Then, after six days, we reached Malatya.[1] We did not see any homes there, only inns. There was a beautiful inn, called Gurji-khan (Georgian Inn). Malatya was surrounded by a wall (190) and abundant with fruit. However, there were no people there, except guards. They said that they were all in the village of Azpus, for every year, during the harvesting of fruit, they all go to the village and the city remains empty like Sis.[2] There was a large stone church called [Surb] Lusaworichʿ, three kʿahanas, and 100 Armenian households.[3] There was plenty of produce and low prices: forty cucumbers[4] cost one dram; five or six watermelons, one dram; four loaves of bread, one dram; one okka of meat, four of meat, four drams. There was one church in the village and thirty Armenian homes. Waiting for the caravan, I stayed there two weeks. The Muslims are pleasant there. They are kind and nice people and are not envious and snake-like, like other Muslims. They did not call me infidel even once, but referred to me as a Christian[5] and servant of Christ.[6] They greatly respected and loved our people.
(The Travel Accounts of Simeon of Poland, trans. G. Bournoutian (Costa Mesa, Ca., 2007), pp. 170-71).
[1] Refers to the ancient Melitine. The city was enlarged in the time of Justinian and was decorated with many documents, which wer later destroyed during the Arab, Seljuk, and Mongol, and Ottoman invasions.
[2] See also, GI, I, 321.
[3] Inchichean also mentions this church, as well as Surb Stepʿanos, and Surb Sargis, GI, I, 322.
[4] Text reads khiar, from the Persian ḵīyār (cucumber).
[5] Text reads ēsayi, from the Arabic ʿīsāwī (Christian, follower of Jesus).
[6] Text reads isaguli, from the Arabic ʿīsā-qulī (slave of Christ)
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