Mediterranean Basin

Armenian Street Foundation

Mediterranean Basin

PARADISE LOST

Sis, West Armenia, Ararat Sarkissian, 2021, oil on canvas, 65 x 46 cm
Of the medieval capitals of Armenia, only Sis can compete with Ani. Becoming the capital in 1173, the city was developed especially during the reign of King Leo II (1187-1219), when the walls, the royal palace and many magnificent religious and secular structures were built. Armenian historians especially praise the new palace founded by king Hetum I (1226- 1269) and its magnificent sculptures. Sis remained the capital until 1375, when it was occupied by the Egyptian mamelukes. The city was destroyed; the royal complex was demolished. In 1516 the city was conquered by the Ottomans. The Islamic rulers renamed Sis Kozan, but until 1915 it had a predominantly Armenian population.
In 1293, the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church was established in Sis, thus beginning the history of the Catholicosate of Cilicia. Sis would probably have shared Ani’s fate if the Catholicosate had not been establishedthere.
The Catholicos complex, founded during the reign, was called the Old Monastery by the Sis inhabitants. In 1810 Catholicos Kirakos I Ajapahian (1797-1822) founded New Monastery. The newly built Cathedral, which was an impressive architectural monument, was built on the ruins of the royal St. Sophia Church and bearing the same name.
At the request of the Turkish authorities, Catholicos Sahak II Khabayan (1902-1939), collecting the antiquities and riches of the Catholicosate, was deported to Arabic countries with the remnants of the Cilician Armenians, and in early 1922 the abandoned Catholicosate was destroyed and looted. Now there are only two walls left of the Catholicos Cathedral, as if testifying that “the Turks passed there.”

Erzurum, West Armenia, Ararat Sarkissian, 2021, oil on canvas, 65 x 46 cm
Western travellers considered Erzurum the capital of Western Armenia. In ancient times it was known as Karin.
In 421 the Byzantine emperor Theodosius II built a strong fortress, renaming it Theodosupolis. The city was renamed again after the Seljuk invasions, when the nearby Armenian town of Artsn was destroyed and its inhabitants fled to Karin. It was named Artsn, Erzurum in Turkish pronunciation.
The overwhelming majority of the city’s population has long been Armenian, but being the most powerful administrative and military center in the eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire, a large number of Muslims have settled there. Mass forced conversion also played a big role. OnlyafewhundredoutofoneandahalftensofthousandsofArmenians survived the genocide.
Erzurum was located on the Silk Road from Tabriz to Izmir, which greatly contributed to the development of trade and crafts. The woolen fabrics of Erzurum, the basturma (a highly seasoned, air-dried cured beef) of the army meat providers Pastermadjian family, were especially famous.
Erzurum was the educational and intellectual center of Western Armenia. Sanasarian College was especially famous, which is still one of the sights of the city.

Adana, West Armenia, Ararat Sarkissian, 2021, oil on canvas, 65 x 54 cm
Cilicia is one of the oldest inhabited areas in the world, the crossroads of civilizations, and Adana is its heart. In the Middle Ages, Adana was the domain of the Oshinian princes, inhabited by Armenians. Linguists claim that the names Adana and Hrazdan are common and are connected with the Indo-European word dan (river).
From 1130s to 1359 Adana was part of the Cilician Armenian state. Adana was not the capital, but it is remembered as a “magnificent royal city.”
In the second half of the 12th century a royal palace was founded in Adana, also many magnificent churches, the most famous of which is St. Hakob, which was turned into a mosque by the conquerors and called Ulu- jam. The city was defended by a fortress built on a rock, surrounded by towering walls.
In the 19th century, the importance of Adana and Cilicia in the world trade increased many times due to cotton cultivation. The Ottoman provincial cities were declining, looking sadder. Adana was an exception: many beautiful and magnificent buildings are being built there. Adana became one of the most beautiful cities of the Ottoman Empire, and its merit was mainly on Armenians.
Despite that, hatred towards Armenians was growing. In April 1909 Armenian massacres begin in Adana. The Armenian song says: “The glorious Adana became a desert.” There were many massacres, but this one was unique as an expression of evil envy.
The city was finally emptied of Armenians in 1921. Now it is one of the most prosperous and developing cities in the Middle East. But it will never surpass the glory when Adana was Armenian. And Armenians will never forget what a beautiful city they had.

Zeytoun, West Armenia, Ararat Sarkissian, 2021, oil on canvas, 65 x 54 cm
When in 1375 the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia was abolished, several semi- independent governments still existed in Mountainous Cilicia for about five hundred years, the most famous of which was Zeytun.
Although Cilicia, including Zeytun, from the beginning of the 16th century was under Ottoman rule, this subordination was nominal. In the 17th and 18th centuries Zeytun was governed by the principle of military democracy. Only in the middle of the 19th century an attempt was made to subdue Zeytun to the central authorities. In 1862 Aziz Pasha, the governor of Marash, attacked Zeytun with a large army and suffered a terrible defeat. That heroic battle aroused great enthusiasm among Armenian patriots and became a symbol of Armenian freedom. Poems and songs were written and myths were woven about it.
Despite that, Sultan Abdul Majid achieved the elimination of the semi- independence of the province, and the inhabitants became taxpayers. In 1878 a new uprising broke out, led by prince Babik. The battles that lasted for about two years ended in mutual concessions. For the Ottoman Empire, Zeytun became a hated symbol that he sought to destroy. Between 1780- 1909 Zeytun resisted the Ottoman troops 41 times, showing unwavering will for freedom.
In March 1915, the Armenians of Zeytun were forcibly displaced, and the city was set on fire. Some of the inhabitants were massacred, the survivors were deported to different countries. 1500 survivors from Zeytun returned to their homes. In 1921 at the request of the Kemalist authorities, Zeytun was finally emptied of Armenians. Now Süleymanlı village is in the place of Zeytun.

Bethlehem, Ararat Sarkissian, 2021, oil on canvas, 65 x 54 cm
Today, the Old City of Jerusalem is divided into four districts: Armenian, Muslim, Christian and Jewish. Armenians occupy almost a quarter of the Old City. The three senior guardians of the main Christian sanctuaries, the Armenian, Greek and Catholic churches, have been officially recognized as the right holders of St. Church of the Holy Sepulchre, St. Bethlehem Church of the Nativity, Church of the Sepulchre of Saint Mary of Gethsemane and Chapel of the Ascension of Mount of Olives.
According to legend, the rights of the Armenian Church to the Holy Places were first granted by the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century, and then confirmed by Omar Khalif. At that time, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem separated from the Greek one, and most of the Holy Places were recognized as Armenian properties.
There have been many encroachments on the property of the Armenian Church over the centuries, but the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem has been able to protect those rights and pass them on to future generations. The Armenians not only went to Jerusalem, but also tried to bring the Holy Land to Armenia. Catholicos Komitas in the 7th century rebuilt the temple of Holy Etchmiadzin according to the architectural forms of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Zvartnots Cathedral built by Nerses Shinarar is inspired by the image of the Rotunda of the Resurrection, and the Dvin Cathedral is rebuilt according to the composition of the Church of the Nativity of Bethlehem, etc. It was as if they were seeing the New Jerusalem in Armenia.

PARADISE FOUND

Alexandria, Egypt, Ararat Sarkissian, 2021, oil on canvas, 65 x 46 cm
The Armenian community of Egypt has a history of more than a millennium, with its ups and downs. The new rise of the community begins in the 19th century.
The center of the community has always been, indeed, Cairo, but in the 19th century it flourished in Alexandria. In 1792 there was already an Armenian church in Alexandria. The Poghos-Petros Church, built in 1880, is still functioning.
Alexandria was a small town in the 18th century, but in the following century it flourished highly. Alexandria became a cosmopolitan city, a crossroads of different languages, religions and customs of east and west. Armenians played a significant role in the prosperity of the city, especially Boghos Bey Yousefian (1775-1844) made Alexandria one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean.
Boghos Bey enjoyed the unconditional trust of the ruler of Egypt, Mohammed Ali, due to his perfect, uncorrupt reputation. In his activities, Boghos Bey worked to involve his compatriots in his activiries, develop the Armenian community life of Alexandria.
Nubar Pasha Nubarian (1825-1899) followed in the footsteps of his uncle. He repeatedly held the post of Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt. When Nubarian was still a teenager, the family moved to Alexandria, where his bright personality has been developed in the Levantine atmosphere. In Alexandria, a street was named after him and his bust was erected.
The Armenian community of Alexandra grew with the migration started after the Genocide, reaching 7-8 thousand. For political and economic reasons, Armenians started to leave Egypt after the 1950s. Now only about 1,000 Armenians live in the city.

Beirut, Lebanon, Ararat Sarkissian, 2021, oil on canvas, 65 x 54 cm
At the beginning of the 12th century, the Crusaders met many Armenian settlements in the mountains of Lebanon. The Armenian Catholic Monastery of Bzommar was founded here in the 18th century, which served as the residence of the Armenian Catholic Patriarch.
Lebanon became the center of the Armenian Diaspora after the Armenian Genocide, when tens of thousands of refugees, mostly from Cilicia, settled there. When in 1939 Turkey occupied the sanjak of Alexandretta, the community was replenished with tens of thousands of new refugees.
In 1924, Armenian refugees received citizenship, and after Lebanon’s independence, the Armenian Apostolic and Armenian Catholic communities received political status. Until now, they have their deputies in the Lebanese parliament. There have always been several Armenian ministers in the Lebanese government.
Favorable political and economic conditions in Lebanon also contributed to educational and cultural development of the Armenians. In 1930, the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia moved to the Antelias settlement near Beirut, becoming the de facto religious center of the Armenian Diaspora. There are still two dozen schools, and Haigazian University functions there.
The civil war of 1975-1990 was a severe blow to the Lebanese Armenians, most of them emigrated.
The “Little Armenia” of Beirut is Burj Hammoud, one of its suburbs. When the Armenian refugees settled there, it was a swampy empty space that they built and developed, creating a unique and self-contained Armenian atmosphere. Many of the neighborhoods of Burj Hammoud bear Armenian names: Marash, Sis, Adana, Aragats, Cilicia, Euphrates... During the Civil War it was a citadel for the Armenians of Lebanon.
Burj Hamoud has been the symbol of the Armenian Diaspora, his beating heart, and it must remain so.

Kessab, Syria, Ararat Sarkissian, 2021, oil on canvas, 65 x 46 cm
Kessab with its 12 Armenian villages, which complete the image of this enjoyable region living in the Armenian spirit, is a unique community. In the time of the Crusaders, it is referred to as Casabella, which means “beautiful house.”
Armenians began to settle around Antioch since the 9th century, but during the Ottoman rule they left the mountains, forming five village groups, the most famous of which is that of Suedia / Musa Dagh. No less glorious is the remnant of the ancient Armenians of Antioch, Kessab, the only one of its kind surviving to the present day.
During the years of the Armenian Genocide, the people of Kessab were forcibly deported, most of them were killed. Returning to their homeland in 1919, they defended their freedom with weapons.
In 1946-1947 the 2/3 of the people of Kessab were repatriated; it seemed this Armenian community would disappear. However, Kessab breathed new life in the 1960s, when it became a resort, famous for its apple orchards.
That peaceful and prosperous life was interrupted when the Free Syrian Army invades Kessab in 2014 with Turkish support. The settlement and the villages were looted, the sanctuaries were desecrated, most of the buildings were destroyed. But a few months later, when a return was possible, Kessab begins to heal its wounds. Hagop Cholakian, the author of many books about Kessab, writes: “The population of the Kessab village group endured all the historical shocks familiar to the Armenian people in the last one and a half centuries, but they were always able to return and restore their home.”

Nicosia, Cyprus, Ararat Sarkissian, 2021, oil on canvas, 65 x 54 cm
Since the 12th century there has been a large Armenian community in Cyprus, which became more numerous after the fall of the kingdom of Cilicia in 1375. There were 4-5 Armenian villages, Armenian monasteries, churches, two episcopal dioceses on the island.
When in 1571 the island was occupied by the Ottomans, the Armenians almost completely leave Cyprus. Ottoman rule ended in 1878, when the British became its de facto owners.
The history of the Armenian community in Cyprus restarted after the Armenian Genocide, when about 3,000 refugees, mostly Cilician Armenians, settled on the island.
In 1960, after a long struggle, Cyprus became independent from Great Britain. In 1974 Turkish troops invaded Cyprus, and the island was divided into Greek and Turkish parts.
This tragic event had an impact on the Armenian community. The Armenians of the Turkish part became refugees, and many religious and historical monuments remained there, which are being constantly desecrated. In the Turkish part remained Makaravank, the Holy Mother of God Cathedral, large estates.
The community lives a normal life. There are churches in Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol, and next to them, state-sponsored Nareg schools.
The fate of the Armenian community in Cyprus is archetypal: prosperity, political catastrophe - emigration, again prosperity created by great efforts, political catastrophe - emigration. They created a paradise and kicked out from there, which repeats itself again and again...

Aleppo, Syria, Ararat Sarkissian, 2021, oil on canvas, 65 x 46 cm
Aleppo has changed dozens of rulers during its five-thousand-year history, and several earthquakes have completely destroyed the city.
The Armenian community was formed in the 14th century, but grew in the following centuries, when it became a center of international transit trade. Armenian Khojas brought Persian raw silk there by southern route, which was then sold in European markets. The great poet Sayat-Nova called himself “from Aleppo.”
Armenian craftsmen were famous in Aleppo - jewelers, tanners, silk weavers and bakers from Sassoun. The most prominent building in Aleppo is its high fortress. The Sassoun people living in Aleppo believed it was built by the Armenian epic hero, David from Sassoun.
The Armenian community has been declining since the 18th century, with some assimilation into Arab Christians.
But since the end of the 19th century, the Armenian population of Aleppo has been growing at the expense of refugees who survived the Ottoman massacres. During the years of the Armenian Genocide in 1915, Aleppo was an intermediate destination for the caravans of exiles. Later, in the 1920s, most of them found their refuge in Aleppo.
A lively, active, self-confident, crowded community of up to 60,000 Armenians was formed there. Armenians easily integrated into their new homeland, which was especially facilitated by the granting of citizenship to refugees in 1924.
Syrian civil war, that broke out in 2011, wreaked havoc especially in Aleppo. Local Armenians also suffered great losses. Today only 14-15 thousand Aleppo Armenians are left from the once prosperous community, who are trying to preserve the image of the community and the viability of community structures at the cost of unspeakable efforts.

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