Armenians from Nicomedia/Izmit/Iznikmid

[ervonitor]

Dear Armenian friends,

I live in the city of Izmit in Turkey and would like to get in contact with the survivers of the Genocide who used to reside in Izmit or the villages around Izmit, namely; Bardizag, Armash and Aslanbeg.

Please write to me at ervonitor@hotmail.com

Best regards,

ervonitor

[Yervant1]

Dear Armenian friends,

I live in the city of Izmit in Turkey and would like to get in contact with the survivers of the Genocide who used to reside in Izmit or the villages around Izmit, namely; Bardizag, Armash and Aslanbeg.

Please write to me at ervonitor@hotmail.com

Best regards,

ervonitor

Hi ervonitor,

 

Welcome to Hyeforum,

 

I do not have much hope that you will find any Genocide survivor from that area, because the number of survivors alltogether is dwindling due to their age since the youngest would be over ninety years old.

 

You might have a better chance with their children, wish you good luck.

[Alyona]

Looks like a prank, Yervant

[Yervant1]

Looks like a prank, Yervant

Who knows?

Maybe he got silenced for saying Genocide.

[ervonitor]

<!--quoteo(post=251020:date=Oct 29 2008, 11:25 PM:name=ervonitor)-->

<!--quotec-->Dear Armenian friends,

I live in the city of Izmit in Turkey and would like to get in contact with the survivers of the Genocide who used to reside in Izmit or the villages around Izmit, namely; Bardizag, Armash and Aslanbeg.

Please write to me at ervonitor@hotmail.com

Best regards,

ervonitor<!--QuoteEnd-->

<!--QuoteEEnd-->

Hi ervonitor,

 

Welcome to Hyeforum,

 

I do not have much hope that you will find any Genocide survivor from that area, because the number of survivors alltogether is dwindling due to their age since the youngest would be over ninety years old.

 

You might have a better chance with their children, wish you good luck.

 

Hello Mr. Yervant,

Thanks for your wish. I actually meant to meet the children and grandchildren as you advised. I was not silenced but, since I left my e-mail address on my profile page and asked to be informed by e-mail about contacters, I didn't visit the forum since than. Unfortunately the address I left for the notifications was discontinued for the mail company closed. So I was not informed about your message. Luckily, an Armenian from Australia contacted me yesterday using my e-mail address shown on my profile, which is working. And his grandparent was from Izmit.

By the way, I would like to ask you if there is an Armenian organization to document lost people, like The Simon Wiesenthal organization.

Thanks for your interest.

Yours truly,

ervonitor

[Yervant1]

Hello Mr. Yervant,

Thanks for your wish. I actually meant to meet the children and grandchildren as you advised. I was not silenced but, since I left my e-mail address on my profile page and asked to be informed by e-mail about contacters, I didn't visit the forum since than. Unfortunately the address I left for the notifications was discontinued for the mail company closed. So I was not informed about your message. Luckily, an Armenian from Australia contacted me yesterday using my e-mail address shown on my profile, which is working. And his grandparent was from Izmit.

By the way, I would like to ask you if there is an Armenian organization to document lost people, like The Simon Wiesenthal organization.

Thanks for your interest.

Yours truly,

ervonitor

Hi ervonitor, nice to hear from you again. The silencing was supposed to be a little joke (See the smilies). I personally don't know if we have a site for missing persons, if we have I'm sure one of our members will respond to it in time. Please visit us more often and have fun while you are here and welcome again.

[Arpa]

Hello Mr. Yervant,

===

to ask you if there is an Armenian organization to document lost people, like The Simon Wiesenthal organization.

Thanks for your interest.

Yours truly,

ervonitor

Yes there are, there have been. In fact they go back by 40 years before Wiesenthal. Seek and see among many, who Hrant Guzelian and Hrant Dink are.

Here a few of many.

http://www.genocide-museum.am/eng/online_exhibition_2.php

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4735171.stm

http://www.chanitz.org/2008/05/visiting-camp-armen-in-tuzla.html

---

In this picture you will see both Hrant-s. Guzelian at the center and Dink at the far right. Both RIP! http://www.armeniancatholic.org.au/common/khatchkar.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2182/2103318997_66dc751934_o.jpg

Edited April 9, 2010 by Arpa

[Louise Kiffer]

Dear Ervonitor, I was born in France but my parents were both from adabazar.

It was not far from Izmit. I lived in a house for Armenian Refugies. We had a

neighbour who was from Izmit, he had been in a famous school there, he had learned

german.

My father has written his diary since the day that the people from Adabazar have

been deported, on july 24 th 1915. Il was 14 years old. It is written in armenian

I have translated it in French until they went to corfou with the orphanage, and

then he went by his own means to Marseille , France. He had managed to go on a

boat where he worked.

the diary is on my website: inFrench and armenian

http://www.louise.choisy@wanadoo.fr

[Louise Kiffer]

from Louise Kiffer. please forgive me I made a mistake. My website is:

 

http://pagesperso-orange.fr/choisy/index.htm

[Louise Kiffer]

About people having lived in Nicomedia, our neighbour from Izmit had been in a religious school. His is dead since many years but he had

children (two boys) and grand children, boys and girls. Would you like to have their names ?

 

From Adabazar there were other families in our house. They wrote a book in armenian, it has not been translated. At the end of the book

there are the photos of all those who took part to the book. I'll try to post the cover.

[Louise Kiffer]

About people having lived in Nicomedia, our neighbour from Izmit had been in a religious school. His is dead since many years but he had

children (two boys) and grand children, boys and girls. Would you like to have their names ?

 

From Adabazar there were other families in our house. They wrote a book in armenian, it has not been translated. At the end of the book

there are the photos of all those who took part to the book. I'll try to post the cover.

[ervonitor]

Yes there are, there have been. In fact they go back by 40 years before Wiesenthal. Seek and see among many, who Hrant Guzelian and Hrant Dink are.

Here a few of many.

http://www.genocide-museum.am/eng/online_exhibition_2.php

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4735171.stm

http://www.chanitz.org/2008/05/visiting-camp-armen-in-tuzla.html

---

In this picture you will see both Hrant-s. Guzelian at the center and Dink at the far right. Both RIP! http://www.armeniancatholic.org.au/common/khatchkar.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2182/2103318997_66dc751934_o.jpg

 

Hello Arpa,

Thank you very much for your help. Please excuse me for my late answer, I don't have much time to check the Hye Forum.

Best regards,

Murat Oguz

[ervonitor]

Dear Ervonitor, I was born in France but my parents were both from adabazar.

It was not far from Izmit. I lived in a house for Armenian Refugies. We had a

neighbour who was from Izmit, he had been in a famous school there, he had learned

german.

My father has written his diary since the day that the people from Adabazar have

been deported, on july 24 th 1915. Il was 14 years old. It is written in armenian

I have translated it in French until they went to corfou with the orphanage, and

then he went by his own means to Marseille , France. He had managed to go on a

boat where he worked.

the diary is on my website: inFrench and armenian

http://www.louise.choisy@wanadoo.fr

 

Dear Miss Kiffer,

Thank you very much for your answer. And please excuse me for I answer late, unfortunately I was very busy to check the Hye Forum.

As far as I understand and know, the religios school you mention must be the Armenian religious school and convent in a village called Armash (now Akmese) about 20 km Northeast of Izmit. Adapazari is about 60km East of Izmit. I have been to Armash but unfortunately the newest building there is about 50 years old. There were some one storey stone buildings in Adapazari, somehow protected because they were historic. One was being used as a shop and survived the great earthquake of 1999 but after the earthquake some local "animals' demolished it to build a taller building in its place, saying that it was badly damaged. It was news on big TV channels and everybody saw that the Armenian built staone house was in perfect condition. Unfortunately it was too late to save the building.

Around 1915 the population of Izmit was about 8-10 thousand. Nowadays it is about 500 thousand. When I look at the city from the seaside or walk the old streets, I always wander if those Armenians who were forced to leave came back, would they recognize the town and find their way around. That is why I want to meet some Armenians, "people of Izmit" like me, and ask if they have any photos of the town before 1915. There was just one Armenian familiy still living in Izmit and some years before they moved to Istanbul. If you can give me names, I will ask them if they know each other.

My friend's father wrote a book about the history of Izmit. it is very informative about the Armenian population and buildings in town. Unfortunately it is in Turkish. If you e-mail me, I can send you some old photos.

My e-mail address is de_murat@yahoo.com

Best regards,

Murat Oguz

[Arpa]

http://hetq.am/eng/news/8660/istanbul-armenian-church-seeks-return-of-tuzla-orphanage.html

 

Istanbul Armenian Church Seeks Return of Tuzla Orphanage

 

14:57, December 30, 2011

According to a news report in today’s Hurriyet, Pastor Krikor Ağabaloğlu of the Gedikpaşa Armenian Protestant Church has filed a formal application with Turkey’s Foundations General Directorate for the return of an Armenian orphanage in Istanbul’s Tuzla district that had been expropriated in the wake of Turkey’s 1980 military coup.

Murdered journalist and human rights activist Hrant Dink also received an education at the Tuzla orphanage and contributed to its construction with his brothers.

No formal reasons were ever provided as to why the orphanage lands had been expropriated, Ağabaloğlu said. “The state wants us to prove the title deeds of properties it expropriated. The state already knows why and what it expropriated. All the documents and title deeds are in

[Louise Kiffer]

reply to ervonitor. Excuse-me for replying late, I had not seen your letter.

Yes the school was called Armash, my mother had great respect to those who had been in that school,

as the teachers were priests I think, and the education was very good.

One of our neighbours was from Armash. But he arrived in France, like other refugees, he had to do simple jobs.

he started as shoemaker.

There were several orphanages in Adabazar.

My father was named Hrant Sarian, his father Misak Sariyan, they were a rich family. But they had to go to the desert like the others.

They lost everything. They were busy with spinning, Adabazar was surrounded by trees of "tut", in armenian, the people went in the woods around to take the leaves... (I cannot explain in English)

 

My mother was from Adabazar too. her father'name was Khoren Halvadjian. Her mother'name was Arusiag Yeremian. She had many brothers and sisters, as her eldest sister had a son the same age of my grandmother, she gave milk to both of them, her son and her little brother.

The family of my mother were not sent to the desert, they were in a village of tatars, called "Bolovadin" they stayed there 4 years,

under a tent.My grandfather was grocer.

When the army of Mustaf Kemal arrived, they had to leave again. They went to Constantinople. They found jobs.

 

The father of my father did not come back from the desert, he had been taken in the army, though ha had paid the 'bedel', they learnt

the he died in Syria.

[ervonitor]

Hello Miss Kiffer,

Again please excuse me for I answer you so late.

The tree you talked about is "dut" in Tutrkish, it is obvious that the origine is Armenian, like many Turkish words. In English it is "mulberry". The catterpillars of silk worm eat only the leaves of the mulberry trees. Together with Bursa, Adapazari was an important silk production town before the Genocide. Now there are very few mulberry trees left around Adapazari.

Since very old times non-muslims were heavily taxed instead of been taken into the army. This changed before the first World War. Thousands of Armenians fought in the Ottoman army during the Balkan war and many have been decorated. Even after the Genocide, many Armenians continued to serve in the army, especially as doctors. But most were in "amele taburu" which is a "workers batallion". Most probably your grandfather has died of starvation, disease or over working. And unfortunately many people had to pay the "bedel" more than once.

If you permit me, I would like to write to your e-mail address, instead of this Forum. In that way I can answer you quickly and we can exchange more. My e-mail address is de_murat@yahoo.com

Yours sincerely,

Murat Oguz