Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/185

part whereof belong'd to Haider, and the other to Neamed-Olahi, two parts of Ispahan still retaining those two names, which has occasion'd great quarrels and debates among the people, while they have both been eager to prefer their own quarter. Nor indeed could Ispahan be accompted other than a Village, before Sha-Abat had conquered the Kingdoms of Lar and Ormus. But then observing so fair a Situation, where he might as well be near the Provinces which he had newly conquer'd, as for the design which he had to extend his Dominions to the East and West, as he had enlarg'd them to the South, he quitted Casbin and Sultany to reside at Ispahan, as in the center of his Empire.

This City is seated in a vast plain, which extends it self three ways fifteen or twenty Leagues. Upon the South about two Leagues from Ispahan rises a very high Mountain, on the top whereof toward the West are to be seen the remains of a very strong Fortress, where Darius kept himself, when Alexander gave Battle to him in that Plain. In the side of the Rock is a Grotto, either natural or artificial, or both, out of which issues a natural Spring of excellent Water, where a Dervis usually inhabits.

The Circuit of Ispahan, taking the Suburbs all in, is not much less than that of Paris, but the number of Inhabitants is ten times greater at Paris than at Ispahan. Nor is it a wonder that a City should be so large and yet so ill peopl'd, where every Family has its particular House, and every House its particular Garden. What ever way you come to it you may discover first the Towers of the Mosquées, and then the Trees that environ the Houses, so that Ispahan seems rather a Forrest than a City. The Plain being fertile is well inhabited, but there are no Villages in it, only three or four Houses in a place together.

The Walls of Ispahan are of Earth, to which do belong some pittiful Towers without Battlements or Platforms, Bastions or Redoubts, or any other Fortification. The Moats also are as bad, neither broad nor deep, but always dry. In some places also the people have beaten down great gaps in the Wall, to get the nearest way into the City; yet they reckon ten Gates, which are but of Earth however, and of no defence; the chief of which are Der-Vasalsehab, not far from the King's Palace, Der-Tohshi, Der-Mark, Der-Vasal-Lembon, Der-Nasan-Abad, Der-Sha, and Der-Dekt. The Gates are made of Planks rudely joyn'd together, and cover'd with plates of Iron four fingers broad, and as thick as a Crown, fasten'd with flat-headed Nails. The Keys are never carry'd to the Governour, but left with a silly Porter that op'ns and shuts the Gates as he pleases himself; for indeed there is no necessity of shutting the Gates when there are so many other ways into the City.

The City of Ispahan is ill laid out; for the Streets are narrow and unequal, and for the most part dark, because of the Arches that go from one House to another, so that a man is forc'd sometimes to feel his way for two hundred paces. Moreover the Streets are many times annoy'd with Loads of Ordure and the Carcasses of dead Beasts, which cause a most filthy stench, and would be very infectious certainly, but for the wholesomness of the Air. In the most part of the Streets are Wells, which are stop'd up in Summer, and open'd in the Winter to carry away the Rain and the Snow into the Arch'd Channels which run under Ground through the middle of the Street. There are also before every Door certain Troughs to receive the filth and ordure of every Family, which the Country-men come and carry away to Dung their Grounds. Every morning the Country-man comes with his Ass to lade Dung; and it is observable that he is more diligent to carry away the Dung of the Armenians, Franks, and Jews that drink Wine, than of the Persians that drink none. And this is the profit of the Servants of the House that sell an Asses Load of Dung for five, and sometimes for ten or twelve Kasbeshé.

The Streets of Ispahan, as of all the rest of the Cities of Persia are not pav'd, which makes them very incommodious both Summer and Winter. For in the Summer the dust puts out your Eyes, unless it be in the Streets where the great Merchants live; and about the Meydan, where there are people hir'd to water the Streets Morning, Noon, and Night. Those people go about the Streets also with a Boracho full of Water, and a Glass, with Ice in a Bag, to give them drink that desire it: Nor do they take any money, being paid out of the Legacies left by persons deceased for that purpose. In the Winter this dust turns to mire halfthe