Adrianople: Land of Mystery
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Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Anthony A. Reitmayer, Adrianople: Land of Mystery, Istanbul, Turkey: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1992, bahai-library.com.
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Adriano pie

Land of Mystery
Compiled
by
Anthony A. Reitmayer

Published by
Boho Publishing Trust
Istanbul. Turkey
1992

Printed and Organization
mente~
Ankara Cod.52. Istanbul
526 76 47
CONTENTS:
1.lntroduction: Turkeyas the site of many of the great figures
and events In world religions.
2.Overvlew of the exile of Baha'u'llah from Tehran to Akka.
3.Significance of Baha'u'llah's sojourn In Constantinople
and Adrianople

4. Constantinople
5. Exile to Adrianople: a} K090k9ekmece
b} Buyuk9ekmece
c}Sillvri
d} Wlebergaz
e} Babaeski
6. Adrianople: a} Caravanseral
b} Houses in Muradlyyih quarter
c} Muradiyyih. Mosque
d} House of Amrullah
e} House of Rida Big
f} House of lzzat Aqa
g} Se/Im/ye Mosque
7. Gulde to sites: a) Istanbul
b} Istanbul to Edirne
c)Edirne
8. Listof Important Tabletsand Writingsof Baha'ullah during
His sojourn In Adrianople and Constantinople.
9. Tablet of Ahmad

.;.    10. Index and Blbllography
According to the Old Testament. the Ark of Noah Is suppossed               plre and later debate led to the creation of established forms
. to hove come to a rest on the slopes of the mountain. ofter hová           of worship, creed and dotes of holy days such as Easter.
ing endured and survived the great deluge visited upon a
. wayward humanity by a wrathful God_nearly 5.000 years ago.                      In Constantinople (Istanbul) In 381, The Nicene Creed was .
written. declaring the equality of the Father. Sonand HolySpirit.

The Prophet Abraham. father of monotheism and revered                       As well as bel~ the centeráof so much of the early develoJ>
by Jews.Moslernsand Christianscome from Ur of the Chold~                    ment of Christianity,Turkeyhos also been the stage upon which
upon God's coll to go to Canaan and stopped at Harrqn in                    significant events and developments in the evolution of Islam
Southeastern Turkey around 1800 B.C. He remained there for             .    have occurred.
several years before deporting for the land of Canaan.   •
After Mecca. Medino and Jerusalem. Istanbul mdy be said
Jesus Christ. prophet-founder of the Christian Faith, llved            to be the fourth most sacred place of pilgrimage in the Islamic
and died within the confines of Plostine.yet Hisfaith has reach-             world. This is due to the assumption that Eyup. the friend and
ed to the furthest corners of the globe. It can be said that the             standard-bearer of the Prophet Muhammed, had been among
rellglon known as Christianity. its credo. doctrine and institu-             those who led the first Arab siege of Constantinople from 674
tionollzotlon hod Its crystolizotion In Asia Minor (Turkey).It was           to 678 and was killed and buried somewhere just outside of the
In Antioch (Antokyo) where St. Peter preached for the first time           á city. Later. during the Ottoman period. a mosque was built over
to the Gentilesand where. for the firsttime. the followers of Christ         the. supposed burial site.
were called Christians. Further along the coast of the M~lterranean Isthe town of Tarsus.the birthplace of St. Pout-St. Paul               In central Turkey, in the city of Konya, lies the tomb of
carried d'utnumerous missionaryjournles in Asia Minor: Ephesus.           Celaleddin RumI ( 1207-1273). the founder of the order of Whirl-
Coppodoeio. Antioch As wellas being visited by St. Poul.Turkey            ing Dervishesand one of Islam's greatest mystic philosophers.
Is the resting place of another two of the apostles of Christ St. '       Ruml. known as Mevlono to his followers. created a system of
Phillip and St. John. At Hleropolls {Pomukkole). a fifth century          belief based upon the universality of God and the attempt to
mortyrium was bullt over the tomb of the martyred St. Phillip.            establish union with God. The order was open to anyone.
In Seljuk, near the ancient city of-Ephesus, Is the basilica of St.       regardless of religion or sect.
John, where his tomb supposedly lies. Seljuk Is also, according
The seat of the Caliphate was transferred to Istanbul In 1517
to legend, the final resting place of the Virgin Mpl"f.,
through the conquests of Sultan Selim I. The Sultansretained the
The FirstEcumenical Councll was held In Nlcoea (lznlk) In             status of the protectors of Islam and Its holy places until the
Cqllpate was abolished under Ataturk in 1924.a period of over
325 by the first Christian Emperor of the Romon Empire, Con-
400 years.
stantine the Great, At this and subsequent councils. the foundations of the Christian Church were firmly established.
christtonlty became the official state religion of the Roman Em- •

2                                                                                                                                       3
In the middle of the 18th cent~ry, during the latter days of
the ottoman Empire, Turkish sbil was once again to play host
to another chapter in the history of world religion. _
The Significance of Baha'u'llah's Sojourn in
In May of 1863, a group of exiles from Persia entered what      Constantinople and Adrianople
is today Turkishterritory near a town on the Syrian/Iraqi border.
Among these exiles was a figure destined to join the ranks of •          The five-year period (1863-1868) Baha'u'llah spent In Conthose great souls who have contributed so much to the ad-            stantinople (Istanbul) and Adrianople (Edlrne) was one of the
vancement of humanity through their guidance.,                       most significant of His entire ministry.

Thisfigure was Baha'u'llah, the Prophet-founder of the Baha'i       During that time, the great majority of the followers of the
Faith, the latest of the wor(d's major religions.       •           Bab had embraced the Cause of Baha'u'llah. The Faith had
been publicly proclaimed to the kings, the rulers, the divines
and the masses of humanity. It was also during this time that
Mirza Yahya had been cast out of the Baha'i community and
was exiled to Cyprus to live out the rest of his lif!3in lone obscurity.

The four month sojourn of Baha'u'llah in Constantinople can
best be summarized in the following excerpt from God Passes
By,

With the arrival of Baha'u'llah at Constantinople, the capital
of the Ottoman Empire and seat of the Caliphate ...the grimmest
and most calamitous and yet the most glorious chapter in the
history of the first Baha'i century may be said to have opened.
A period in which untold privations and unprecedented trials
were mingled with the .noblest spiritual triumphs was now commencing. The day-star of Baha'u'llah's ministry was about to
reach its zenith.

The most momentous years of the Heroic Age of HisDispensation were at hand. The catastrophic process, foreshadowed
as far back as the year sixty [AH 1260) by His Forerunner in the
Qayyum'I-Asma, was beginning to be set in motion.

I
I
"In the midst of the Slyah-Chal of Tihran, nine years later,'     ámost glorious phase of that ministry, the proclamation of His
that Revelation had swiftly and mysteriously been brought to             Message to the world and Its rulers."
sudden fruition. The process of rapid deterioration In the for-             The Guardian further describes the fruitful years In Adrla~otunes of that Faith, which had gradually set In, and was alarm-         ple, in the particular the prodigious outpouring of Divine Revelo
ingly accelerated during the years of Baha'u'llah's withdrawal         tlon during that period:                                   •
to Kurdistan. had, In a masterly fashion after His return from
Sulayman.lyylh.been arrested and reversed. The ethical, the                Though He Himself,was bent with sorrow. and still suffered
moral and doctrinal foundations of a nascent community had             from the effect of the attempt on His life. and though He was
been subsequently, In the course of His sojourn in Baghdad,           well aware a further banishment was probably Impending. yet,
unassallably established. And finally, In the Garden of Rldvan.       undaunted by the blow which HisCause had sustained, an the
on the eve of His banishment to Constantinople, the ten-year          perils with which It was encompassed. Baha'u'llah arose with
delay, ordained by an Inscrutable Providence, had been ter-           matchless power. even before the ordeal was overpast, to prominated through the Declaration of His Mission and the visible        claim the Mission with which He had been entrusted to those
emergence of what was to become the nucleus of a world em-            who. in East and West, had the reins of supreme temPoral
bracing Fellowshlp.What 'now remained to be achieved was              authority In their grasp.
the proclamation. In the city of Adrlanople, of that same Mis-
Ion to th world's secular anq ecclesiastical leaders. to be              "A period of prodigious activity ensued which, In Its reperfollowed. In successivedecades. by a further unfoldment, _In          cussions.outshone the vernal years of Baha'u'llah's mlnlsty.'Day
th prison-fortress of Akka. of the prlnclples and precepts con-      and night'. an eyewitness has written, 'The Divine verses were
stitutingthe bedrock of that Faith, by the formulation of the laws   raining down in such number that It was Impossible to record
and ordinances designed to safeguard It~ Integrity, by the           them. Mirza Aqa Jan wrote them as they were dictated, while
establishment. Immediately after Hisascension, of the Covenant       the Most Great Branch was continually occupied In transcribdesigned to preserve lts unity and perpetuate Its Influence ...      ing them. There was not a moment to spare ...' Baha'u'llah,
Himself, referring to the verses revealed by Him. has written:
"The initial phase of that Proclamation may be said to have        ásuch are the outpourings ... from the clouds of Divine Bounty
opened In Constantinople with the communication addressed             that within the space of an hour the equivalent of a thousand
by Baha'u'llah to Sultan Abdu'I-Azlz ~imself,'the self-styledvicar    verses hath been revealed. So great is the grace vouchsafed
of the Prophet of Islam and the absolute ruler of a mighty em-        in this day that in a single day and night, were an amanuensis
pire. So potent. so august a persona~ was the first among the         capable of acompllshlng it to be found, fhe equivalent of the
sovereigns of the world to receive the Divine Summons...              Persian Bayon would be s~nt down from the heaven of Divine
holiness. I swear by God!' He, in another connection has affirm-
"Thuscloses the opening scene of one of the most dramatic       ed, 'In those days the equivalent of all that hath been sent down
episodes In the ministry of Baha"ullah. The curtain now riseson       aforetime unto the Prophets hath been revealed. Thai which
what Isadmittedly the most turbulent and critical period of the       hath already been revealed in this land (Adrianople)',. He furfirst Baha'i century - a period that was destined to precede the      thermore, referring to the copiousness of His writings, ha

declared. 'secretaries are incapable of transcribing. If has,
therefore remained for the most port untronscribed ál 1J
•       Among the more weighty of the writings of Baha'u'llah during his sojourn in Adrianople are the Tablet .of Ahmad and
above all. the letters to the kings and rulers of the world. These                      Overview of Exile
included the Ottoman Sultan, the Kings of Europe, Muslim eccleslastial leaders, the people of Persia, the wise men and in-                             During the forty year period of the Ministry of Baha'u'llah.
habitants of Constantinople, the Shah of Persia, and the                                His exiles had taken Him from Asia to Europe, thus making
philosophers of the world.                                                              Baha'u'llah the first Manifestation of God known to have lived
on European soil. Abraham, Moses, Christ, Muhammed and
These Tablets. according to Shoghi Effendi. "may be                                 Buddha all lived out their lives in Asia.
regarded not only as the most outstanding among the. iná
numerable Tablets revealed in Adrianople. but as occupying                                  Considered to be an important follower of the heretical Babi
a foremost position among all the writing of the author of the
Faith, Baha'u'llah and members of his immediate family were
Baha'i Revelation.                                                                      exiled by the Persian government to Baghdad. Baha'u'llah
departed from '(ehran for Iraq on 12 January, 1853.

The exiles suffered extremes hardship from the winter
journey through the snow-bound mountains of western Persia.
Baha'u'llah spent nearly ten years In Iraq. Two years were spent
alone In the wilderness of Kurdistan while the remaining time
was spent In Baghdad.

The enemies of Baha'u'llah, among whom were the Persian
Consul-General in Baghdad and certain divines, being jealous
áof His increasing popularity, succeeded in having him banished again. A Sultan's decree was issued as a result of Persian
representations to the Ottoman Government and Baha'u'llah
was called to Constantinople. Just before departing, in the
Garden of Ridvan. on the banks of the Euphrates river,
Baha'u'llah declared His station to His companions as "Him
Whom God shall make manifest", the One fortold by the Bab
1-For a more detailed listing of th,• w11llngsof Boho'u'llah during !his period.
and anticipated by His followers.
refer lo the index or page.

After He had remained five months In the capital of the Ottoman Empire. His enemies again sought_to banish Him. They
succeeded. and He was sent to Adrlanople. a city called by
Him 'the remote Prison.áThere the Sun of HisRevelation ascended to Its zenith and He proclaimed His Message for the whole
world: Having endured five years of tribulations In this city.       Exile from Baghdad to Constantinople
Baha'u'llah was finally exiled to the prison-city of Akka In the
Holy Land. He lived there until His ascension In 1892.
Baha'u'llah left Baghdad on 22 April 1863 and arrived in
Constantinople on 16 August 1863, the journey being completed in almost four months. Both Iraq and Turkey were then
part of the Ottoman Empire.

As the subject matter of the book is concerned principally
with Baha'u'llah's sojourn in present-day Turkey, we will begin
our narrative of the exile in Nusaybin, on the border of Iraq, Syria
and Turkey (Map1).

Fifty-four people, including the members of His family, accompanied Baha'u'llah to Constantinople. Mirza Yahya, the
ho)f-brother of Baha'u'llah. joined theáparty en route. Baha'u'llah
rode a horse part of the way but travelled mostly In a howdah.
The Journey itself was both slow and ámonotonous with no sign
of llfe-tor miles.

A caravan consisting of fifty mules, a mounted guard of ten
soldiers with #leir officer, and seven pairs of howdahs, each
pair surmounted by four parasols, was formed, and wended
its way, by easy stages, and in the space of no lessthan a hundred and ten days, across the uplands, and through the defiles,
the woods, valleys and pastures, comprising the picturesque
scenery of eastern Anatolia, to the port of Samsun. on the Black
Sea .... He, by virtue of the written order of Namiq Pasha, was
accorded, as He travelled northward, in the path of spring, an
enthusiastic reception by the mudirs, the shaykhs, the muftis.

10                                                                                                                                  11
the government officials and notables belonging to the districts         In Samsun, Baha'u'llah was called on by the Chief Inspecthrough which He passed. In villages and hamlets, He would          tor of the entire province as well as several pashas. Seven days
be met by a delegation Immediately before His arrival. and          after His arrival, He was put on board a steamer and arrived,
would ~e accompanied, for some distance, by a similar               together with His.fellow-exiles, at noon on Sunday, August 16,
delegation upon His departure. The festivities which, at some       1863, at the port of Constantinople.
stations,were held in Hishonour, the food the villagers prepared
I
and brought for Hisacceptance, the eagerness which time and            The Guardian describes the significance of Baha'u'llah's ar-
I    again they exhibit~d in providing the means for His comfort,       rival In Con.stantlnople:
recalled the reverence which the people of Baghdad had
shown Him on so many occasions.                                        Repeat from before!

At Nusaybin the caravan pitched its tents by a stream. From         'With the arrival of Baha'u'llah at Constantinople, the
Nusaybln the caravan continued towards Mardin after stopp-          capital of the Ottoman Empire, ... the grimmest and the most
ing at Hasan Aqa. After a three day halt at Mardin, Baha'u'llah     cala_mitousand yet the most glorious chapter in the history of
ordered the resumption of the journey. As the caravan passed        the first Baha'i century may said to have opened. A period In
through the city of Mardin, Government cavalry,' with flags fly-    Which untold privations and unprecedented trials were m)ngling and drums beating, .,and high officials and notables            ed with noblest spiritual triumphs was now commencing. The
escorted them to the outs_kirtsof the city. It was the first of a   day-star of Baha'u'llah's ministry was about to reach Its zenith."
number of such kingly welcomes for an unknown prisoner on
Hisway to exile. After three more days of travel, Diyarbakir was
reached. The caravan stayed for three days outside the city.
It was here that Mirza Yahya made himself known to the
believers after having travelled in disguise since Mosul.

From DiyarbakIr the caravan continued on its way to
Ma'din-Mis where it halted for the night. The next day it reached the fortified city of Kharput. After a few days the caravan
moved on to Ma'dan - nuqrlh. From there they set out for Sivas,
passing through Dilik-Tash. After camping near the city, the
caravan made its way to Tokat and on to Amasya where they
stayed for two days outside the town. From Amasya they moved to lllahiyyih. The caravan set out on the last lap of its long
overland journey, and moved on towards Samsun,on the shores
of the Black Sea.

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Baha'u'llah's four-month sojourn in Constantinople has been
characterized by the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith as the "opening scene of one of the most dramatic episodes in the ministry
of Baha'u'llah."

Constantino13le                                                                Baha'u'llah arrived in Constantinople in conspicuous majesty and was received by the authorities with great honour as
The arrival of Baha'u'llah in Constantinople (fig 1.) on 16           He disembarked from the ship.(fig.2) He was driven with all the
August 1863 marks a significant mile~ton~ in th~ unfoldme~t of            members of Hisfamily to the residence of Shamsi Big, an official
His Mission. It was during Baha'u'llah's soJourn in Constantino-          who was present at the port and appointed by the Government
ple that the conciliatory attitude of the authoritie~ c~anged to          to entertain its guests. Hiscompanions were given accommodathat of hostility as a direct consequence of the intrigues and            tion elsewhere in the city.
misrepresentations of the.Persian Ambassador. It was_also during that period that the initial phase of the proclamation of the
Message of Baha;u'llah to the kings and rulers of the world was
ushered in by the árevelation of a Tablet addressed to Sultan
'Abdul'-Aziz.

Fig. 2 Harbour at Constantinople where Baha'u'llah dis mbark
the steamer that carried Him from Samsun.

The house of Shamsi Big, a two-story bulid1111111
111f vicinity
of the Kirqiy-i-Sharif mosque (fig.3), proved to b< too small a
residence for Baha'u'llah and after a stay I on month in
Flg.1 Constantinople (Istanbul): former capital of the Ottoman Empire.   cramped conditions, He was moved to th h us, of Visi Pasha.
(fig.4) a three storey building more comm cJI us than the first
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Fig.3 Kirqiy-i-Sharif Mosque in Constantinople: the house of Shamsi Big,                      0
where Baha'u'llah resided for one month is in the vicinity of this
mosque.

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and situated near the mosque of Sultan Fatih Mehmet (fig.5).                The house of Visi Pasha. like most houses in those days, con
Neither of these houses exist today in its original form.               sisted of an inner and an outer apartment. Each consisted of
three storeys. The house had a Turkish bath of its own. a vast
garden and facilities for storing rain water. Baha'u'llah resided in the inner section on the first floor. and Hisfamily occupied
the remainder. In the outer apartment, 'Abdul-Boho lived on
the first floor, the believers on the second, while the third floor
was turned into a store and a kitchen.

The only places Baha'u'llah is known to have visited in Constantinople were mosques and public baths. From time to time.
however, He would visit the house of Mirza Musa to meet various
officials who had come with messages from the Government.

Some four months after Baha'u'llah's arrival in Constantinople, He received word that'He was to banished once more,
upon on edict issued by Sultan 'Abdul-Aziz', again due to the
1 machinations of the Persian Ambassador to Constantinople.

Fig.5 Mosque of Sulton Fatlh Mehmet situated near the house of Visi
Pasho.

20                                                                                                                                 21
Exile to Adrianople
It was now the heart of winter, which can be very severe
in those eastern parts of Europe. Although carriages, wagons
and pack animals were provided, as well as ox-carts for their
belongings, it was a hard journey, taxing the strength of all, and
it lasted twelve days. Snow was falling as they left Constantinople (fig.8) and they were not clad for freezing weather. Recalling their sufferings, Baha'u'llah declared, "Th~ eyes of Our
enemies wept over Us.and beyond them those of every discerning person. They expelled us ... with such an abasement which
no abasement on earth can compare."
Fig.6PMosque of Nisanci Pqsha situated across from the house of Vis,
In the late afternoon of the first day the travellers reached           asha.
Kucukcekmece (fig.9), about three hours journey frorn Istanbul.
An official. who accompanied them, found lodgings for
Baha'u'llah. The next day, they left at dawn and arrived towards
noon at Buyukcekmece (fig.10), where they were housed in the
home of a Christian. It was night-time when they took to the road.
again, to reach Silivri (fig. 11). Here too they were lodged in the
house of a Christian. At midnight, in pouring rain and intense
cold, they moved out of Silivri and reach~d Birkas (fig.12) the
next day. The last halting place before arrival at Adrianople
was Baba-Eski (fi~.13). (See Map 2)

Fig. 7 Sublime Porte: Seat of Governm~,~t of lh Ottoman Em ire fro
which the decree of banishment of Baha'u'llah to Ad~        m
was issued.                                        r1anop1e
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which Baha'u'llah and His entourage passed on their way to Adrianople.                                                                  -
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Fig. 9. Kucukcekmece: first stop on the road to Adrianople (three houri
journey, by foot, form Constantinople)                                Fig.11 Silivri: town where Baha'u'llah rested for one day.

It was Saturday, 12 December 1863, when they arrlv d at
Adrianople, a city characterized by Baha'u'llah as "th place
which none entereth except such as have rebelled against th
authority of a sovereign."

..

. 1"0Buyukcekmece: bridge into the town where Baha'u'llah rested
before resuming His journey.

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claims the claims of its Author and His station in language of
might and power:

"O Kings of the earth! Give ear unto the Voiee of God. calling from this sublime, this fruit-laden Tree, that hath sprung out
. of the Crimson Hill,upon the holy Plain, intoning the words: 'There
is none other God but He, the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the All-
Adrianople
Wise.' ...Fear God. 0 concourse of kings. and suffer not
Baha'u'llah unveiled Hisstation gradually and in stages bet-     yourselves to be deprived of this most sublime grace. Fling
ween the years 1863 and 1868. His Declaration took place in           away, then, the things ye possess, and take fast hold on the
• the Garden of Ridvan, in Baghdad, in 1863. As an initial stage        Handle of God, the Exalted, the Great. Set your hearts towards
in the announcement of HisRevelation, He revealed Hisstation          the Face of God. and abandon that which your derlres have
to only a few of His companions.                                      bidden you to follow. and be not of those who perish.''

In Adrianople, a period of prodigious activity ensued which,
The second stage in the revealing of the station of
in its repercussions, outshone the vernal years of Baha'u'llah's
Baha'u'llah was its announcement mainly to the members of             ministry. "Day and night", an eye-witness has wrl_tte~.'the Divine
the Sabi community through theárevelatlon of innumerable              verses were raining down in such number- that it was Impossi-
Tablets from Adrlanople as well as the teaching exploits of some      ble to record them.' "A number of secretaries," Nabll has
of His outstanding disciples which caused the great majority          testified, "were busy day and night and yet they were unable
of the followers of the Bab to embrace the Cause of Baha'u'llah       to cope with the task. Among _themwas Mirza Baqlr-1-Shlrazl     ...
and Identify themselves with His name.                                He alone transcribed no less than two thousand verses every
day. He laboured during six or seven months. Every month the
The final stage was the majestic proclamation to the world        equivalent of several,volumes would be transcribed by him and
at large through the kings and leaders. The process of                sent to Persia.':
disintegration and rolling up of the old order had been set in
motion when the summons of the Lord of Hoststo the kings and              Baha'u'llah Himself. referring to the verses reveal d by Him,
rulers of the world was either rejected or ignored. Also in that      has written: "Such are the out-pourings ...from the clouds of
short period of time the breaker of the Covenant of Baha'u'llah,      Divine Bounty that within the space of an hour the qulvalent
Mirza Yahyp, had been cast out from the community of Baha'is.         of a thousand verses hath been.revealed." "I swear by God!"
He, in another connection has affirmed, "In thos days (years
The unprecendented outpouring of the Revelation of               in Adrianople) the equivalent of all that hath b n nt down
Baha'u'llah which took place lmmediatately after the downfall         aforetime unto the Prophets hath been reveal d," "That which
áof Mirza Yahya reached Itsclimax with the revelation of the Surih    hath been revealed In this land (Adrianople,)" H furthermore,
of Kings. This most momentous of the Tablets of Baha'u'llah is        referring to the copiousness of His writings, has declared,
chiefly addressed to the kingsof the worla collectively. !t pro-
"secretaries are incapable of transcribing. It has, therefore, remained for the most part untranscribed."

In the Arabic Tablet of Ahmad, Bah'u'llah refers to Adriano-á
pie as the "remote prison." This historic city, in a far corner of
the European continent, was the furthest place from Hisnative
land that Baha'u'llah was ever to reach in the course of His
ministry.

Adrianople, now known as Edirne. strategically, situated on
the main route between Asia minor and the Balkans. has been
an important city from ancient times. The city was captured from
the Thracian tribes by the Macedonians, who named It Orestias.
It was rebuilt by the Emperor Hadrianá in the second century AD
and named after him Hadrianopoiis or Adrianopie. It thereafter
had a turbulent history, being the _sceneof many battles between the Byzantines and other nations until its capture by Ot-         Fig.14 Ottoman-style coravanserai: Baha'u'llah spent the first 1hr
toman Turks in 1362. From .1413to 1458, Adrianople was the                  in Adrianople at an inn of this type.
capital of the rapidly expanding Ottoman Empire. Even after
the capital had been transferred to Istanbul. it continued to be
an important administrative cent$r. At the time of Baha'u'llah's
sojourn there; Adrianople's population was 100,000, greater
than its present population of 87,000. •

On their arrival, Baha'u'llah, His family ari'd companions,
were all huddled together in a caravanserai called Khan+
Arab, (fig.14) where accommodation was poor and restricted.
All that can be said about its location is that it was near the
house of lzzat Aqa. Baha'u'llah stayed there for three nights.
Then a house in the Muradiyyih quarter, in the r.iorth-easternpart
of the city, (fig.15) was procurred for Him and Hisfamily, on high
ground and with a good view of the whole of Adrianople.(fig.16)
This quarter centered on the Muradiyyit:l mosque, which was
built by Sultan Murad II. (fig .17) AftE3ra stay of one week in that
house, which was too small, another house in the same quarter          Fig.15 & 16 Muradlyylh quarter of Adrianople: sit of two ot Baha'u'-
llah's residences.

- btJt more spacious. was obtained for Baha'u'llah. Thishouse was
•close to the Takyih or meeting place of the Mawlavis, a mystic
order going back to the great Sufi poet Ruml. It was adjacent
to the Muradiyyh mosque. The house was demolished in the Russia!) war in the last century but it has been described as having been very large. with eighteen rooms and a Turkish bath
as well as stables" and a large, long garden which extended
down to the river.                        •

All these houses were old, draughty and badly constructed
and keeping out the cold was a constant problem. In addition,
the first winter spent in Adrlanople was extremely severe with
frequent snowfalls and sub-zero temperatures.

Baha'u'llah stayed about ten months in that second house
in the Muradiyyah quarter. But since Its accommodation was
•inadequate, and its situation made It lonely and difficult of ac--
Flg.15 & 16 Muradlyyih quarter of Adrianople: site of two of Baha'u'-     cess. He wished to obtain another residence, more comllah's residences.                                                   modious and easier to reach.

A new house was found, right in the heart of the city, just
outside of the north gate of the Mosque of Sultan Sellm.(flg.18)
This mosque, the glory of Adrianople, was bullt In th sixteenth
century by the architect Sinon. with a great dome high r than
that of Saint Sophia in Istanbul. As to the house, It was a spacious
and magnificent mansion called the house of Amru'llah which
means 'the cause of God.' Its inner quarter of thr stor ys had
thirty rooms. It had a Turkishbath of its own, with running water
in the kitchen and also a place for the storage an up r floor
for reception, as well as accommodation for pr paring and
serving refreshments.(flg.19)

11 17 Muradlyyih Mosque and sit of Takyih (meeting place) of Mawlovls (mystic Sl,Jfiorder)
• Fig.19 Site of the House of Arnr'u'llah

It was during the period of Baha'u'llah's residence in the
house of Amru'llah that Mirza Yahya, at the instigation of Siyyid
Muhammad-i-lsfahani, began openly to show his true intention
of wresting the control of leadership of the Faith from
Baha'u'llah. It was at this time and perhaps even In the house
itself that Mirza Yahya attempted to take the life of Baha'u'llah
through the use of poison and on another occasslon poisoned
the well from which the family and companions of Baha'u'llah
• drew their water.

Further attempts by Mirza Yahya to create a permanent rift
in the community of believers led Boho'u'llah. In Morch of 1866,
to withdraw, with Hisfamily, to the house of Rlda Bl . Baha'u'lloh
resided there for one yeor. For the first two months, He refused
to associate with either friend or stranger, Including His own
f lg 18 Mosque of Sultan Selim    companions. The reason for Baha'u'llah's s If Im sad exile was á

to avoid controversy dnd hostility in order to help preserve uni-
,        The house of lzzat Aqa (fig.21) was newly-built and possessty among the believers.
: ed a fine view of the river and the southern orchards of the city.
The house of Rida Big (fig.20) had both an 011ter<j'ndinner
quarter. The outer quarter had a vast courtyard with a variety.
of trees and bushes and flowers, and Baha'u'llah would occasionally come to the outer quarter, usually late in the afternoon,
to pace up and down this gorden and speak to the companions. While Baha'u'llah was still living in the house of Rida Big.,
and would, at times, come to spend an hour or two in the orchard and meadow near the Muradiyyih quarter. Then the
house of Amru'llah fell vacant again and Baha'.u'llah moved
to It once more. But His second stay in that house was of short
duration, for within six months the owner of the house sold It,
and Baha'u'llah then rented the house of lzzat Aqa in another
quarter of the city- the last of His residences in Adrianople.

, Fig.21 Site of House of lzzat Aqa

Its room were spacious, and had ample space and large
courtyards planted with a variety of trees. (fig,22).

The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith has described a decisive
event which took place at this time:

"It was In this house, In the month of...Sept. 1867 that an
event of the utmost significance occurred, which completely
.discomfited Mirza Yahy_aand his supporters, and proclaimed .
to friend and foe alike Baha'u'llah's triumph over them. Acertain Mir Muhammad, a Babi of Shiraz greatly resenting alike
Flg.20 House of Rida Big
the claims and cowardly seclusion of Mirza Yahya, succeeded in forcing Siyyid Muhammad to induce him to meet

I
t!)
m
<{
0::                                                  Fig.22 Gardens of the House of lzzat Aqa
C
E              Boha'u'llah face to face, so áthat aá discrimination might be
LL        a,                 Z;       0
0         ...
i:,                 .E e    i:,             publicly effected between the true and the false. Foolishly
C                      C
I.J... ID
Cl             assuming that his illustrious Brother would never countenance
w        l!)
such a proposition, Mirza Yahya appointed the mosque of
(f)
:::::>                                               Sultan Selim (fig.18) as the place for their encounter. No sooner
0                                                    had Baha'u'llah been informed of this arrangement than He
:r:                                                  set forth, on foot, in the heat of midday, .... for the aforementioned mosque, ....reciting, as He walked, through the
streets and markets, verses, in a voice and In a manner that
greatly astonished those who saw and heard Him."

The news and date of the confrontation b cam known
among the peoples of Muslim, Christian and J wish r llglons
in the city. Therefore, from the morning of Friday until before
noon, a large multitude drawn from the follow r of th se three
.c
C           .c                  religions had thronged the area betw n th house of
>-           E     C
-0    ::,    8                      • Amru'llah and the entrance to the mosqu : lh      rowd was so
~ ~ _g       '-
3C                  large that it was difficult to move about. Th m ting was to
CJ)   C     a,             .c
co    ro             ~

•                                                                 41
Pasha, the Prime minister, succeeded In securing_from Sultan
be on Friday at the time of the congregational     prayer when          'Abdul-Aziz an. lmperiol,..~cllct dated 26 July 1868 ordering
the Muslims gather Inside in great numbers.                             Baha'u'llah's ~xlle to the Fortres~of A~ka and His life Imprisonment within the walls .ofá,. that pnson-cIty.             .
As Baha'u'llah passed through the crowd, people showed
such reverence as is difficult to describe. They greeted Him with           Soldiers surrounded the house of Baha'u'llah and and
salutations, bowed and opened the way for Him to pass. Many             posted sentinels at Itsgates. Eventually all was made ready for •
of them prostrated themselves at His feet and kissed them.              emigration. Firstly,they brought several carts for the tr~nspor-
Baha'u'llah in acknowledgement greeted the crowd and ex-            _   tatlon of the luggage, and a number of the companions went
pressed his good wishes. lhis continued all the way to the mos-         with them. After a week, arrangements were completed for
que. As soon as He entered the mosque. the preacher. who                Baha'u'llah. In the morning, horse-drawn _wqQOns   drew up.and
was delivering his discourse, became speechless or perhaps              by the time the remainder of the lugg_age was gathered and
forgot his words.                                                       loaded, and the members of the family had taken their seats,
It was about noon. Then Baho'u'llah come out. Close to noon-
Thosemembers of the public who were in the mosque were              tide they were on their way. If was on 12 August 1868 that
amazed by what they saw. So powerful were the words of                  Baha'u'llah and Hiscompanions 1eftthe city which He had call-
Baha'u'llah that a Persian man who heard them was awestruck;            ed' 'the.Remote Prison'and 'the Land of Mystery'. A Turkishcaphe was trembling all over and tears flowed from his eyes.                        ci
tain and number of soldiers accompanied them. When night
Baha'u'llah at one point ordered Mir Muhammad to go and                 approached 'they .were three hours from Adrlanople. The
call Mirza Yahya to come with all his sins and transgressions           distance between Adrlanople and Gallipoli was covered In five
and face his Lord. Baha'u'llah remained In the mosque till near         stages over a period of five days.
sunset, while Mirza Yahya and Slyyld Muhammad stayed at
home and gave some excuses to Mir Muhammad for not at-                      Baha'u'llah and Hiscompanions rested In Gallipoli for a few
tending.                                                                days until a liner arrived. The liner stopped for a few áhours, at
Madelli and the same night proceeded to Smyrna (Izmir),which
The remaining months In the house of lzzat Aqa constituted         she reached soon after sunrise. She remained anchored at
the most fecund period In the whole course of the ministry of          Smyrna for two days. On the second night, the llner cast off an-
Baha'u'llah. Tablets and v rsesflowed continuously from Hispen
chor to continue the Journey to Alexandria and finally to Akka
and His tongue.                                                        thus fulfilling the three thousand year old prophecy of Mica
foretelling the appearance of the Lord_In these words:
The revelation of so many Important Tablets. and the proclamation of Baha'u'llah's M ssage to the kings and rulers of              "In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria,
the world, had endowed the Faith with such ascendancy that             and from the fortified cities. and from the fortress v n to the
by the summer of 1868 the authorities In Constantinople had            river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain."
become apprehensive of Its rising prestige and power. Ali

, 42                                                                                                                                    43
Sojourn    of Bahoulloh   in
1. Murrodlyoh House
Adriano pie          1863_68   2. Murrodiyah Masque
3. House of Rida Big
4. House of Rida Big
5. House of IZzatAqa

(Mo1 4)
Guide to Sites
.Istanbul
Both of the houses that Baha'u'llah resided In while in Constantinople were in the vlcinfty of the historic Fatih mosque (see
Afterword                                                            Map 2) situated In the heart of the old city.

It was during Histesting years in Adrianople that Baha'u'llah         In order to visit the house of Vlsi P.asha,the second house
proclaimed the Revelation with which God had entrusted Him.           in which Baha'u'ilah resided, one must first contact the office
It was a time notable for its dynamism. Its tests and trials, its     of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'ls of Turkey. The
challenging events, Its unfaithful who turned to evil and. it         telephone numbers are 149-7426and 143-5162.Arrangements
sheroes who stood steadfast against the unfaithful; and above         will be made for a guide from the National office to accomall It had seen the mighty Revelation of God poured out and           pany youáto the house. The mosque of Nisancl Pasha can be
Hismessage pro claimed to the rulers of the world collectively.      .visited by leaving the house and walking across the road.
The Tablets revealed by Baha'u'llah in this period are so vast
in number that their mere volume Is bound to astonish the un-        .    If. after having visited the house and the mosque of Nisanbiased observer.                                                     ci Pasha, you wish to visit either of the mosques associated with
Baha'ullah's sojourn In Constantinople, turn right as you leave
The closing years at Adrlanople were also marked by signifi-    the front door and walk for one block until you reach FevziPasha
cant internal developments. The appellation 'Babi' gave way          Caddesi (street). To reach the Fatih Mosque, turn left and walk
to 'Baha'i'; the greeting 'Allah-u-Akbar' (God Isthe Greatest) was   until you reach a long wall with large entrance gates and steps
replaced by 'Allah-u-Abha' "(God is the Most Glorious).              leading up to the courtyard of the mosque.

The Hlrkai Sherif mosque, near which the firstof Baha'u'llah's
residences was situated, can be reached by leaving the house
of Visi Pasha and after crossing Fevzl Pasha Caddesl turn left
and walk until you reach Aksemsettin Caddesl. Turn right and
continue until you reach Kececiler Caddesi where you will turn
right again. Walk along this street until you see. on your right,
a mosque situated on a low rise. Turn right and follow the winding road until you reach the entrance of the mosqu .

1-The only places Boha'u'llah visited in Istanbul were pu II
ques. As the mosques mentioned above were in the lmmedl I vi lnlty ol both
of Baha'u'llah's residences, It Is likely. though not dellnll , th t th .. were the
mosque_sthat were by Boha'u'llah.
Edirne
Istanbul to Edirne
Upon arrival in Edirne by car, following the map, go to 9
1.Car: If you are travelling by car. follow MIiiet Caddesi. one   Yusuf Hoja Mektep Sokak, the site of the house of lzzat Aqa and
of Istanbul's principal thoroughfares. and leave the old city          the residence of the caretaker of the Baha'i Holy Places. If you
through the Topkapl Gate. This road then merges Into the E-5           arrive py bus, take a taxi to the same address. (See Map 4)
highway. the main expressway to Europe. Thisrood was formerly
the Londra Asfalti and follows. to a large extent. the same route           The present house is not the original but the gardens are
. taken by Baha'u'llah on the exile to Adrianople. The journey           part of the property of the house of lzzat Aqa. After having walktakes approximately three hours.                                       ed about the gardens. the caretakers will escort you to the
house of Rida Big which has been restored to its original con-
2.Bus:.lfyou aretravelllng by bus goto the Topkapi bus Ter-         dition at the time of Baha'u'llah's sojourn there. (see map 5) After
minal. the main terminal for all of Istanbul. Go the to Trakya          you have finished your visit here, the caretaker will return to the
Garajl and simply say to anyone. 'Edlrne', and you will be              house of lzzat Aqa and you will continue your visitson your own.
directed to the appropriate ticket office. Tl)e journey takes approximately four hours by bus.                                                Turn left as you exit the gate of the house of Rlda Big and,
using the minarets of th~ Selimiye mosque as a guide, walk until you reach Mimar Sinon Sokak. Turn left and just in front of the
North gate of Selimiye mosque you will see o vacant lot In front
of an old Ottoman timber house. This is the site on which tood
the mansion of Amru'llah. Nothing remains of the dw lllng
today.

Enter the gate of the courtyard of the mosque
it through one of the many entrances. It was in this mo u that
Baho'u'lloh come in order to confront Mirza Yahy ov r the
leadership of the Faith.

After visiting the mosque, exit the some g
by and turn right. Continue along Mimar Sinon

48                                                                                                                                        49
reach Blylr Sokak. Turn right and walk up the hill and you will
see the Murradlyah Mosque Qn your left. The two houses In
which Baha'u'llah resided no longer exist but they are known
to have been in the Immediate vicinity of the mosque, one
beside the main gate and another behind the mosque. at the
bottom of the steps leading up to It. The meeting place of the    The Tablet of Ahmad
Mawlavls was somewhere adjacent to the mosque.
He Is the King, the All-Knowing, the Wise!

Lo, the Nightingale of Paradise singeth upon the twigsof
the Tree of Eternity,with holy and sweet melodies. proclaiming
to the sincere ones the glad tidings of the nearnessof God, calling the believers In the Divine Unityto the court of the Presence
of the Generous One, Informing the severed ones of the
message which hath been revealed by God. the King, the
Glorious. the Peerless.guiding the lovers to the seat of sanctity
and to this resplendent Beauty.

Verily this Is that Most great Beauty, foretold In the Books
of the Messengers. through Whom truth shall be distinguished
from error and the wisdom of every command shall be tested.
Verily He Is the Tree of Life that brlngeth forth the fruits of God.
the Exalted. the Powerful, the Great .

.0 Ahmadi Bear thou witness that verily He IsGod and there
Is no God but Him, the King, the Protector, the Incomparable,
the Omnipotent. And that the One Whom He hath s n.t forth by
the name of 'All (I.e. HisHolinessthe Bab)was the true One from
God, to Whose commands we are all conforming.

Say: 0 people be obedient to the ordinances of God. which
have been enjoined In the Boyan by the Glorious, the WiseOne.
Verily He Isthe King of the Messengersand HisBook lathe Mother
Book did ye but know.

0                                                                                                                                51
Thusdoth the Nightingal~ utter His call unto you from this             Bethou assured in thyselfthat verily. he who turns away from
prison. He hath but to deliver this clear ..message. Whosoever        this Beauty hath also turned away from the Messengers of the
desireth. let him turn aside from this counsel" and whosoever         past and showeth prlde_towards God from all eternity to all
desireth let him choose the path to his Lord._                        eternity.               .

0 people. If ye deny these verses. by what proof have ye               learn well this Tablet. 0 Ahmad. Chant It during thy days
believed In God? Produce It, o assemblage of false ones.               and withhold not thyself therefrom. For verily, God hath ordained for the one who chants it, the reward of a hundred martyrs
Nay. by the One in Whose hand is my soul. they are not.            and a service in both worlds These_favors have We bestowed
and never shall be able to do this. even should they combine           upon thee as a bounty on Our part and a mercy from Our
to assist one another.                                                 presence. that thou mayest be of those wh? are grateful.

0 Ahmadi Forget not my bounties while I am apsent.                      By Godl Should one who Is In affliction or grief read this
Remember My days during thy days, and My distress and                  Tablet with absolute sincerity, God will dispel .hissadness. solve
banishment in this remote prison. And be thou so steadfast in          his difficulties and remove his afflictions.
My love that thy heart shall not waver. even If the swords of the
enemies rain blows upon thee and all the heavens and the                  Verily. He is the Merciful. the Compassionate. Praise be to
earth arise against thee.                                              God. the Lord of all the worlds.

Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of life                                         -Baha'u'llah
eternal to My loved ones. and be not of those who doubt.

And if thou art overtaken by affliction in My path or
degradation for My sake, be not thou troubled thereby.

Relyupon God. thy God and the Lord of thy fathers. Forthe
p~ople are wandering In the paths of delusion. bereft of
discernmentto see God with their own eyes, or hear HisMelody
with their own ears. Thushave we found them. as thou also dost
witness.

Thus have their superstitions become veils between them
and their own hearts and kept them from the path of God. the              1- 'Thisremote prison' refers to the cHy of Adrfanople whereBahO'u'llah reveal-
áExalted.the Great.                                                 . eel this Tablet.                                          •

52                                                                                                                                                    53

/
I
Writings of Baha'u'llah revealed in
ii       Constantinople and Adrianople
MATHNAVl,-1-MUBARAK
TABLET OF HAWDAJ                      Bibliography
TABLETOF AHMAD (ARABIC)
Note: This compilation is only a brief survey of the period
TABLETOF AHMAD (PERSIAN)
of Baha'u'ilah's life in Constantinople and Adrianople. The in-
TABLETOF BAHA
formation in this guide has been gleaned primarily from the
TABLETOF RU
sources mentioned below. For a more detailed account of the
SURtV-1- DAMM
life of Baha'u'llah and the development of the Baha'i Faith.
SURIHSOF HAJJ
these books are recommended.
LAWH-1-SULTAN (Tablet to 'Abdu'I-Aziz)
SURIV-1-ASHAB                          SHOGHIEFFENDI.God Passes By. Wilmette. 111/nols:
Baha'i
KITAB-1-BADI                                      Publishing Trust. 1965.
SURIV-1-MULUK (Tablet of the Kings)
PRAYERS  FOR FASTING                       BALVUZI.
H.M. Boha'u'llah: TheKing of Glory. Oxford: GeorQe
LAWH-1-NAPULVUNI (FirstTablet to Napoleon Iii)                  Ronald. 1980
LAWH-1-NUQTIH
SUBHANIKA-VA-HU                          TAHERZADEH.
ADIB. The Revelation of Boha'u'l/ah. Volume
SURIH-1-GHUSN                                         Two. Oxford: George Ronald. 1977
SURIH-1-RA'IS
LAWH-1-SALMAN                           The Baha'i World Volume V + XVI
LAWH-1-NASIR
LAWH-1-KHALIL
LAWH-1-KHALIL
LAWH-1-SIRAJ
LAWH-1-ASHRAF
LAWH-1-LAVLATU'L-QUDS

/
-- Adrianople: Land of Mystery (Used by permission of the curator)