations, of which no reason can be rendered.The Turkes call 

the Mountaine gordiaeus Augri-daugh, the Armenians Messis-Saur: it is so 

high, that it over-tops all the Mountaines thereabout,there issueth out of the 

foot of this Hill a thousand little Springs, whereof some doe feed the River 

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503

Prof. Mansure HAİDAR

Tygris, and some other Rivers, and it hath about it three hundred Villages 

inhabited by Armenians and Georgians. About this Monasterie of Saint 

Georgians groweth great plentie of Graine, the Graine being twice as big as 

ours, as also Roses and Rheubarb, which because they have not the skill to 

drie it, that Simple is of no esteem or value. On the top of this Mountaine 

did the Arke of Noah rest, as both Jewes, Turkes and Armenians affi rmed. 

Some Friers of Saint Gregories Monasterie told us, that even at this day 

some part of the Arke is yet to be seene on the top of this Mountaine, if any 

could ascend thither”.(39)

 The same traveler further informs that “there was also Chiulfal, a 

Towne situated on the frontiers between the Armenians and the Atropa-

tians, and yet within Armenia, inhabited by Christians, partly Armenians, 

partly Georgians: a People rather given to the traffi cke of Silkes, and other 

sorts of wares, whereby it waxeth rich and full of money, then instructed 

in weapons and matters of warre. This Towne consistent of two thousand 

houses, and ten thousand soules, being built at the foot of a great rockie 

Mountayne in so barren a soyle, that they are constrained to fetch most 

of their provision, onely Wine excepted, from the Citie Nassivan, halfe 

a dayes journey off, which some thinke to be Artaxata, in the confi nes of 

Media, and Armenia. The buildings of chiulfal are very faire, all of hard 

quarrie stone: and the Inhabitants very courteous and affable, great drink-

ers of Wine, but no brawlers in that drunken humour, and when they are 

most in drinke, they power out their prayers, especially to the Virgin Mary, 

as the absolute commander of her Sonne Jesus Christ, and to other Saints 

as Intercessors. (40)At chiulfal we stayed eight dayes, and passed again the 

River Araxis, leaving the noble Kingdome of Armenia, called now Turco-

mania, because of the Turcomanes a people that came out of Scythia (as 

before wee noted) who live as Sheepeards in their Tents, but the native 

people give themselves to husbandry, and other manuall sciences, as work-

ing of Carpets and fi ne Chamlets, we were no sooner over, but wee entered 

into Media: which by some is divided into Media Atropatia, and Media 

the Great. The whole country is very fruitful, and watered wit the River 

Araxis, and Cyrus, and other rivers that are famous, even in antique Writ-

ers. Divers cities are there in this Kingdome.Alexander the Great, when he 

warred against the Medes and Persians; at which time also he made a Wall 

of a wonderfull height and thicknesse, which extended it selfe from this 

Citie, to a Citie in Armenia, called Teffi s, belonging to the Georgians. And 

though it bee now razed and decayed, yet the foundation remaineth: and 

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