# The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier/Persian Travels/Book 1/Chapter 5

CHAP. V.
A Continuation of the Constantinopolitan Road from Tauris to Ispahan, through Ardevil and Casbin.
From Tauris to Ispahan the Caravan makes it generally twenty-four days journey.
The first day you cross over dry Mountains, and four Leagues from Tauris you meet with one of the fairest Inns in Persia. This Inn Sha-Sefi caus'd to be built; it is very convenient, and large enough to lodge a hundred persons with their Horses. Over all Persia, especially from Tauris to Ispahan, and from thence to Ormus, you meet every day with Inns at an equal distance.
The next day you descend a Mountain, in very rugged and narrow way. At the foot of this Mountain there are two ways for the Merchants to choose that will go to Ispahan. They that will go the ordinary road and the direct way through Kom and Kachan, leave a Lake upon the left hand that parts the two Roads; and they that will go through Ardevil and Casbin, two other good Cities, leave the Lake upon the right hand, and coast along by the side of the Mountain. From Tauris to Ardevil it is not above a dozen Leagues; and having pass'd the Lake, the Country is very good: Which is the Road I intend to describe first.
Ardevil being at so small a distance from Tauris, lyes almost in the same Degrees and Minutes of Longitude and Latitude. This City is famous, as well for being the first Market of Silks that come from Guilan, from which it is not far off; as also for the Sepulcher of Sha-Sefi, the first of that Name, King of Persia. The avenues to it are very pleasant, being as it were Alleys of great Trees, which are call'd Tchinar, planted in a streight line, at a due distance. It is of a moderate bigness, and seated in a lovely opening of the Mountains. The next to the City, which is call'd Sevalan, is the highest in all Media. The Houses of Ardevil are built of Earth, as are most of the Houses in the Cities of Persia: but the Streets are very uneven, dirty, and narrow. There is but one which is handsom, at the end whereof is built the Armenian Church. A little River runs through the middle of the City, which descending from the neighbouring Mountains runs from East to West. It is by Industry brought into many Cutts to water the Gardens, and in many places there are very fair Trees planted, which are very delightful to the Sight. The Meydan or Market-place is a very great one; more long than round; where stands a very fine Inn, upon one side, which the Kan caus'd to be built. There are several others in several parts of the City, which have the Prospect over several lovely Gardens, especially that which belongs to the King; to which you go through a long and stately Walk of four rows of Trees, at the end whereof stands a large Gate that gives you entrance. Though the Country about Ardevil be proper to bear Vines, yet there are none thereabouts; nor is there any Wine made till about four or five Leagues from the City. The Armenians that dwell in the City are very well stor'd with it, though there be no place in all Persia, where there is so much Caution to be us'd, either as to the Importing it, or the Drinking it, both which must be done very privately: Which proceeds from the Mahometan Superstition; the Persians having so peculiar a Veneration for that place, that they believe it a Sin to suffer Wine to be publickly drank therein.
The People come in Pilgrimage from all parts of Persia to the Sepucher of Sha-Sefi, which together with the vast Trade of Silk, makes Ardevil one of the most considerable Cities of all Persia. There are several other Buildings added to the Mosquee wherein he lyes interr'd; the Entry whereof faces the Meydan, to which it is joyn'd upon the South-side with a large Portal. The Gate is chain'd with Chains fasten'd a-cross with great Rings; which if any Criminal Offender can but touch, and enter into the first Court, he is safe; for no person can apprehend him. This is a large Court, yet more in length than breadth, without the Wall whereof that looks upon the Market-place, several Shops are built for Merchants and Tradesmen.
​Out of this Court you pass into another which is less, and pav'd with broad Stones, with a Rivulet running through the middle. The Entry into it is through a Door, fortifi'd with Iron Chains like the former, and is made at a corner of the great Court upon the left hand. It brings you presently under a Portico, where there are fair Balconies rais'd after the fashion of the Country. Those Balconies are full of several People; either Pilgrims, or persons whose Crimes constrain them thither for Sanctuary. In that place you must leave your Stick and your Sword, before you go any farther; and give something besides to a Moullah, who is always attending there with Books.
In that second Court through which the Rivulet glides, on the one side are Baths, on the other Granaries for Rice and Corn; and upon the left hand, at the end of the same Court, there is a little Door which brings you to a place where the Royal Alms are distributed to the Poor, Morning and Evening; being just against the King's Kitchin. This Gate is cover'd with Plates of Silver; and in the Kitchin there are about thirty Ovens contriv'd in the Wall, with as many great Caldrons to dress Pilaw and other Food, as well for the Poor as for the Officers of the Mosquee. While these Alms are distributing, the Master-Cook, who commands all the rest, sets upon a Chair cover'd with Plates of Silver, and sees that every thing be done in order. He sees to the measuring out the Rice every day for the Kettles, and causes the Victuals to be divided in his own sight: For there is an excellent Oeconomy in the King's House.
At the end of the Portico beyond the first Court there are two Gates, one beyond another, both cover'd with Plates of Silver; between those two Gates on the right hand appears a little Mosquee, where are the Tombs of several Persian Princes of the Blood Royal. You must have a great care not to tread upon the Thresholds of the Gates, for it is a Crime not to be expiated without a severe Punishment. From hence through a little Ile, you come into the Body of the Church, richly hung with Tapestry, and set about with high Desks, where lye a great many Books, wherein the Moullahs, or Doctors of the Law read continually, having Stipends to Officiate in the Mosquee. At the end of the Body of the Mosquee, is a little Octagonal Monument, like the Choir of a Church, in the midst whereof stands the Monument of Sha-Sefi. It is only of Wood, but curiously carv'd and inlaid. It exceeds not the height of a Man of an ordinary stature, and seems like a great Chest, having four Apples of Gold set up at each corner. It is cover'd with a Crimson Satin purfl'd with Gold; and all the other Tombs that are by it, are cover'd with Silks as rich. As well in the Choir as in the Body of the Church, there are abundance of Lamps, some of Gold, some of Silver; but the biggest of all is of Silver, gilded and vermilion'd, and neatly engrav'd. There are also six great Branches of a curious sort of Wood, cover'd with Silver, with great Wax Candles in them which are never lighted but at their great Festivals.
From the Duomo where stands the Tomb of Sha-Sefi, you go under a little Vault, which encloses another Monument of another King of Persia, whose Name I could not learn. It looks like another great Chest, curiously wrought, and cover'd with Satin. The Roof of the Mosquee is adorn'd within with a Painting of Gold and Azure, a la Moresque; on the outside, with a fair Varnish of several Colours, like the stately Mosquee at Tauris.
In the adjacent Parts round about Ardeüil are several Monuments worth a Man's sight, being very ancient; and some which are ruin'd, shew by what remains the care which they took to enrich them with curious Workmanship. A quarter of a League from the City stands a Mosquee, in which are the Tombs of the Father and Mother of Sha-Sefi. It is a fair Structure, with Gardens and Courts, in one of which there is a very clear Fountain where they keep Fish.
Ardeüil is not only famous, as I have said already, for the Royal Sepulchers which are in it, and for the Pilgrimages which have been made to it from all parts of Persia; but the numerous Caravans of Silk, which sometimes consist of eight or nine hundred Camels, add very much to its Grandeur. For being near to Guilan and Shamaqui, from whence those vast quantities of Silk come; and for that the Road from both those places, to Constantinople and Smyrna, lyes through this City, there is a continual confluence of Merchants, and all sorts of Merchandizes are here to be had as well as at Tauris.
​From Ardeüil to Casbin you travel through a good Country; for every three or four Leagues you meet with little Rivers that fall from the Northern Mountains, and water the Earth. The Caravan is usually five days between Ardeüil and Arion, between Arion and Taron two, between Taron and Casbin two more. Half a League on this side Taron you must cross a great River over a stone Bridge, and half a League beyond you come to Kalkal.
Arion is a little City, Taron and Kalkal are two great Towns; and there are but these three places in all Persia where there grow any Olives, or that they make any Oyl. Leaving Kalkal, you travel over a Plain for three hours, at the end whereof is a Way which you cannot get over in less than four hours. The way is so bad that the Horses and Mules can hardly get up; but for the Camels, they must take the lower Road, which is also very tedious, and full of Stones which the Torrents tumble down, and it is three or four Leagues about. When you are up, the Country is level, and you have not above three Leagues to Casbin.
Casbin lyes in 87 Degrees and 30 Minutes of Longitude, and 36 Degrees and 15 Minutes of Latitude. It is a great City, the Houses whereof are low and ill built; except seven or eight, which are next to the King's Gardens. It has no Walls, and indeed the best half of the City is in Gardens. There are three Inns, with Market-places round about; one of the three being large and commodious. It is inhabited altogether by Mahometans; or if there be any Christians, they are very few.
The Soil about Casbin produces Pistaches. The Tree that bears them is never bigger than a Walnut-tree of ten or twelve years old. The great quantity of Pistaches that are exported out of Persia come from Malavert, a little City twelve Leagues from Ispahan, toward the East. These are the best Pistaches in the World, and the Country being of a large extent, produces them in such abundance, that it furnishes all Persia and the Indies.
Leaving Casbin, you come to a little Village where there is but one Inn and you travel that day six Leagues through Countries fertil enough, and well water'd.
The next day you travel through a good Country, and in nine or ten hours you come to Denghé. This is a great Village at the foot of a Hill, through which there runs a fair River. It abounds with excellent both White and Claret Wine, where the Travellers take care to replenish their Bottles. But generally they never lye here; being desirous to go a League farther, for a good Inn's sake, which makes it a handsom Stage.
At this Town of Denghé it is where the two Roads from Tauris to Ispahan meet: the first, through Ardeüil and Casbin, I have already describ'd. Hither also come the Caravans that go for the Indies through Meshehed and Candahar, and where they leave Ispahan Road to take the left-hand Way, which carries them Eastward.