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Amasya in Evliya Çelebi’s book of travel
In his book of travel Evliya çelebi who was the voyager of seventeenth century
tells about Amasya:
"Its castle is a construction of Amelika society in old eras. It is an
Anatolian castle that has remained from many hundred kings. Melik gazi who was
one of
sons of Danismen conquered Amasya from Greeks. It passed from sons of
Danismend to Selcuks, from them to Ottomans in Timur era. Yıldırım Bayezid
appointed his son Isa Celebi after he conquerred this castle. Amasya became
a sultan’s city and coins were cut for Amasya. Because there are gold and
silver mines on its mountains and in the city. For the sultans, a palace and
a garden were prepeared so it became a throne city for the ottoman dynasty. It
was written in Fatih’s era; it is a place that the lord of Amasya sits in
the land of Sivas shire. Because of its greatness it was given to the vizier
with three tugs as a gift."
"Amasya castle is very high. Its walls and towers are seen as they become
lost in the clouds. The minarets of mosques and roofs of the mansions are
seen which are in the inner castle at noon. The castle has five corner and
its bigness is about 9060 steps. It was built from dimension-stone
skillfully and it has 41 towers and 80 sizes. I don’t know the exact number
of the houses but its old mansions, arsenal, barns and cisterns are very
nice. I saw a dungeon like a hell pit. The lower of the castle is ornamented
with many caves..."
"All the people have enjoyment and desire so they are vigorous. Some of the
people are pasha , lord , some of them have got tımar and service. Some
people are scientists, judges, sheikhs, imams, merchants and artists. There
are many people who are well-informed and witty. They speak very well. Other
people speak with another intonation. Important people wear coverall made
from sable broadcloth. Lower middle class people wear dresses which are made
from lined clothes. The women are beautiful, they speak high-ranking and
their teeth are like pearls. They are very decorous. They wear Çavarzana."
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