Gomidas Institute

26/09/2024

Kemal Yalçın, Your Rejoice My Heart (London: Gomidas Institute, 2024), xiv + 396 pp., ISBN 978-1-909382-80-0, pb., UK£25.00 / US$30.00.

“During the preparation of my book, I knocked on the doors of many Armenians. None of these people knew me before. For the first time, a Turk was asking about their backgrounds and wanted to revive their ‘memories’ that had been covered up and forgotten. These people trusted me and opened their doors, their hearts, their thoughts. They opened up and told me about their own or their families’ life stories. I saw that the Armenians I met were experiencing a pain that they could not express and did not wish to express. As they spoke, I realized that every Armenian was a drop from a sea of pain, a flower blooming on the fire, a broken heart. This book helps us to get to know the Armenians with whom we have lived for centuries, a people with their own history, culture, and national identity. I wanted to feel and understand the pain they carried within them, and to think about our past in a healthy, warm and friendly way.”
–From the Turkish edition of this work, Seninle Güler Yüreğim (2006).

Kemal Yalçın is an award winning Turkish writer based in Bochum, Germany. He is a graduate of Çapa Advanced Teachers’ College in Istanbul and the Philosophy Department of Istanbul University’s Faculty of Literature. His works, all written in Turkish, have been translated into major languages, including English, German, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Arabic, Armenian and Assyrian. You Rejoice My Heart [Seninle Güler Yüreğim] was first published in Turkish in 2006 and appeared in English a year later.

01/07/2024

FORTHCOMING PUBLICATION FROM THE GOMIDAS INSTITUTE
Gerard J. Libaridian, Liberation and Revolution: Critical Essays in Modern Armenian History, London: (Gomidas Institute, 2023), x + 248 pp, ISBN 1-90938327-73-2, pb. US$35.00/UK£30.00.

Pre-order your copy now for free shipping and handling to the UK, USA, Canada, and even Australia.
https://gomidas.org/books

25/04/2024

Eliza Aharon (Der Melkonian) Sachaklian, ELIZA: A Memoir of Love and Resistance, translated by Arpena Sachaklian Mesrobian, compiled and with an introduction by Marian Mesrobian-MacCurdy London: Gomidas Institute, 2021, illustrations, index, 204 pp., ISBN 978-1-909382-55-8, pb., UK£18.00/US$22.00. To order please contact [email protected]
https://armenianweekly.com/2024/04/24/eliza-a-memoir-of-love-and-resistance-refuses-to-remain-silent-in-the-face-of-oppression/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1K1E9X8llUOdp7QZ2PqKXYucDtQ4203nBl9s6NEW2Ti-v6Kylx6sny48A_aem_AR1ZF3MOGgj2-5nz7_PboDFG0-xdUHfU_f6dg3kzPydWpBLqbwljW5k2cJ0jrUV0UVWiTZqQe9TOYjtQbkW_4pyK

Eliza: A Memoir of Love and Resistance By Eliza Aharon (Der Melkonian) Sachaklian; translated by Arpena Sachaklian Mesrobian; introduction by Marian Mesrobian MacCurdy Published by Gomidas Institute Books Eliza: A Memoir of Love and Resistance [...]

06/04/2024

STATING THE OBVIOUS: KIGALI GENOCIDE MEMORIAL AND THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

STATING THE OBVIOUS: KIGALI GENOCIDE MEMORIAL AND THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
https://blog.gomidas.org/?p=855&preview=true

06/04/2024

STATING THE OBVIOUS: KIGALI GENOCIDE MEMORIAL AND THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
https://blog.gomidas.org/?p=855&preview=true

25/03/2024

For the more serious readers...
HOLY CROSS CATHEDRAL AND AGHTAMAR ISLAND, 2024
I recently posted a few interesting but uncomfortable items on Dogubayazid and the ancient city of Ani in eastern Turkey. Today I will post something more uplifting and probably surprising for many readers. It concerns the official Turkish website on Sourp Khach Cathedral and Aghtamar island in Lake Van (www.akdamar.gov.tr). I do not know who is behind the content of this site, but it reflects some positive developments. Here are some of the critical elements worthy of note.
* The English, French and German sections of the website refer to Aghtamar (Աղթամար) by the island’s proper name, “Aghtamar,” and not the more common Turkish rendition, "Akdamar." This is a positive compromise and I hope Turkish authorities will also consider changing “Akdamar” to a more fitting, "Ağtamar" one day.
* The main history section of the website starts with "Armenian Kingdom: Aghtamar City and the Kingdom of Vaspurakan." This prominent reference to Armenians also appears in the Turkish section, "Ermeni Krallığı: Ahtamar Şehri ve Vaspurakan Krallığı." Such references used to be anathema in Turkey, even a few years ago. Now we can see them on a government website. So, again, a positive note.
* In the architectural drawings section, the website presents facimile images from the Italian/English publication, "Documents of Armenian Architecture, Aght'amar," an academic series edited by Agopik and Armen Manoukian and published in Italy by Edizioni Ares, 1974. Yet again, this is a positive feature and adds much to the website. I suggest they add a bibliography to the site and list their sources for the more nerdy visitors.
* To its credit, under the section restoration, the website includes the following paragraph:
"The demolition of Aghtamar Church along with many Armenian monuments in the east was decided by the government in 1951, and the demolition that started on 25 June1951 was stopped by the intervention of Yaşar Kemal, who was a young journalist at that time and who coincidentally heard about of the incident. The church, which was neglected and dilapidated for years after that was decided to be restored under the leadership of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism in the period of 2005-2007, as a step towards the promotion of the relations between the Armenians of Turkey and Armenia."
The Turkish section of the website also includes the same passage:
"Doğudaki birçok Ermeni anıtı ile beraber Ahtamar Kilisesi’nin de 1951’de hükümet emriyle yıkımı kararlaştırılmış, 25 Haziran 1951’de başlatılan yıkım çalışması o dönemde genç bir gazeteci olan ve tesadüfen olaylardan haberdar olan Yaşar Kemal’in müdahalesiyle durdurulmuştur. Bu tarihten sonra yıllar boyu bakımsız kalan kilise 2005–2007 döneminde T.C.Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı öncülüğünde, Türkiye Ermenileri ve Ermenistan ile ilişkilerin geliştirilmesine yönelik bir adım olarak restore edilmesine karar verilmiştir."
I was bowled over when I read it. This forthright passage is a major departure in addressing painful episodes from the past in such a candid manner. However, I find the last sentence a little strange because the benefits of this project are much wider than “the promotion of the relations between the Armenians of Turkey and Armenia.” They also promote better relations between Armenians and Turks in Turkey, Turkey and Armenia, as well as Turkey and the Armenian diaspora.

COMMENT
Many years ago, Armenian history in this region was a taboo subject. The renovation of Sourp Khach Cathedral on Aghtamar island broke that taboo in a monumental fashion in the early 2000s. Today, tens of thousands of Turkish and foreign tourists visit Aghtamar every year, and the island serves as an unofficial memorial to the Armenian heritage of that region. How far any development around Aghtamar Island and related issues go will depend on input from different quarters. Armenians today would do well to be more learned and proactive, stand up for their shared heritage in Turkey, and engage positive opportunities when they see them.

DISCLOSURE: I am a historian of the late Ottoman Empire and modern Armenian history, the executive-director of the Gomidas Institute, and currently head “ProjectKharpert2022,” a Gomidas Institute initiative to rehabilitate the memory of Armenians in the Kharpert region of Turkey.

19/03/2024

JUST DO IT...
EXPEDITION TO VAN: RECLAIMING THE MEMORY OF ARMENIANS
We are cancelling our trip to Van this June because of low interest. Perhaps I should have fired up people's imagination better. I am obviously primed because I work on the Aghtamar Catholicosate and this area as a historian.
Instead, we will go ahead with an "expedition" to the Van region. Our target is to visit the former Armenian mountain settlements of Shadakh and Moks with their distinct culture, aesthetics, and language/dialects. This area was administered by the Aghtamar Catholicosate which was abolished in 1916. There have been very few informed visitors to this lost Armenian world in its own right. While in Van, we will also look for a specific "lost" monastic complex in the Gaboudkogh mountains (west of Aghtamar). We'll obviously share details of our findings.
It is incredible to think that there are still Armenian sites in Turkey that have been abandoned in people's imagination. So, it should be fascinating to use historical sources to find the location of such sites and see what remains.

* The Kars to Kharpert trip will take place between July 14 to 23. There are still four places available for those interested. Itinerary attached.

12/03/2024

SOGHOMON TEHLIRIAN AND THE ASSASSINATION OF TALAAT PASHA
March 15 will mark the anniversary of the 1921 assassination of Talaat Pasha in the streets of Berlin. Some people will revel in the gore of the killing, others will exalt the ARF for organising it, yet others will ponder on the broader historical/political context of that time.
The fact remains that Tehlirian was simply an assassin, a disposable young man, and we still lack critical information about the background to the event.
Tehlirian knew nothing about the actual background to Talaat's assassination. His story is written from a very personal angle. It is both tragic and exciting, and beautifully written by Vahan Minakhorian.
And yes, we have to ask whether Minakhorian's authorship has undermined the significance of the account. I do not think so, because we know a great deal about the background to the writing and editing of the book. I discussed this issue in my introduction to the English translation of Tehlirian's work. In fact, we would not have published the memoir were it not for that archival trail.
--Ara Sarafian

Soghomon Tehlirian, Remembrances: The Assassination of Talaat Pasha, as told to Vahan Minakhorian, translated into English and edited by Bedo Demirdjian, with an introduction by Ara Sarafian
London : Gomidas Institute, 2022, 312 pp., photos, maps, ISBN 978-1-909382-54-1, pb., UK£25.00 / US$30.00

TO ORDER: Simply send your order (with postal address to) [email protected]. You will be billed electronically.

21/01/2024

Positive and Proactive. I want everyone to know that we remain focused on the Gomudas Institute's ProjectKharpert2022. I am off on a research trip that was planned and funded by generous supporters. Thank you. I will share the results of my work when the time is right. Fingers crossed!

17/01/2024

Gomidas Institute’s ProjectKharpert2022 – End of year account presented to members of the board (redacted), Dec. 2023
by Ara Sarafian

ProjectKharpert2022 was launched in October 2022 to press for the Armenian heritage of Kharpert (Harput) to be integrated into current Turkish plans of turning Kharpert into a historical and touristic center. To date, the project has met the following objectives:

1. IN-HOUSE RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS. As planned, ProjectKharpert2022 started with research and analysis of the historical background to Kharpert with a focus on the late Ottoman period. It collected a significant range of Armenian, Turkish, and English language sources, both in print and electronic format. It also undertook significant online and in-person archival work in the US, UK, France and Turkey. We believe that we now have a critical-yet-still-growing collection of historical records that underpin our work.
2. VISITS ON THE GROUND. We made two visits to Kharpert in March and November 2023 to assess developments on the ground. These visits resulted in thousands of photographs related to topography, historical sites, new buildings, museums, etc. of Kharpert and its surroundings, all of which are now part of our documentation and analysis. Such visits are vital to keep abreast of developments in Kharpert, gauge local sentiments, and make local contacts.
3. A STRATEGY OF ENGAGEMENT. Focusing on the 19th and early 20th centuries (before WWI), we continue to advance a simple contention: Armenians are an integral part of the history of Kharpert. We chose this focus because official Turkey simply denies that Armenians have had any significant presence in Kharpert at all. This denial manifests itself in various publications and projects undertaken by Turkish authorities in Kharpert today, including Turkey’s application to list Kharpert as a UNESCO World Heritage site. (See https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6349/)
4. CONCILIATORY LANGUAGE. We decided to use conciliatory language when articulating our position to facilitate a sensible dialogue with Turkish authorities, civil society organizations, and private individuals. Our ongoing narrative is updated as a matter of course and reflects our understanding of the issues we are addressing.
5. TURKISH AUTHORITIES AND CIVIL SOCIETY. We contacted the governor and mayor of Elazig twice (August 2022 and June 2023) and requested that they protect the multicultural heritage of Kharpert in their renovation plans for the city, especially the presence of Armenians. We offered to cooperate with them in this regard but they have not responded so far. We had more positive feedback from Turkish civil society organizations and individual Turks.
6. OUR COMMITMENT TO THE PROJECT. We began raising the public profile of ProjectKharpert2022 with presentations at Pembroke College (Oxford), St. Mary’s Church (Washington DC), the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church (Burbank, CA), Armenian House (London), and AKEBI Center (Berlin). The Berlin event was our first opportunity to address a predominantly Turkish and Kurdish audience. The presentation will be uploaded online in the new year (2024).
7. MORE POINTS OF ENGAGEMENT. In recent months, following our visits to Kharpert, we focused on the content of three new museums opened by the local authorities. These were the Press, Music, and Hamam museums. All of these centers exclude references to Armenians. We recently released preliminary findings on the Press and Hamam museums on our page.

COMMENT AND CONCLUDING REMARKS
While Turkish authorities "renovate" Kharpert as a historical and touristic destination of their choosing, we shall provide critical assessments of their work, share alternative materials for consideration, and propose cooperation with each other.
Over the next four months we will:
(a) continue our academic work and broaden the scope of our focus.
(b) hold more events to raise the public profile of our work.
(c) continue to call for sensible engagement and cooperation with Turkish officials and civil society.
(d) address new developments in Kharpert.
(e) make a strategic appraisal of our work, its impact, and the new options ahead, including next steps in our approach to local authorities.

11/01/2024

Gomidas Institute’s ProjectKharpert2022 – End of year account presented to members of the board (redacted), Dec. 2023

by Ara Sarafian

ProjectKharpert2022 was launched in October 2022 to press for the Armenian heritage of Kharpert (Harput) to be integrated into current Turkish plans of turning Kharpert into a historical and touristic center. To date, the project has met the following objectives:

1. IN-HOUSE RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS. As planned, ProjectKharpert2022 started with research and analysis of the historical background to Kharpert with a focus on the late Ottoman period. It collected a significant range of Armenian, Turkish, and English language sources, both in print and electronic format. It also undertook significant online and in-person archival work in the US, UK, France and Turkey. We believe that we now have a critical-yet-still-growing collection of historical records that underpin our work.
2. VISITS ON THE GROUND. We made two visits to Kharpert in March and November 2023 to assess developments on the ground. These visits resulted in thousands of photographs related to topography, historical sites, new buildings, museums, etc. of Kharpert and its surroundings, all of which are now part of our documentation and analysis. Such visits are vital to keep abreast of developments in Kharpert, gauge local sentiments, and make local contacts.
3. A STRATEGY OF ENGAGEMENT. Focusing on the 19th and early 20th centuries (before WWI), we continue to advance a simple contention: Armenians are an integral part of the history of Kharpert. We chose this focus because official Turkey simply denies that Armenians have had any significant presence in Kharpert at all. This denial manifests itself in various publications and projects undertaken by Turkish authorities in Kharpert today, including Turkey’s application to list Kharpert as a UNESCO World Heritage site. (See https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6349/)
4. CONCILIATORY LANGUAGE. We decided to use conciliatory language when articulating our position to facilitate a sensible dialogue with Turkish authorities, civil society organizations, and private individuals. Our ongoing narrative is updated as a matter of course and reflects our understanding of the issues we are addressing.
5. TURKISH AUTHORITIES AND CIVIL SOCIETY. We contacted the governor and mayor of Elazig twice (August 2022 and June 2023) and requested that they protect the multicultural heritage of Kharpert in their renovation plans for the city, especially the presence of Armenians. We offered to cooperate with them in this regard but they have not responded so far. We had more positive feedback from Turkish civil society organizations and individual Turks.
6. OUR COMMITMENT TO THE PROJECT. We began raising the public profile of ProjectKharpert2022 with presentations at Pembroke College (Oxford), St. Mary’s Church (Washington DC), the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church (Burbank, CA), Armenian House (London), and AKEBI Center (Berlin). The Berlin event was our first opportunity to address a predominantly Turkish and Kurdish audience. The presentation will be uploaded online in the new year (2024).
7. MORE POINTS OF ENGAGEMENT. In recent months, following our visits to Kharpert, we focused on the content of three new museums opened by the local authorities. These were the Press, Music, and Hamam museums. All of these centers exclude references to Armenians. We recently released preliminary findings on the Press and Hamam museums on our page.

COMMENT AND CONCLUDING REMARKS
While Turkish authorities "renovate" Kharpert as a historical and touristic destination of their choosing, we shall provide critical assessments of their work, share alternative materials for consideration, and propose cooperation with each other.
Over the next four months we will:
(a) continue our academic work and broaden the scope of our focus.
(b) hold more events to raise the public profile of our work.
(c) continue to call for sensible engagement and cooperation with Turkish officials and civil society.
(d) address new developments in Kharpert.
(e) make a strategic appraisal of our work, its impact, and the new options ahead, including next steps in our approach to local authorities.