Evliya Çelebi describes this place as follows: Though this place is known as a village, it is like a bejeweled city, since it has 3,000 terraced gardens and houses. Lemons and oranges grow in some of its orchards. Its weather and water are sweet. There are one-story houses overlooking the sea. The residences of Jewish families Küpelioğulları Murdehay, Nesim, and Kemal are prosperous, with gardens, vineyards, and orchards, and they are famous in springtime for a variety of lemons and sour pomegranates, which cannot be found at another place.
On the Jewish neighborhood at Hasköy: There are 300 houses, numerous mesires, orchards, vineyards, and gardens. Jewish Küpeli’s apple juice and Greek Tiryandafile’s wine is famous, since there grows the Bozcaada grapes in these vineyards. The peach is famous.
Source: Travel Account, 17th century
-Nurhan Atasoy, Seyit Ali Kahraman
Resources:
Evliya Çelebi Seyahatnâmesi: Topkapı Sarayı Bağdat 304 Yazmasının transkripsiyonu (Open in Zotero)
Originally published at: Atasoy, Nurhan, and Seyit Ali Kahraman “Hasköy.” Middle East Gardens Traditions. Dumbarton Oaks, December 1, 2014. https://www.doaks.org/resources/middle-east-garden-traditions/catalogue/C98. Archived at: https://perma.cc/5UDZ-R9BM.
