Armenia

Sources from old books

1638. The merchants mappe of commerce wherein by Lewes Roberts.

Of ARMENIA and the Provinces and Cities thereof.

ARMENIA hath on the East Media, and the Caspian Sea, on the West Euphrates and the Euxine Sea, on the North Tartarie, on the South Mesopotamia; the whole Countrey is divided into three Provinces; first, Colchis; secondly, Georgia; thirdly, Turcomania.

Colchis lieth on the Euxine Sea, the Inhabitants thereof being Christians; hence did Iason in the dayes of old steale the golden fleece; and here is also seene the ruines of that famous Citie Dioscuria, where by reason of the many forraine Merchants from all Countries that here frequented, three hundred languages was commonly spoken and practised.

Neither can I finde in Georgia, earst called Iberia, any Citie of note for trading. Turcomania being also as barren in this kinde. It is observed by sundry Authours that out of this Province is derived the Name and Originall of the Turkes, who here had their off-spring, and who within these three hundred yeares last past have made themselves potent by their Armies, and to the ruine of many Kingdomes, the present Grand Signior Sultan Amurath, who in Anno 1623, at my being in Constantinople was proclaimed Emperour of that Nation, hath under his Dominions and command in chiefe as Soveraigne all these Countries; first in Europe he hath Dacia, Grecia, all the Aegean Ilands, and Taurica Chersonesus; in Asia he hath the Provinces before already described; also Arabia, Syria, Media, Mesopotamia, Rhodes, Cyprus, and other Ilands; and lastly, in Africa he hath Aegypt and the Kingdome of Tunes and Argier, and many others of lesser consequence: and thus leaving Armenia, my next step is to Arabia, which commeth now to be handled.