Did Turks Ever Hold Erevan?

[alexan]

On the main italian newspaper (il corriere della sera) of today (february 4) i read: "...at the end of the 16th century turks took back erevan, tabriz and bagdad...". These lines imply that erevan had already been under direct rule of turks. To my knowledge persians and russians entered erevan throughout history, but never the turks. Such an information was given to me last year when i visited the persian mosque of erevan. After a search on the web it may well turn that that is probably wrong.

 

A History of Armenia by Vahan M. Kurkjian: "...The struggle between the Turks and Persians was resumed by Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, who sent an expedition against Tahmasp, successor of Shah-Ismail. The Turks captured Van and Tabriz, but Tahmasp did not admit defeat, and by a strong counter drive, recovered Tabriz and invaded the Turkish frontiers. Suleyman thereupon led a great army in person, to capture Baghdad and retake Tabriz. After a brief respite, hostilities between these neighboring countries again broke out under new sovereigns, Shah-Abbas I of Persia (1585‑1628) and Sultan Mourad III of Turkey (1575‑1595). The former was compelled to withdraw, yielding to the Turk the much-battered city of Tabriz, as well as Georgia and Persian Armenia (1585). Lala Mustapha, the Turkish general, carried away the boys and girls of Erevan, while his successor, Ferhad *****, erected in that city a fortress with the material brought from the ruins of churches, some of which he himself had destroyed..."

 

So, my question is: did turks ever entered and ruled erevan?

If this is the case: how many times?

 

schnoragalem

parevner ammenun

[Dave]

They did. Once, when the Seljuks took over historical Armenia (alongside Yerevan), and also during the 16th century.

 

Welcome to the Forum.

Edited February 5, 2006 by Dave

[kakachik77]

i think Yerevan was a tiny little thing back then, mainly of what we know of the Kond district, not the city we know of today.

[vava]

Interesting first post. Welcome alexan.

 

I'm not much of a history buff, but kakachik is correct. Yerevan was a fortress, and strategically important. It changed hands several times between the Persians and various turkic empires - however as recently as the early 1800's the population of yerevan was reportedly less than a scant 10,000 inhabitants. Compared to Tabriz, which was the capital city of the persian kingdom prior to the Safavids in the 13 century - yerevan as a city would have been rather insignificant. Perhaps some other members can shed more light.

[Armenak]

I think Yerevan was a tiny little thing even a century ago.

[CCA]

HI!

 

The Turks held Yerevan twice. The first was during the 16 century as mentioned earlier during war with Safavids, but Safavids regained it.

 

Then, they held it a second time in circa early 18th century, again as a result of war with the Safavids, but I Safavids retook the city again.

 

Here is an example of an Ottoman coin from the second period of occupation struck by the Ottomans in Yerevan.

 

G&M, Auction 143, 12.10.2005: Objekt-Nr.: 5526

Ahmad III., 1115 - 1143 H. (1703-1730).

Denomination:Abbasi or Onluk or 10 para, 1115 H. Mzst. Revan (Erevan) 5,53 g. KM. 17 (Armenien). R! Fleck Pat. ss

Estimation: € 100,00 / Price realized: € 200,00 (approx. US $241,00 as of the auction date)

 

You can read the mint name in Arabic on the obverse, below the toughra:

 

ﻥ ﺍﻭﺭ

 

"RWAN" = Yerevan

[vava]

wow

[alexan]

In summary, turks held erevan three times:

1. when the first of them (seljuks) invaded armenia

2. by ottomans in 1585 (soon after, maybe 1603, regained by persian safavides)

3. again in early 18th century (then again regained by safavides)

 

Yerevan had about 12.000 inhabitants prior to 1915 (surely not more than 20.000) and actually is rarely named (compared for instance to kars and etchmiadzin) in the centuries before. The kond district was probably - due to his position on a hill - the place of a fortress.

 

So the newspaper was right. As i mentioned in the first post, last year i was in erevan and listened proudly to the keeper of the blue mosque who told that persians had been in erevan but turks never did.

 

I am amazed how promptly i've got your answers.

Thanks to you all.

[Dave]

It seems that there were many Muslims (Turks, Tatars, Persians) in Yerevan.

 

http://www.armenica.org/history/maps/151erivan1827.gif

 

In this picture of Yereven in 1796, I can see 2 mosques, but only 1 church:

 

http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/8695/armenia363xr.jpg

Edited February 5, 2006 by Dave

[DominO123]

In summary, turks held erevan three times:

1. when the first of them (seljuks) invaded armenia

2. by ottomans in 1585 (soon after, maybe 1603, regained by persian safavides)

3. again in early 18th century (then again regained by safavides)

 

Yerevan had about 12.000 inhabitants prior to 1915 (surely not more than 20.000) and actually is rarely named (compared for instance to kars and etchmiadzin) in the centuries before. The kond district was probably - due to his position on a hill - the place of a fortress.

 

So the newspaper was right. As i mentioned in the first post, last year i was in erevan and listened proudly to the keeper of the blue mosque who told that persians had been in erevan but turks never did.

 

I am amazed how promptly i've got your answers.

Thanks to you all.

 

Before 1915, there was 30,000 habitants from the numbers I have, which makes sense since in 1897, there was about 29 thousand. The population actually started increasing for the first time from 1827 to 1897, it more than doubled.

[Armenak]

To my knowledge, there is only one mosque left in Yerevan today.

[Harut]

on the map above, there is a notation "fortress erected by the ottomans in 1852"...

is this a misprint? wasn't yerevan under russian control by then?

[CCA]

Yes, the Turkish fortress is probably a misprint. The only mosque in Yerevan today, is that Persian one, the Blue Mosque. There must have been others in history, the Mosque of Two sultans, Mosque of Geoi(?)

 

There is a whole article on the development of Yerevan in the Aniv magazine issue 1. I reccoment this to read, wonderful pics, reconstruction and maps showing the development of Yerevan.

 

Best,

Levon

[Takoush]

Before 1915, there was 30,000 habitants from the numbers I have, which makes sense since in 1897, there was about 29 thousand. The population actually started increasing for the first time from 1827 to 1897, it more than doubled.

Domino, where did you get all this wonderful information from? Would you please let us know?

Thanks muchly.