'The travels of Sir John Chardin into Persia and the East Indies, through the Black Sea, and the country of Colchis. Containing the author's voyage from Paris to Ispahan. To which is added, the coronation of the present King of Persia, Solyman the III.' [‎375] (358/594)

through the Black-Sea J and t Colchis. 375
it. Tamerlan the firft time he pafled through it, utterly demo»
liQi'd it: but the fecond time, that is to fay, in his Return out
of Turkey, he order'd a part of it to be rebuilt, underftanding
that it had been For a time a flourifhing Nurfety of Arts and
Sciences; and had produced feveral learned and famous Men.
For which reafon it is much celebrated among the Eaftern Au-
thors.The 7tirks and Tartarstha.tra.va.g'dTerfiafincQTatm fack'd
and deftroy'd it feveral times,and it is no longer ago then fince
the beginning of this laft Age, that they began to rebuild it.
The 6th. Our road lay through a Country, the moft lovely
delightful that every Eye beheld,through a fair Plain wherethe
road was level and very ftraight. Several pleafant Streams
glide through it,that render the Sbyl very fertil. The whole
Plain isfbftrow'd with Villages, that they are hardly to be
number'd, with fo many Groves and Gardens,that for me the
moft pleafant Land-skips, and charming Profpeds in the
World. We alighted after a journey of five Leagues at a Car a'
Vanferai caird(?«e«r&4o«/ag,over againft and within a good Ca»
nons fhot of Suit ante.
This City is feated at the foot of a Mountain, as you may
fee by the Draughc which I have made of it. It feems a far
off very neat and well built, and inflames a Man with a Cu-
r 0 fi,y to fee it: but when you approach near it, it ceafes to be
the fame thing, and appears lefs beautiful then When ye are
within it. Yet there are fome publick Buildings very remarkas
ble,as well for the Strudure as the Archicedure,together with
about three thoufand Habitations. The people of the Coun
try affirm, that this City took up formerly half a League of
Gtound more to the Weft then it doesi, and that the ruin'd
Churches,Mofques and Towers, which are to be feen at that
diftance on that fide, ftood in the heart of the City. Which
probably may be true, feeing that Hiftories aflure us that ic
was once the Metropolis and biggeftCity of the Kingdom : nor
are there many Cities in the world, where there arc vafter Ru»
ins to be feen. Provifion alfo is there very plentiful and ve^
iy cheap. The Air is likewife very wholefome, but fubjedl
to change. Per in all the Seafons it changes almoft every
hour. The Evenings, Nights and Mornings being cold,but
all the daylong very hot; from one Extreme to another.
tany lies in 36. deg. 18. min. of Latitude, and 48. deg. 5. min.
of Longitude, and is govern'd by a Sultan.
Some Hiftories of Terfia relate, that this City is one of the
moft ancient in all the £ountry of the but that ic
M ra m m ' 15