_ 114 _ Item: Bitlis(A): A much renowned city situated to the west, between two mountain-ranges, consisting of houses built in stone and wattle and daub. We arrived here on 14 December. It has about 1,500 citizens, mainly Armenians who dress in the Persian style, as in the other places we had passed. They live in more freedom than the others and have their own public churches. They live by trading in merchandise, though some live by breeding livestock and cultivation. Among them are also some Kurds, by whom this whole region is peopled. The approach is very tough, between mountains, and flowing through the middle of them and through the city is a large river which flows into the Tigris or the River [Altuncopri]. A short distance before the entrance to the main body of the city there is a long line of separate houses on the same range of mountains, with small towers above forming an upper storey, and with windows and flat roofs. A good part of the city stretches to the south, and on the other side there is a fine castle to the north on a harsh peak, surrounded by a high, strong wall of stone and lime; it is well defended with small watch-towers and many small (A) This is the city where Delimenthes (?) was Persian captain. Shah Tamás destroyed Suleiman’s rearguard on the return journey from Tabriz.
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