Lost Heritage from Timbuktu to Yerevan, Lost Money of Armenians and Lost Muslim Souls of Yerevan

The daily papers of 1 July 2012, Sunday sadly reported that Ansar Dine group was destroying mausoleums and tombs with pick-axes at centuries-old sites in Timbuktu, Mali. The Guardian gave a background for the UNESCO listed world heritage sites writing that  "[they] date from Timbuktu's golden age in the 16th century. Located on an old Saharan trading route along which salt from the Arab north was exchanged for gold and slaves from the south, Timbuktu blossomed as an Islamic seat of learning, home to priests, scribes and jurists".  A long description about the site can be found on UNESCO web site from where the photo on the left was taken.

Unfortunately traces of past have been erased in many settlements mostly during wars and conflicts but sometimes silently during peace time throughout history.

One example is Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, which used to be called Revan  by the Ottoman Turks in the past. The city was first taken by Sultan Yavuz Selim on 27 September 1514. However it changed hands fourteen times until 1737  between Ottoman Empire and Safavids --who ruled Persia  for more than two centuries (1501-1736)-- mostly remaining under the reign of the latter.  During the second Russian-Persian war, Yerevan was captured by Russian troops and with the Turkmenchai Treaty of February 1828, Iran accepted the transfer of Yerevan and Nakhijevan khanates into Russian rule.

Yerevan was not ruled by the Ottoman Empire for long, but  Turks formed the majority of the population until the end of 19th century despite the fact that changes had occurred because of resettlements. In 1604, following resettlement of Armenians in Persia, the ratio of population  became 80 percent Muslim and 20 percent Armenian. Although Tsarist Russia sponsored resettlement of Armenians back in this area in 1828, according to 1830 census 64 percent of the population were still Muslims. There were many mosques, caravanserais and tombs in Yerevan. Today only one mosque built by Safavids remains. Wikipedia quotes from Kohl as follows:  "No matter what demographic statistics one consults, it is simply unquestionable that considerable material remains of Islam must once have existed in this area. Their near total absence today cannot be fortuitous."

Serdar's Palace, work of Architect Mirza Cafer from 16th century, was a very fine example of eastern architecture.  In an article published on Gulustan.ws web site, traveler Jean Chardin is quoted describing the palace as a "sublime and majestic palace" in his book. The palace was burnt in 1913 and then destroyed in parts until 1918 when there was nothing left. Yerevan Ararat Wine Factory was built in 1938 on the site of the former palace.

Dr. Sinan Bilgili, from Atatürk University in Erzurum, conducted a study on the Turkish presence in Yerevan which he completed in 2007. As reported by Turkish daily Hürriyet, his findings indicate that the cultural heritage and history of the Turks in Yerevan have been completely destroyed. Place names have all been changed and traces of the culture have been erased. Bilgili has summarised as follows:

“One of the points on which the Armenians intensify their propaganda, is that the Armenian population constituted in general the majority during the history either in the villages and the cities in Anatolia or in Azerbaijan and that these territories carry the Armenian mark. We conducted a research by taking Yerevan as a model place, at present time the capital of the Armenian State in order to scientifically establish the truth of these allegations. The results of our research show the destruction of the Turkish presence  in Yerevan, which was an old Turkish city whose majority of the population was constituted by Turks until the collapse of the Ottoman State, as a consequence of Russian and Armenian policies." He has also noted that Turks were forced to emigrate from the city.

Kazım Karabekir Pasha, who was the commander of the Ottoman / Turkish forces on the Eastern Front from 1918 until peace was restored,  included a number of appeals received from local leaders in the area complaining about Armenian's atrocities and asking for help --which were also reported to General Harbord during his visit to the region--, in his book titled "Ermeni Mezalimi [Armenian Atrocities]".  These unfortunate events were reported to the Government and thus records are available in the Archives. The summary of one of them dated 13 January 1921 reads as follows:

"Armenians started committing new atrocities against Muslims in the Region of Erivan (Yerevan); Lots of people had been killed in the villages of Sulludemirci, Asagibahtili, Haciilyas, Tomuzyiyen, Sullumihmandar and Yukaribahtili situated in the region of Zengibasar; almost the entire houses and mosques had been destroyed, moneys extorted, goods looted and women assaulted and raped; the population asked ... for help. - 3 Ca. 1339 (13. I. 1921)"

Ass. Prof. Kürkçüoğlu states that many Turkish people have got title deeds for their properties in Armenia. I have come across a forum contributor on Internet who wrote: "It is important to have all registry books available in the Archives to be transcripted. My ancestors come from Uluhanlı Village in the County  of Kırkbulak, Revan Province. According to the records 501 people who lived in the village as 100 households were all Muslims in 1727. The village is named as MASIS today."  Akyüz Orat, Oran Arslan and Tanrıverdi from Kafkas University, Kars have studied forced emigrations to Kars from Caucasus, including from Armenia, between 1828 - 1949. The researchers conclude that not only Kars, also Ardahan, Artvin, Bayezid and some other towns and cities nearby the border received emigrants, and also those who fled during 1877-78 Turco-Russian War returned home when the war was over. Thus a very large population needed to be resettled and looked after. The Government of the new Republic tried to meet the needs of these people despite poverty and hard conditions in the aftermath of the war. People whose properties were looted, pillaged or had to be sold for nothing relied on the new  Government.

The number of Muslims who were killed or had to leave their birthplaces because of atrocities in Armenia was one million.  This is more than the number of deported uprising Armenians in 1915. The members of Armenian diaspora who believes that they deserve reparations and aspire even to acquire some land should consider reparations Muslims of Armenia deserve. If deported Armenians came back they would get their money and property in two years time, from 1923 to 1925; but they did not come back. Muslims who had to emigrate to Anatolia from Bulgaria, Crete, Crimea, Caucasus including Armenia did not have such a chance so far as I know.

PS. An Erzurum folk song, "Red Roses in Bunches" is about a son who had been to Revan but could not return. According to a version of the story behind the lyrics, he was on a merchant caravan, fell ill and died; while in another version he was killed in a war. In both cases mother loses her son and this elegy is for him. The song can be listened from Aysun Gültekin on Youtube, and the lyrics is below:

Red Roses in Bunches Red roses are in bunches, This is not just love but devotion, Yet the unfaithful has gone and not returned, My son lies in Revan. I wish red roses be around all time, As ailment to wounds, Like a doc offering cure, My child lies in Revan. This is the fall of red roses, [And] trees losing leaves, My dark handsome son, My child lies in Revan.

Kırmızı Gül Demet Demet Kırmızı gül demet demet Sevda değil bir alamet Gitti gelmez o muhannet Şol revanda balam kaldı Kırmızı gül her dem olsa Yaralara merhem olsa Ol tabipten derman gelse Şol revanda balam kaldı Kırmızı gülün hazanı Ağaçlar döker gazeli Kara yağızın güzeli Şol revanda balam kaldı

This is a sad song, but my intention is just to draw attention to close relations of the past. If Nagorno-Karabagh Azeri Turks can return home and demands over Turkey are withdrawn with a good understanding of historical events starting from the rise of nationalism in late 17th century, demographic structure of the region at that time, and recognition of treaties signed by legitimate parties, there should not be any reason to cherish good relations to the benefit of both countries. We should remember that with Treaty of Alexandropol, which was a peace treaty between the Democratic Republic of Armenia and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey ending the Turkish-Armenian War, signed on December 2, 1920,  before the declaration of the Republic of Turkey the border between Armenia and Turkey was drawn. This treaty was later reinforced by treaties of Moscow (March 16, 1921) and Kars (October 13, 1921) and therefore this topic was not handled in Lausanne. Sevres Treaty was prepared on the assumption that Turks would not be able to govern themselves after the collapse of Ottoman Empire at the end of WWI and Russia was no longer interested in government of Eastern Anatolia to reach Mediterranean Sea as Tsarist Russia once aimed. Once the Turks demostrated that they can govern themselves winning the War of National Independence, the Sevres Treaty which was not signed anyway was put aside. Dreaming over this invalid treaty after almost 100 years does not sound realistic. As for reparations, unlike civil Jews, the Armenians cooperated with Turks' foes and fought against Turks.  Under this circumstances the Ottoman Government could not protect them against itself. Nevertheless, with the Mudros Armistice all rebellions were granted pardon and as said above Lausanne Treaty enabled everyone to return to the country. In other words all accounts were settled at the time. Those who  claim to have a say on this issue are better base their arguments on facts.

References



Documentation of Massacres upon Turks by Armenians. Armenian Genocide Resource Center. 11 July 2005. http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2005/07/145-documentation-of-massacres-upon.html

http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2005/07/145-documentation-of-massacres-upon.htm. Accessed on: 07.08.2012

Revan mı, Erivan mı? Erivan Türk kenti idi, şimdi bir Türk bile yok! [Revan or Erivan? Erivan was a Turkish city, today there is not even a single Turk there!] Muhteva.com http://www.muhteva.com/revan-mierivan-mi-t16437.html

"Erivan'da Türk izleri siliniyor," Hürriyet. 03.01.2007. http://arama.hurriyet.com.tr/arsivnews.aspx?id=5713430. Accessed on: 06.07.2012.

"Islam in Armenia," Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Armenia. Accessed on 07.07.2012.

Karabekir, Kazım. Ermeni Mezalimi. Emre Yayınları, 2000. 975-8496-11-5

Kürkçüoğlu, Erol. “Kapı Düşmana Değil Dosta Açılır!: Atatürk Üniversitesi Türk-Ermeni İlişkileri Araştırma Merkez Müdürlüğü’nün 20 Nisan 2009 Tarihli Yanıkdere Şehitliği’ndeki Basın Açıklamasıdır,” [Press Statement by Ataturk University Research Centre for Turco-Armenian Relations, Erzurum]. 21 April 2009. http://www.atauniv.com/ataturk-universitesi/kapi-dusmana-degil-dosta-acilir-docdrerol-kurkcuoglu.html . Accessed on 08.07.2012.

Kürkçüoğlu, Erol. (2014). Revan’dan Erivan’a Bir Şehrin Kimliği [The Identityof a city : From Revan to Yerevan]. Yeni Türkiye, 60. haypedia.com. Link updated: 24.02.2019. http://haypedia.com/makale/Osmanlı%20Tarihi/6f7fc6b1-a6aa-4522-b8bc-13c25aa264e5.pdf.

"Safavid Dynasty," Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safavid. Accessed on: 07.07.2012

The symbol of the Armenian capital, as an example of the medieval Azerbaijani architecture, or what does a former bra salesman get up in Yerevan?," Gulustan.ws 12.06.2012. http://gulustan.ws/2012/06/armenian-capital/. Accessed on 08.07.2012.

Tersakian, Krikor. "Yerevan's best kept secret?: The Gök (Blue) Mosque," http://www.ktersakian.com/2009/12/yerevans-best-kept-secret-gok-blue.html . Accessed on: 05.07.2012

"Timbuktu world heritage site attacked by Islamists", The Guardian, Sunday 1 July 2012 06.17 BST

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/01/timbuktu-world-heritage-site-attacked?newsfeed=true. Accessed on: 01.07.2012.

"World Heritage List : Timbuktu", UNESCO . http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/119/. Accessed on: 01.07.201

"Yerevan," Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerevan. Accessed on : 07.07.2012

"Yerevan Ararat Wine Factory ," Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerevan_Ararat_Wine_Factory. Accessed on: 02.07.2012.

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