ottoman armenians of note

[aurguplu]

As promised earlier, I have undertaken to post biographies of the Ottoman Armenians of note so that 1) the Armenian audience of this forum may learn more about the activities of Ottoman Armenians, and 2) those members who have illustriousOttoman ancestry, and who would like to know more about it, may benefit.

 

The names below are all the Armenian names I found in the first volume of the two-volume Encyclopaedia of the Ottomans published by Yapı ve Kredi Yayınları of Istanbul (in Turkish). There are 51 names in total in that volume, followed by biographies ranging from a few lines to a few pages. Most, but by no means all, biographies are written by Armenian researchers.

 

The translation has been made in the small hours of last night, and some titles have not been rendered precisely. These will be amended as I proceed. I also apologise for the very pedestrian quality of the present translation.

 

A few notes on Turkish orthography (the names below are written in Turkish orthography):

 

C: j in jam

Ç: ch in china

Ğ: gh

Ş: sh in shine

I: (undotted i): schwa, the russian bI.

Ü: French u in tu.

 

After I have posted the namelist of the second volume, I shall start to post the biographies in alphabetical order as I translate them, but I can translate specific ones if a forum member has such a request.

 

Enjoy the reading.

 

 

OTTOMAN ARMENIANS OF NOTE

 

A

 

Abdullah, Kevork (Istanbul, 1839-2nd April 1918). One of the famous photographers of Istanbul.

Abroyan, Sahak (İzmir, 15th September 1823-Istanbul 8th August 1900). Statesman, translator.

Adruni, Bedros (Istanbul 1883-1944). Educator, writer.

Agop, Güllü (orig. name Agop Vartovyan) (Istanbul, 1840-1902). Actor, screenwriter.

Agathon, Krikor (Hasköy, Istanbul, 4th July 1925-Paris 27th April 1868). General Director of the Post Office and Minister of Works, first Christian Minister of the Ottoman Empire.

Apraham (Ankara, 15th Century). An eyewitness to the siege and conquest of Constantinople. Famous for his 98-quatrain elegy of the Conquest.

Arabyan (Hovhannesyan) Boğos (Eğin 1742-Istanbul 1835). Printer, publisher.

Aramyan, Canik (İzmir 1820-Istanbul 16th April 1879). Privy Printing Press emin. Fontmaker, artist and intellectual.

Asadur, Hrand (Istanbul 1862-5th June 1928). Writer, lawyer.

Atamyan, Bedros (Istanbul 21th December 1849-4th June 1891) theatre actor, painter (illustrator), writer.

Aznavur, Hovsep (1853 or 21st May 1854-Cairo 15th May 1935). Architect.

 

B

 

Balyan, Agop (Istanbul 1837-Paris 1875) Imperial Architect.

Balyan, Drtad (Talas, Kayseri 1850-Athens 2nd July 1923). Ethnographer, cleric.

Balyan, Garabet Amira (Istanbul, 1800-1866). Imperial Architect.

Balyan, Krikor Amira (Istanbul 1764-1851). Imperial Architect.

Balyan, Nikoğos (Istanbul 1826-1858).

Balyan, Sarkis (Istanbul 17th February 1831-7th November 1899). Imperial Architect and Chief Architect of theState.

Baron (Baronak) (Istanbul 1834-1900) (Armenian pronunciation Parunak). Luthier.

Baronder, Krikor (Gandhza ? - Jerusalem 1645). Patriarch of Jerusalem.

Baronyan, Hagop (Edirne (Adrianapolis) 1842-Istanbul 1891). Humorist, journalist.

Berberyan, Avedis (Istanbul 1798-1870). Historian and teacher.

Berberyan, Nişan G. (Istanbul 1842-1907). Printer, cliché-maker, painter (illustrator) and caricaturist.

Bezciyan, Harutyun (Istanbul 10th April 1771-3rd June 1834). Emin of the Imperial Mint, philanthropist, advisor to Sultan Mahmud II.

Binemeciyan, Eliza (Istanbul 1890-Toronto, Canada 1981). Theatre actress.

 

C

 

Celalyan, Hovsep (Istanbul 1870/74?-27th June 1936). Chemist, writer.

 

Ç

 

Çerçyan, Hamparsum (Istanbul 19th September 1828-Izmid 5th June 1901). Musician.

Çulhacıyan, Dikran (Istanbul 1837-İzmir 10th March 1898). Operetta composer.

Çulhayan, Krikor (Istanbul 1868-28th February 1938). Musician, composer.

 

D

 

Dadyan, Boğos (Istanbul 1800-Paris 19th November 1863). Chief Gunner (gunpowder-maker), philanthropist.

Dadyan, Harutyun (Istanbul 5th April 1830-7th October 1901). Minister.

Dadyan, Hovhannes (Istanbul 14th February 1798-18th April 1869) Chief Gunner (gunpowder-maker), philanthropist, inventor.

Der Hovhannesyan, Kevork (Istanbul 1737-23rd November 1811). Historian, writer, linguist, translator.

Deveciyan, Karekin (Harput (Kharpert), Elazığ (Mamuretulaziz) 18th February 1867-Istanbul 8th January 1964). Central Director of Istanbul Fishery (Balıkhane), author.

D'Ohsson, Ignatius Mouradgea (Istanbul 31st July 1740-Paris 27th August 1807). Swedish ambassador of Armenian origin, writer.

Düzyan, Garabed (ıstanbul 28th July 1779-27th November 1855). Chief Jeweller.

Düzyan, Hagop (Istanbul 3rd January 1793-Vicenza, Italy 4th July 1847). Chief Jeweller and Emin of the Imperial Mint.

Düzyan, Hovhannes (Istanbul 24th April 1749-9th April 1812). Chief Jeweller and Emin of the Imperial Mint.

Düzyan, Mihayel (Istanbul 14th January 1724-13rd August 1783). Privy Jeweller.

Düzyan, Sarkis (Istanbul 15th October 1777-2nd October 1819). Chief Jeweller.

 

F

 

Fasulyacıyan, Tovmas (Istanbul 25th July 1843-Alexandria 23rd September 1891). Theatre actor.

Felekyan, Mari Heranuş (Tahran 1875-Istanbul 1936). Theatre actress.

Feruhan Kurtikyan, Parunak (Istanbul 18th October 1824-15th June 1869). Doctor and writer.

 

G

 

Garabedyan, Bedros Zeki (Istanbul 4th September 1871-December 1937). Secretary General of the State Şura.

Gugasyan, Nişan (Istanbul 1848-6th January 1918). Chemistry and Pharmacology Teacher at the Imperial Faculty of Medicine.

Gurdikyan, Isdepan (Brussia 1865-Istanbul 1948). Linguist, translator, teacher.

 

H

 

Handanyan, Hagop (Diyarbekir 1834-Istanbul 30th October 1899). Doctor and writer.

Hanne, Hovhannes (Jerusalem ?-12th June 1733). Cleric, historian, painter, poet.

Holosyan, Kevork (Istanbul 1858-22nd May 1907). Theatre actor.

Hovagim I (?-Istanbul 1477). First Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul.

Hovhannes IX (Golod) (Bitlis 1678-Istanbul 12th February 1741). Armenian Patriarch, educator, intellectual.

Hrimyan, Mıgırdiç (Van 4th April 1820-Echmiadzin 29th October 1907). Armenian Patriarch, educator, journalist, writer.

[khodja]

Ali,

 

Your efforts are greatly appreciated. Your work will help to dispel our myths as the publishing of this type of book will help to dispel myths held in Turkey about Armenians. Some of us Armenians do realize that the Genocide was not without provocation, that a small element among Armenians were actively taunting the authorities.

[ThornyRose]

Khodja, as a Turk, I am surprised to hear your mention of this "element" - what is your point, now?

[khodja]

An understanding of any world event requires a clear-headed analysis of the sequence of events. Any rapproachement between our peoples must be based on truth, not propaganda. This goes for both sides.

As an Armenian, I was fed many myths in Armenian school which I now know to be untrue. We are almost as eastern as the Turks in our mentality, both peoples having a mixed east-west culture. Our cultures are very similar, as are our genetics (with minor differences). Armenians as a national group are a "mouse" who think that they are a "lion." Realism is a virtue that the majority of Armenians have yet to learn.

[aurguplu]

khodja,

 

thanks a lot for the encouragement (well, what else can you ride on in the small hours of a weekday night?)

 

i hope the postings will provide members with quite a different perception of ottoman turkey than the one they have now.

 

thanks again,

 

cheers,

[khodja]

For the sake of argument, let us suppose that the state of Armenia was the state of the Vatican. All schoolchildren would be taught history by the priests. All world events would be passed through an ecclesiastical prism. Would you feel comfortable with the version of history that was passed down to the children?

 

Until quite recently children of the Diapora received no training in Armenian history outside of the church-related institutions. In view of the fact that over 90% of Armenians belong to the two Gregorian churches, this indoctrination would be almost universal.

 

So the indoctrination that we are subjected to is not unlike what Turks are subjected to in Turkey. This does not make rapproachement an easy task.

[aurguplu]

khodja,

 

we shall overcome.

 

cheers,

[bellthecat]

Ali - in this book, are the individuals specifically mentioned as being Armenian, or have you gone through the book picking out Armenian sounding names?

 

steve

[ThornyRose]

Which leads me to ask... Is Agop Dilaçar there mentioned as "Martayan" or "Dilaçar"? Or would he not be added into "Ottoman"?

[aurguplu]

i have actually relied on my ability to recognise armenian names (which i claim to have). after all, if someone is called sarkis balyan, then you might think he is armenian! i knew prior to this endeavour that some of the people i have been writing about were armenian.

in a few cases, their armenian ethnicity or origin (the two are not the same) is directly mentioned, but these cases are more or less confined to those individuals who have careers that specifically concern the armenian community directly and few outside it, like the clergy and the like.

the career summaries give ample evidence that they were armenian: the armenian schools they attended, their publications (i cannot speak armenian but can recognise it when i see it written both in the original armenian case as well as in latin transliteration), their activities within the armenian community, and the cemeteries where they are buried.

additionally, these particular entries are mostly (but not always) penned by armenian writers.

i have read the entries before i compiled the above list, i have no doubt that all of these people are armenian. if it turns out that i am mistaken with any one of them, i shall post the correction.

i shall welcome any critism of the entries, as i am doing this for the benefit of the forum members.

[aurguplu]

he is not up there... oops, i must have missed him (of all people, a linguist!) because i remember having seen an entry on him. i have a little homework to do tonight, then.

i will not be able to post the second part of the names tonight as i have received a translation job (we are all doing extra jobs here to make ends meet). the list is ready, there are slightly over 100 names there. i hope you will enjoy that one, too.

cheers, & thanks for the warning,

[ThornyRose]

Goody!

[aurguplu]

thorny,

 

i checked both volumes last night, and agop dilaçar is not there. the most likely explanation is that they considered him a republican turk rather than an ottoman, which actually fits with his career, i must add. he did his greatest service to the turkish language during the early years of the republic.

 

since diran kelekian was mentioned (he died in 1915 "near urfa" in the "armenian events"), the only reason why he wasn't mentioned must have been that he did his greatest work in the republican era.

 

i am currently battling with a translation job that i acquired, i shall post the names of the second volume as soon as that one is over.

 

sorry for the delay,

 

cheers

[aurguplu]

here is the rest of the list

 

K

 

Kalfayan, Sırpuhi (Ist. 17th Feb. 1822-21st July 1889). Nun, founder of the Kalfayan Nun Society and Orphanage.

 

Karakahya, Apraham (Ist. 1833-1918) Minister, Member of State Council (also known with surname Yeremyan).

 

Karakoç, Sarkis (Ist. 1st Sept. 1865 - 8th March 1944). Jurist.

 

Kazazyan, Agop (Ist. 1831/33-7th Sept. 1891). Minister of Privy Treasury.

 

Koçyan, Püzant (Ist. 8th August 1859-3/29 June 1927). Journalist, linguist, educator.

 

Kelekyan, Diran (Kayseri 20th Sept. 1862-near sivas 1915). Journalist, linguist, educator.

 

Kevork (18th century) tilemaker.

 

Koçunyan, Misak (Aleppo 16th Sept. 1863-Ist. 18th May 1913). Journalist, writer.

 

Kömürciyan, Krikor (Ist. 6th March 1868-9th Feb. 1958). Educator, college textbook writer.

 

Kömürciyan, Yeremya Çelebi (Ist. 13th May 1637-15th July 1695). Historian, poet, translator and printer.

 

other letters will follow...

[khodja]

Ali,

 

Could you begin to list the biographies from volume 2, as I am the only one here who has responded positively to your diligent effort. The others here seem to have only a passing interest. Thank you.

[aurguplu]

L

 

Labcinciyan, Teotik (Ist. 5th March 1873-Paris 24th May 1928). Researcher, writer.

 

Limoncuyan, Hamparsum (Ist. 1768-29th June 1839). Composer, inventor of notation, music instructor, chief singer, violinist, tambur player.

 

M

 

Mardikyan, Oskan (Erzincan 1867-22nd Feb. 1920). Theatre actor and regisseur.

 

Mihran Efendi (kayseri 1855-?-?) Newspaper owner and manager.

 

Minasyan, Artin (Kütahya, 19th-20th Cent.) Tilemaker.

 

Minasyan, Hacı Karabet (Kütahya, 19th-20th Cent.) Tilemaker.

 

Miricanyan, Şnork Mgrdiç (Ist. 1742-5th Feb 1800). Palace jeweller, goldsmith, founder of first community school.

 

Mühendisyan, Hovhannes (Ist. 21st Feb. 1810-18th Nov 1891) Privy Print Emin, fontmaker, jeweller.

 

N

 

Nalyan, Hagop (Divriği 1706-Ist. 19th July 1764) Armenian patriarch, poet.

 

Nikoğos Ağa (Melkonyan) (Ist. 1836-9th Sept. 1885). Composer, singer, tambur player and music instructor.

 

Noradunkyan, Kapriel (Ist. 1852-Paris 1936) Statesman.

 

Nurican, Hovsep (Ist. 1828-1898) Doctor and writer.

 

O

 

Odyan, Krikor (Ist. 9th Dec. 1834-Paris 6th Aug 1887) State official, Member of State Council.

 

Ohannesyan, David (Kütahya, 1883-Beyrut 1953). Tilemaker.

 

Ormanyan, Mağakya (Ist. 23th Feb. 1841-19th Nov. 1918). Armenian patriarch & intellectual.

 

Oskan, Yervant (Ist. 1855-9th July 1914) Painter, sculptor, archaeologist.

 

P

 

Pokuzyan, Zakarya (Kağızman, Kars 1719-Ist. 11th March 1799). Armenian patriarch.

 

Portakal, Mikayel (Ist. 1842-6/18 Nov 1897). Statesman, economist and researcher.

 

R

 

Refail (?-Ist 1780). Privy painter of Armenian origin.

 

Rusinyan, Nahabed (Efkere, Kayseri 23 Sept 1819-Ist 29th Feb 1876). Doctor, poet, writer and translator.

 

S

 

Sarraf-Hovhannesyan, Sarkis (Ist. 1740?-7 March 1805). Histrian and educator.

 

Saralanyants, Dikran (İzmir, Feb 1821-17 Jan 1901). Photographer.

 

Sebah, Pascal (Ist. 1823-25 June 1886). Photographer (half Catholic Assyrian-half Armenian).

 

Seropyan, Hagopos (Balat 1780-Jerusalem 6th Nov. 1862). Patriarch.

 

Serveryan, Hovhannes (Kayseri 1786-Ist. 24th June 1858). Privy architect.

 

Sırvantsdyants, Karekin (van 12th Dec. 1840-Ist. 17th Nov 1892). Ethnographer, cleric.

 

Soğomonyan, Gomidas (Kütahya 26th Sept. 1869-Paris 21/22 Oct. 1935).

 

Ş

 

Şen, Bimen (Brussia 1873-Ist. 26 Aug. 1943). Composer, singer.

 

Şığtagayir, Krikor (Şirvan, Bitlis 1670-Jerusalem 12th Feb. 1749).

 

T

 

Taranağlı, Krikor (Kemah, 1576-Tekirdağ Sept. 1643).

 

Tarkulyan, Boğos (?-Ist 1940) Photographer.

 

Taşçıyan, Nikoğayos (Ist. 1841-9th Sept. 1885). Musicologist, composer, educator.

 

Tatyos Efendi (Ist. 1858-16th March 1913). Composer, violinist and kanun player.

 

Terziyan, Tovmas (Ist. 21st Oct. 1840-8th Feb. 1909).

 

Tıngır, Andon Yaver (Ist. 1812-1908) Member of State Council.

 

Tıngıryan, Bedros (Ist. 3rd Sept. 1799-Buca, İzmir 1881). Linguist and cleric.

 

Torkomyan, Vahram (Ist 20th April 1858-Paris 12th August 1942).

 

V

 

Varjabedyan, Nerses (Ist. 28 Jan 1837-26 Oct. 1884) Archbishop, Arm. patriarch, educator.

 

Viçenyan, Serope (Ist. 22 Nov. 1815-2 Oct 1897). Doctor, member of teaching staff.

 

Y

 

Yeremyan, Seğpos (Eğin 1680-90-Ist 5 Feb 1754). Merchant, dragoman to the English embassy in Istanbul.

 

Z

 

Zilciyan, Kerope (Ist. 1829-23 March 1910). Cymbalist.

 

Zohrab, Krikor (Ist 1861-Urfa 1915). Jurist, writer, politician.

[khodja]

Ali,

 

When can you begin to post individual biographies? Can you work first in volume 2? Thank you for your effort.

[aurguplu]

hagarag,

 

i shall do that as soon as i can. at the moment my parents are at home and i have to devote time to them (i don't see them that often) and also my girth has approached my height, and i am spending the evenings trying to reverse the trend. i think one or two-three bios per week is feasible (it ought to take about half an hour to translate one of them).

 

here there is a hysterical campaign to try to stop atom egoyan's "ararat", and i am keeping a low profile as far as my views are concerned. don't be surprised to see in a few years' time a film where armenians carry out a genocide of the turks!

 

there is also this war of words on "salkım hanımın taneleri" (the beads of salkım hanım), a book written by erdoğan karakoyunlu, a minister of state, who had witnessed the varlık vergisi (wealth tax) period, and criticised it in the book. the character in question was a jew in the book, who had turned into an armenian in the movie "because the jews would not allow filming in the synagogues". there was a big uproar in the press - and even the parliament - about it, it is still going on, and one person mentioned - without criticising - that this was part of a long-term campaign to prepare the turkish public opinion to face the truth of the armenian "events". you will recall that i was suspecting this myself for at least the past year or so.

 

the near future, i believe, is going to be very interesting for all of us.

 

cheers,

[Boghos]

Dear Ali,

 

You naturally enjoy a much closer perspective than I do on the Turkish dynamic. Buy to believe that we´ll see a resolution of the Armenian question anytime soon in Turkey is sheer wishful thinking.

 

The Turkish state is still very weak and these kind of initiatives only threaten it even further. It is not bankrupt Turkey that will come to peace with its tragic past.

[aurguplu]

dear boghos,

believe me it is quite a relief to hear this from an armenian, especially the last sentence!

yepp i think you are right. but the thing is

1) it looks like the usa has plans for this region, and forthis reason it has to solve the existing conflicts. of course, the two conflicts that catch the limelight are the israeli-palestinian and the cypriot ones, with the turkish-armenian (and azeri-armenian) ones lagging behind but still there.

2) the armenian issue has been brought forward so many times and so many turks have been exposed to it that the fact that whatever happened to the armenians differs profoundly from the official story is an open secret by now.

of course if turkey was in better shape it would have been so much easier to extract the recognition officially.

if ozal were alive today we would have recognised it long ago. we would also have solved the cyprus issue, and the eu would be forced to look for other excuses to keep us out.

anyway, we will see these things resolved in our lifetime.

cheers,

[sdcheung]

Aurguplu,

 

might I direct you here...

/cgi-bin/forum/ultim...10&t=000231&p=1

 

and here..

http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/170347

[aurguplu]

sdcheung,

 

got it. well, what did you expect, especially from the mhp guys? as for rifat bali, i have not yet read his other books on the turkification of minorities in the republican period. he came out as a turkish nationalist in a recent tv discussion with etyen mahçupyan. i am in no position to comment as i am not familiar with his work.

 

as far as i am concerned, the row over the movie served to draw the attention of the turkish public to the taboo subject of what really happened to the armenians. i am 34 now, and as far as i can tell, the issue is being debated more now than any other period in my lifetime. we can of course not expect the establishment to accept the genocide outright. but the fact that the book was published, the movie shown, rows took place in public, and no-one got jailed, convinces me more and more that this is indeed a long-term plan to get the public get used to the idea at least that the possibility of these events having been a genocide can no longer be ruled out (besides the fact that many people do actually believe - or know - that it was one).

 

you see, we were a closed nation until ozal, much like the former soviet union. now we are opening up to join the rest of the world, and the western part, preferably. we cannot go on denying ugly truths about our past, we have to come to terms with them they way germany for instance has. but since we lied to our own people for a full three generations, we have to give the truth bit by bit now, and all the yelling you see in the press is actually like the screams of a little child as he swallows the bitter medicine. after all, we are telling them that some of their ancestors did this grisly thing. it won't go down without some pain, will it?

 

think about it.

 

cheers,

[sdcheung]

Aurguplu..

 

Thorny made the request for the link change..

MosJan has been very negative towards her. and has given her a suspension.

 

just thought you'd like know.

 

To the Forum Mods:

Welll now you've gotten Thorny all pissed off ..and she told me to come and distribute justice for her. So..who wants to feel my Aluminum Baglama on their heads? This forum abused Thorny, so now i'm here. I want to know who is against Thorny...

 

I'm waiting...

[dragon]

I always with her

[khodja]

Ali,

 

As I would like to see Turks such as you live a long life, I suggest that you acquire a taste for the traditional diet of the Chinese and Japanese. Armenian cuisine made my father an invalid by 40 and off to the next world by 60. I am certain that pursuing the Turkish diet, which is quite similar to the Armenian, will have the same fate in store for anyone who pursues it. I suggest that you acquire a taste for the food of the Far East.