The Curiosities of Tsomgats for Merchants and Travellers. Part 3: On Barbary
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The city that is opposite of Bar Narsa is formally known as “Ruhum”, which means something along the lines of “All-Roads”. It is named so for its distinction as the largest trade-hub on the northern coast, and is under the royal possession of the Saka’s of Tsartsam[1], who dwell in this city during the winter months. Its local inhabitants however, know the city as “Baribar”, which owes its name in one part Tsomgats and another part Kohese, so that it simply means “The City by the Coast”. The surrounding countries we therefore know it as “Barbary”.
The city itself, although quite small, does not resemble an aggregate of villages, which is true for most cities in Tsmogats, for it is built in the imitation of our cities. It is straddled by water on three sides, so that the city itself resembles an island. It’s great harbour situated in the northeast of the city faces northwards towards the direction of Bar Narsa, and resembles the shape of a bell-beaker. It holds many ships of varying sizes throughout the entire year - all of which, are once more, of our designs. A great promenade stretches southeast, and a great many columns and trees divide the road in two parts, so that each of the two parts serves to direct the flow of traffic in one single direction. On either side were numerous townhouses and they were constructed with such luxury to be plastered with white lime and stucco in its entirety, giving evidence to the wealth of their inhabitants - for those who inhabit within the city were exclusively those with the means to do so.
On the base of these houses were multitudes of workshops, dressers, jewelers, and haberdasheries, each of which sells a great variety of pottery, goldwork, fine clothes, spices, dyes, carpets, tapestries, sculptures, cheeses, fruits, and many others of import and local production. Two days a week, merchants from outside the city are allowed to ply their trade within, flooding the promenade with their wares so that travel through the road is impossible if not done on foot.
There is a distinct lack of temples or places of worship within the city on account of the ban that the city had placed upon our people from taking up residence permanently[2]. Our merchants are therefore forced to make the journey to Bar Narsa each day.
The very southwestern quarter of the city opposite of the harbour along the promenade is the residence of the Saka which the seaward walls that run from the mouth of the great bell-beaker harbour passes through. It is very tall on account of its construction upon a hill, and its walls are made stout with the same materials used to build the sea walls. The palace, like much of the city, is made beautiful by a number of trees and fragrant plants and flowers that had been deliberately planted and kept by gangs of slaves responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the city. These slaves are made up of prisoners of wars, vagrants, or the household servants of the city elites, for it is both the custom and the law of the land that each subject of a Saka are drafted to maintain or construct public works[3].
The intervening countries through which it is necessary for caravans to pass through were divided into gardens and plantations of every kind. Part of the land was planted with olives, and another yielded an abundance of pomegranates, figs, and a great number of other fruit-bearing trees. Many streams were laid upon the land to irrigate its parts, and more yet came from the underground channels(4) that brought down water from the mountains. There were numerous estates occupying this country, and the farm buildings and granaries were filled with everything that was needful to its inhabitants, so that none lacked for want. Further on, herds of cattle and sheep grazed on land unsuitable for planting, and a variety of flowers are grown there upon the pastures. Here and there, horses were kept alongside the stock, and they are of adequate quality for use of travel.
Truly does the city enjoy such manifold prosperity that it is only second to Tsartsam itself, whose great splendour is unrivaled across lower and upper Tsomgats.
It is by this way that I, Kero Ish Gelei, bore witness to the lands of lower Tsomgats and returned to write this.
Footnotes:
[1] - Shahristan
[2] - Unlike other “Sea-Peoples”, the Kohese are allowed to enter and trade within the city of Ruhum. They are however not allowed to reside in the city for long without a permit as one of their conditions for establishing the Bar Narsa trade outpost.
[3] - Household slaves are regularly sent in place of subject’s as representatives or tokens of their draft.
[4] - Qanats
