Amasya

From there, after one day we reached the capital (major) city of Amasya, the birthplace of General Tʿēodoros, St. Catherine, the virgin, Vasilikos,[1] and the famed warrior, Surb Gēorg.[2] It was situated on two mountains and a large river flowed between them.[3] There were three Armenian churches and 200 local and immigrant Armenian families. There was an awag-erētsʿ[4] called tēr Grigor, a wise man and excellent celebrant of the Mass. There was also an old bishop, who was a pleasant and wonderful singer, called tēr varpet [a student of][5] Katʿoghikos Azaria. There were distinguished people, master goldsmiths and painters [in Amasya]. The city was abundant with fruit and other blessings. They harvest a large quantity of excellent quinces from here.[6] I stayed a week there, Each day tēr Grigor and Parontēr [the bishop] prevented me from leaving and accorded great respect and honor to me, a sinner.

The Travel Accounts of Simeon of Poland, trans. G. Bournoutian (Costa Mesa, Ca., 2007, p. 167).

[1] Simēon is unclear of which Basilikos he has in mind. He could be referring to the Emperor Flavius Basilikos, who abolished the decisions of Chalcedon in 475, or Basilikos, son of Armatus, who for a short time was heir to the throne, but soon became a priest.

[2] It refers to the Armenian saint, Gēorg the Warrior, whose feast day is celebrated in late September.

[3] The river is Eshil-Irmak (Iris). Tavernier writes that the city was built on top of one of the mountains. It had only two poor caravansaries and good soil, which produced grapes and fruit, JT, 9.

[4] It refers to a senior priest in the Armenian Church, but not a ardapet.

[5] Text reads tēr Varpet Azaria katʿoghikosin. The Armenan suffix in clearly indicated that the bishop had some kind of a relationship with the katʿoghikos, probably a student; SL reads ter varpet katolikos Azaria, which leads the reader to assume tha he was Katʿoghikos Azaria.

[6] Tavernier mentions a bridge, a fort, and a good inn, JT, 8.