The sea shore area of Payas and Dörtyol where the famous battle between Alexander the Great of Macedonia and Persian Emperor Darius took place

Dörtyol

Located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, Dörtyol became an important center for orange production during the Ottoman period. The town’s Armenians played a major part in the quick growth of this agricultural sector.

The Armenians of Dörtyol, who comprised a majority of the population, lived a flourishing life. An entire network of community institutions (churches and schools) was located here, and local Armenians were known for their prosperous standard of living.

Unfortunately, primary sources are scant regarding the Armenian history of the area during the Ottoman period. There are a number of booklets written by the last generation of Dörtyol Armenians, but they do not convey details about local life. An exception is the volume of Minas Kojoyan which includes various interesting episodes of Dörtyol’s Armenian past. In this Houshamadyan column, we will, for the first time, utilize interesting bits of information taken from the memoirs and testimony of native Dörtyol resident Manuel Boranian, who later relocated to Soviet Armenia.

Photographs regarding an Armenian presence in Dörtyol are just as scarce as published primary sources. Thus, we call on our readers, in particular those who have general and family photos of this town, to send copies to us.