Die Großbotschaften Damian Hugo von Virmonts und Ibrahim Paschas (1719/20)

. Vidoş Bāġçesinde Nemçe ilçisinüñ^× ṣāḥib devlete^× geldigini müşʿirdür. Fī 19 [Şevva]l sene 1131.

.Yevm-i mezbūrdan bir gün evvel Vidoş Bāġçesi ḳurbında vāḳiʿ baġlar kenārına .mehterḫāne-yi ḫāṣṣadan ṣāḥib devlet^× içün iki direklü oṭaḳ ve bir ʿaraba .ve oṭaġıñ ṣol ṭarafına bir sāyebān ḳurılub irtesi yevm-i mezbūrda 5 ṣāḥib devlet biniş ṭarīḳiyle maḥall-i mezbūra gitmişdür ki ẕikr olunur.

Yevm-i mezbūrda .aġayān-ı ṣadr-ı ʿālī ve müteferri̇ ḳagān ve çavuşbaşı aġa ve çavuşlar emīni ve kātibi .ve çavuşān-ı dergāh-ı ʿālī ve binişe meʾmūr olan ricāl biʾl-cümle .ʿaleʾl-seḥer Yedikule^×niñ ṭaşrasında deryā kenārında Ḳumluḳ taʿbīr olunan .maḥallde müctemiʿ olmalarıyla vezīr-i aʿẓ am^×ṣandal ile ve nişāncı paşa daḫı 10 ardınca ḳayıḳ ile gelüb maḥall-i mezbūra çıḳduḳda

herkes süvār olub .tertībleri üzere yürüdükde ṣāhib devletüñ öñince yigirmi bir ʿaded .müzeyyen yedekler yürüyüb alay ile ilçi^×nüñ olduġı Ḥazīnedār Çiftliġi^×niñ .derūnından mürūr olunub oṭaḳ olan maḥalle nüzūl olunduḳda . nişāncı paşa oṭaġa bile inüb ḳahveler içildükden ṣoñra muḥżır aġa 15 ṭāʾifesinden yüz nefer ādem başlarında elvān reng şāl ve dīvān .dolam[a]larıyla müsellaḥ mevcūd olanlarıyla bir defʿa ṭaḳ ımları tamām olunca nişāna .tüfeng atub baʿdehū iç aġaları süvāren cirīd oynayub ve mehterḫāne .çalınur idi.

Bu es̠nāda Nemçe ilçisinüñ^× sākin olduġı maḥall cāy-ı mez̠ kūra .ḳarīb oldıġından "māniʿleri yoġsa gelsin bir miḳdār ṣoḥbet idelim" diyü 20 ṣāḥib devlet^× ṭarafından bir aġa irsāl olunub baʿdehū ilçi-yi mezbūr^× daḫı .on beş yigirmi ḳadar atlu ādemleriyle geldükde [1] muhżır aġa ṭāyifesi oṭaḳ zuḳāḳınuñ .ṭaşrasında dizilüb ve çavuşān ve müteferriḳagān ve aġayān oṭaġuñ .iç ṭarafında ṣaff-beste olduḳları ḥālde zuḳāk ḳapusınuñ iç ṭarafında .oṭaġa ḳarīb ilçi^×nüñ nüzūli içün bir iskemle vażʿ olunmaġla nüzūl itdürildikden-ṣoñra 25 çavuşlar kātibi ve emīni öñine düşüb oṭāġuñ içerüsine götürüb .muk̇ ābele-i ṣadr-ı ʿālīde ḥāżır olan iskemleye oturdılub

baʿdehū ṣ adr-ı aʿżam [2] .çavuşbaşı aġa öñince içerü obadan çıḳub ḥāżirūna selām-dāde olduḳda .selām aġası ṣavt-ı bülend ile selām olub ṣadra ḳuʿūd eyledüklerinde çavuşān .alḳış idüb

baʿdehū ḳahveler içildikden ṣoñra ḳışḳış olub bir sāʿat .miḳdārı maḥfīce ol ḥāl üzere müṣāḥabet eylemişlerdür. Bu es̠snāda ṣāḥib devlet^× 5 ḳırmıżı ṣof ferāceye ḳaplu semūr kürk giymiş ve yed-i şerīflerinde bir incü tesbīḥ .var idi. Baʿdehū ṣāḥib devlet^× ḳalḳub ilçi^× daḫı ārdınca sāyebāna .çıḳduḳlarında ilçi^× yaṣdıḳ üzerine oturdub iç aġaları cirīd .oynadılar. Ve bu aralıḳda sāde naḳḳāre faṣlı oldu. Cerīdden ṣoñra .nişancı paşa daḫı sāyebāna daʿvet olundı. Baʿdehū ṣāḥib devletiñ^× yedek 10 atlarına birer aġa binüb aşaġı ve yuḳaru gezdürdiler. İçlerinden zülfü siyāh .bir ḳula atı ilçi^×ye irkāb içün ihdā olundı.

Baʿdehū vezīr-i aʿżam ābdest .içün içerü obaya girüb baʿdehū oṭaġıñ içine sofra döşenmekle ilçi^× ve nişāncı .paşa varub oturduḳlarından ṣoñra saʿādetlü vezir-i aʿżam^× ḳırmıżı ṣof ferāce ile .içerüden geldükde ilçi^× ve nişāncı paşa ḳıyām eylediler. Ṭāʿām tenāvülinden ṣoñra 15 ṣāḥib devlet^× ikindi nemāzı içün ḳalḳub içerü gidüb baʿdehū çıḳduḳda .ḳırmızı ṣofa ḳaplu ḳāḳūm kürk ile gelüb oturdı. ̣Baʿdehū ilçi^×ye gidecek .zamān ḳırmızı ṣofa ḳaplu bir ḳāḳūm kürk ilbās olunub ve ihdāʾ-i ṣadr-ı ʿālī .olan ḳula āta süvār olub gitdi. Derʿaḳab ṣāhib devlet daḫī süvār .olmaġla ilçi beg^× ṣāḥib devleti^× selāmlayub baʿdehū vezīr-i aʿżam ḥażretleri yine 20 Yedikule^×de çıḳduḳları maḥallden ḳayıġa binüb ʿavdet eylemişlerdür. Ṭaḳıma Dāvud Paşa^×’ya gelindükde iz̠in virilmişdür.

Report indicating the arrival of the Austrian ambassador^× for a meeting with the grand vizier^× at Vidos Garden on September 4, 1719

A day before the meeting day, a large two-poled tent was supplied from the inventory of the sultan’s tent pitchers (mehterḫāne-yi ḫāṣṣa) and was erected next to the vineyards in the vicinity of Vidos Garden. A carriage was prepared at the same location and a canopy was set up on the left-hand side of the tent. On the day of the meeting, the grand vizier^× rode to the said location as will be described here.

On that day, the aghas of the office of the grand vizier^×, court officals (müteferri̇ḳagān), the agha, the secretary, and the intendant of the palace ushers along with court ushers and others, who had been commissioned to join the convoy, gathered together at dawn next to the sea in the environs of Yedikule^× (Seven Towers) at the location called Ḳumluk. The grand vizier^× came by a sandal (a European style row-boat) and the chancellor^× followed him with a caique and landed at the aforesaid location.

Everyone mounted their horses and advanced in accordance with their customary order. Twenty-one uniformed reserve militiamen preceded the grand vizier^× and [they] paraded through the interior precincts of the Hazinedar Farm^× where the ambassador^× was stationed – and, when they arrived [to the] place where the ambassador^×’s tent was situated, the Ottoman chancellor [dismounted and] entered the tent as well and coffee was served. Next, one-hundred men from among the grand vizier^×’s guard (muḥżır aġa ṭāʾifesi), who were present [at that location] equipped with their weapons and adorned with multi-colored scarfs and long robes they wear when attending the imperial council, they performed the target practice exercise with their muskets. Thereafter, the aghas of the inner court pages performed jereed exercises on their horses while the military band played.

At this moment, since [the grand vizier^×] had arrived close by the location where the Austrian ambassador^× was located, the grand vizier^× sent an agha to the ambassador^× asking him to join the grand vizier^× for a brief friendly conversation if the ambassador^× saw no obstacle to doing so. Next, when the ambassador^× came along with his fifteen to twenty mounted attendants,[1] the grand vizier^×’s guard set up ranks outside the passageway to the tent, while the palace ushers, court officials (müteferri̇ḳagān), and aghas stood in line inside the passageway. In addition, inside the gate of the passageway, a stool was positioned close to the entrance to the tent for the ambassador^× to sit down. After the ambassador^× arrived [and dismounted from his horse], the secretary and the intendant of the palace ushers went ahead of him and brought him into the tent, and made him sit down on the stool that was ready opposite the grand vizier^×.

Next, the grand vizier^× [2] came out of the inner room ahead of the agha of the palace ushers and saluted those who were present, upon which the master of ceremonies saluted with a loud voice. When the grand vizier^× took his place on the prime ministerial seat, the palace ushers applauded.

After coffee was drunk, a confidential conversation continued for the better part of about an hour. During this time, the grand vizier^× was wearing a sable fur on a fine red cloak, and in his honorable hand, he had a pearl rosary. Then, the grand vizier^× stood up and went outside to the canopy, followed by the ambassador^×. The ambassador^× sat on a pillow and the pages of the inner court played javelins. Meanwhile, a single kettle-drum performance took place. After the jereed game was over, the chancellor was invited to join them. Next, each of the aghas mounted on one of the grand vizier^×’s reserve horses and rode them back and forth. From among these horses, a buckskin colored horse with black locks was presented as a gift to the ambassador^× for him to ride.[2]

Then, the grand vizier^× entered the inner room for ablution. Afterwards, a meal was spread out inside the tent. After the chancellor had come in and sat down, his excellency, the grand vizier^× came inside with a red camlet cloak, upon which the ambassador^× and the chancellor stood up to salute him. After eating the meal, the grand vizier^× stood up to perform the afternoon prayer and went inside. Then, the grand vizier^× came out wearing an ermine fur on red mohair and sat down. As the ambassador^× was about to leave, the grand vizier^× had [the ambassador^×] dressed with an ermine fur on red mohair. The ambassador then mounted the buckskin horse presented to him by the grand vizier^× and departed. After that, the grand vizier^× himself also mounted [a horse]. The ambassador^× saluted the grand vizier^× and thereafter the grand vizier again embarked on a caique at Yedikule^× (Seven Towers) from the same location where he had landed and [he] returned. The commissioned officials were given leave to return to their posts when the vizier’s retinue arrived at Davud Paşa^×.