C10th Arab geographer about Armenia and gates of Derbent protecting region from Turks

In the 29th issue for the year 1901 of the project “The Collection of Materials to Describe the Terrain and Tribes in the Caucasus,” N. A. Karaulov published a study titled “Arabian writers’ data about the Caucasus, Armenia and Aderbeijan. Part 1. Al Istakhri.” 

The merit of Karaulov’s work is that he publishes a full translation of the 10th century Arab geographer Al Istakhri’s “Book of Roads and Kingdoms” attaching also the original in Arabic and giving some information about the authors and their work. 
 

Abu Ishak Ibrahim ibn Muhamad al-Farisi al-Istakhri (born around 930 AD), nothing known about his life, wrote a work titled Kitab al-Masalik w'al- Mamalik (The Book of Roads and Kingdoms), where he published his predecessor Abu Zayd Ahmed ibn Sahl Balkhi’s works, who compiled maps in a work titled Figures of the Regions (Suwar al-aqalim). The maps accompanied by brief explanations were later spread in a significant scale by Al Istakhri. The first edition of the collection of the maps was published in 929 or 930 AD, and the second between 940 and 941 AD.
 

Al Istakhri’s text makes up the first volume of “Biblioteca geographrum arabicorum. Leugd. Batav. 1870” of the publication “de Goeje.” Al Istakhri begins his work with a very important and significant note about starting his travel from the outermost borders of Islam to Rome from the countries of Armenia, Arran and Aderbeijan, considering them as a single region. “We unite Armenia, Arran and Aderbeijan in one map and view them as a single region,” Al Istrakhi writes. 
 

The author presents an exact localization of the three countries: Jibal (Persian Iran), Deylem (a country situated to the South-West from the Caspian Sea) and Western coast of Khazar Sea border with them from the East; the boundaries of Arman (presupposing the “Byzantine” Armenia in the text), Alans and partly al-Jazira (Mesopotamia) from the West; Alans and Kabk mountains (Caucasian Ridge) from the North; and Iraq and partly Al-Jazira’s boundaries from the South.   
 

The author further presents a detailed description of Armenia, Arran and Aderbeijan separately. He writes about their capitals, more significant cities and structures in them, about the life and economics, partners and enemies, and so on. 
 

Al Istakhri writes the following about Aderbeijan, “Ardabil is the biggest city in Aderbeijan. It has a troops’ camp and a ruler’s palace. The majority of the structures in the city are built of clay. It is a prosperous city with low prices. It is divided into districts and okrugs. The huge and high mountain ‘Sabalan,’ covered with snow and uninhabited both in winter and summer, is situated in approximately 2 parasangs from Ardebil.”

The second biggest city after Ardebil is Meragha (modern Maragha) followed by Urmiya. Further, the author lists other smaller towns: Al-Miyanj, Khunaj, Ujan, Dakharraqan, Khuvey, Salamas, Marand, Tabriz, Berzend, Warthan, Mukan, Jabirwan and Ushnukh. “The towns Jabirwan, Tabriz and Ushnukh al Azaria and the region they constitute are called Rudaynia (an area to the East and South from the Lake Urmia),” Al Istakhri writes finishing the description of the cities in Aderbeijan. 
 

Further, the author describes the cities in Arran starting with the largest one, Berda’a (Partav), a big, healthy, prosperous city abounding in fields and crops. Al Istakhri notes that Berda’a was mainly engaged in silk export. “Silkworms are fed on mulberry trees belonging to no one. Much silk is sent to Persia and Khuzestan from there,” he writes. 
 

Al Istakhri also writes about the well-known Partav Bazaar, “People from all the countries possible, even from Iraq, flow and gather in a market called ‘al-Kurki’ by Berda’a gates every Sunday.” The city treasury is in the cathedral mosque, in accord with tradition of the Syrians, who always dispose in mosques. It has a flat iron roof covered with lead supported with nine pillars. The ruler’s palace is next to the cathedral mosque inside the city while the markets are on its outskirts. 
 

Next, Al Istakhri thoroughly describes the second largest and important city in Arran, Derbent (Bab-ul-Abwab). It was situated by the sea and had a roadstead in its center. “Two walls are built between the roadstead and sea, parallel to the shores. The passage for the ships is narrow, the entrance is meandering and closed with a chain so that no ship can go in or out without permission. Those two walls are built of stone and lead,” the author describes. 
 

Regarding the location of Derbent (Bab-ul-Abwab), Al Istakhri writes that the city was larger than Ardebil and was situated in Tabaristan (Caspian) Sea. It had many fields but very little crop. A wall of burnt brick and clay surrounded the city, which served as a port on Khazar (Caspian) Sea for Serir and other kafir countries. Linen clothes, manufactured there alone, were taken out from Bab-ul-Abwab. Slaves from different kafir countries and various tribes could be met in Bab-ul-Abwab. 
 

The stone wall around the city was set there by the Persian king Anushirvan. It stretched from the mountain to the sea defending the city from enemies of various nations and languages surrounding the city. A high mountain called “Dzyb” stood next to the city. Every year, a large amount of woods was piled on the top of that mountain and fires were made in order to notify the inhabitants of Aderbeijan, Arran and Armenia about enemies’ sudden attacks. 
 

As for the population of Bab-ul-Abwab and its surroundings, Al Istakhri writes that more than 70 various tribes lived there and every tribe had its proper language, so that they did not understand each other. However, the Persian king Khosrow (the common name of the Persian kings of Sasanian Dynasty) understood the importance of that border area and did not loosen his watch over it. 

That is why reliable, according to Khosrows, warders from different districts were settled there for guarding the place on condition that the whole neighborhood they would own, would be granted them for absolute use without any expenses for the government, any troubles in those places or intervention into their affairs. “All this was done for the strong desire to inhabit the place with reliable people and defend it from various Turk or kafir tribes,” Al Istakhri explains.
 

The tribe Tabarsaran was among the neighborhoods inhabited for protection, and tribes called Filan and Lakz, the latter especially large in number and brave, were next to it. There were also the tribes of Lirans, Sharavans and others. For each of the tribes, an inhabiting place was set, which they were to guard. They were large in number and strong, and had both cavalry and infantry.
 

There was a district called Makat on the coast of the sea, next to Bab-ul-Abwab at the Islamic states’ borders. The lands of the Lakzes, a prominent, brave and burly tribe, were next to Makat. Between them and Bab-ul-Abwab was situated the country of Tabarasan with inhabitants so courageous and brave as the Lakzes, and their country was also densely populated. The Tabarasan people’s number was exceeded only by the Lakzes and their properties were much larger. Filan, an insignificant district, was situated above them. The city of Shabran, an insignificant yet armed and having many districts, was beyond Maskat, along the coast of the sea. The district of Janshemdan came next followed by Jabal and Sharvan up to the borders of Baku, Dernik, Lakzes and Majma Al Nahrain. Liran came after. It had a big fortified castle, which was said to have murmuring keys and it was unassailable. 
 

To be continued.  

“The Collection of Materials to Describe the Terrain and Tribes in the Caucasus” is a large-scale publication of narrative sources carried out by the management of the Caucasus Educational Okrug in 1881-1908. It includes researches and description of the history, life, and ethnographic characteristics of the peoples inhabiting the Caucasus region of the Russian Empire.

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