Properly it
is the chief city of Azerbaijan, which never was included in 'IRAK. But
it may be observed that Ibn Batuta generally calls the Mongol Ilkhan of
Persia Sahib or Malik ul-'Irak, and as Tabriz was the capital of that
sovereign, we can account for the mistake, whilst admitting it to be one.
[The destruction of Baghdad by Hulaku made Tabriz the great commercial and
political city of Asia, and diverted the route of Indian products from the
Mediterranean to the Euxine. It was the route to the Persian Gulf by
Kashan, Yezd, and Kerman, to the Mediterranean by Lajazzo, and later on by
Aleppo, - and to the Euxine by Trebizond. The destruction of the Kingdom of
Armenia closed to Europeans the route of Tauris. - H. C.]
NOTE 2. - Cremesor, as Baldelli points out, is GARMSIR, meaning a hot
region, a term which in Persia has acquired several specific applications,
and especially indicates the coast-country on the N.E. side of the Persian
Gulf, including Hormuz and the ports in that quarter.
NOTE 3. - [Of the Italians established at Tabriz, the first whose name is
mentioned is the Venetian Pietro Viglioni (Vioni); his will, dated 10th
December, 1264, is still in existence. (Archiv. Venet. XXVI. pp.
161-165; Heyd, French Ed., II. p. 110.) - H. C.] At a later date (1341)
the Genoese had a factory at Tabriz headed by a consul with a council of
twenty four merchants, and in 1320 there is evidence of a Venetian
settlement there. (Elie de la Prim, 161; Heyd, II. 82.)
Rashiduddin says of Tabriz that there were gathered there under the eyes
of the Padishah of Islam "philosophers, astronomers, scholars, historians,
of all religions, of all sects; people of Cathay, of Machin, of India, of
Kashmir, of Tibet, of the Uighur and other Turkish nations, Arabs and
Franks." Ibn Batuta, "I traversed the bazaar of the jewellers, and my eyes
were dazzled by the varieties of precious stones which I beheld. Handsome
slaves, superbly dressed, and girdled with silk, offered their gems for
sale to the Tartar ladies, who bought great numbers. [Odoric (ed. Cordier)
speaks also of the great trade of Tabriz.] Tabriz maintained a large
population and prosperity down to the 17th century, as may be seen in
Chardin. It is now greatly fallen, though still a place of importance."
(Quat. Rash., p. 39; I. B. II. 130.)
[Illustration: Ghazan Khan's Mosque at Tabriz. - (From Fergusson.)]
NOTE 4. - In Pauthier's text this is Touzi, a mere clerical error, I
doubt not for Torizi, in accordance with the G. Text ("le peuple de la
cite que sunt apeles Tauriz"), with the Latin, and with Ramusio. All that
he means to say is that the people are called Tabrizis. Not recondite
information, but 'tis his way. Just so he tells us in ch[*illegible*]u
that the people of Hermenia are called Hermins, and elsewhere that the
people of Tebet are called Tebet. So Hayton thinks it not inappropriate to
say that the people of Catay are called Cataini, that the people of
Corasmia are called Corasmins, and that the people of the cities of Persia
are called Persians.
NOTE 5. - Hamd Allah Mastaufi, the Geographer, not long after Polo's time,
gives an account of Tabriz, quoted in Barbier de Meynard's Dict. de la
Perse, p. 132. This also notices the extensive gardens round the city,
the great abundance and cheapness of fruits, the vanity, insolence, and
faithlessness of the Tabrizis, etc. (p. 132 seqq.) Our cut shows a relic
of the Mongol Dynasty at Tabriz.
CHAPTER XII.
OF THE MONASTERY OF ST. BARSAMO ON THE BORDERS OF TAURIS.
On the borders of (the territory of) Tauris there is a monastery called
after Saint Barsamo, a most devout Saint. There is an Abbot, with many
Monks, who wear a habit like that of the Carmelites, and these to avoid
idleness are continually knitting woollen girdles. These they place upon
the altar of St. Barsamo during the service, and when they go begging
about the province (like the Brethren of the Holy Spirit) they present
them to their friends and to the gentlefolks, for they are excellent
things to remove bodily pain; wherefore every one is devoutly eager to
possess them.[NOTE 1]
NOTE 1. - Barsauma ("The Son of Fasting") was a native of Samosata, and an
Archimandrite of the Asiatic Church. He opposed the Nestorians, but became
himself still more obnoxious to the orthodox as a spreader of the
Monophysite Heresy. He was condemned by the Council of Chalcedon (451),
and died in 458. He is a Saint of fame in the Jacobite and Armenian
Churches, and several monasteries were dedicated to him; but by far the
most celebrated, and doubtless that meant here, was near Malatia. It must
have been famous even among the Mahomedans, for it has an article in
Bakui's Geog. Dictionary. (Dir-Barsuma, see N. et Ext. II. 515.) This
monastery possessed relics of Barsauma and of St. Peter, and was sometimes
the residence of the Jacobite Patriarch and the meeting-place of the
Synods.
A more marvellous story than Marco's is related of this monastery by
Vincent of Beauvais: "There is in that kingdom (Armenia) a place called
St. Brassamus, at which there is a monastery for 300 monks. And 'tis said
that if ever an enemy attacks it, the defences of the monastery move of
themselves, and shoot back the shot against the besieger."
(Assemani in vol. ii. passim; Tournefort, III. 260; Vin. Bell. Spec.
Historiale, Lib. XXX. c. cxlii.; see also Mar. Sanut. III. xi. c. 16.)
CHAPTER XIII.
OF THE GREAT COUNTRY OF PERSIA; WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE THREE KINGS.
Persia is a great country, which was in old times very illustrious and
powerful; but now the Tartars have wasted and destroyed it.
In Persia is the city of SABA, from which the Three Magi set out when they
went to worship Jesus Christ; and in this city they are buried, in three
very large and beautiful monuments, side by side.
