Palu kaza of Van

The Kaza of Van at the beginning of the 20th century

Province of Van: Photo gallery

We present, in this section, pictures taken in the Van vilayet (province), the majority of which are photographs and engravings relating to the Ottoman era. We have presented the province with its relevant various sub-sections with the object of making them more easily accessible. In the future we will present, alongside them, various themed articles prepared by the editorial board about the Van province. Thus this method of presentation is of a temporary nature which will last until the articles have been prepared. It should be noted that we have worked on the old photographs in this section with the aim of improving their colour, tone and quality.

Kaza of Gevaş/Vosdan

(See below for picture captions and sources)

Captions and sources
1) The Armenian-inhabited village of Pelu/Pelli/Alacabük (Source: Eberhard-Joachim Graf von Westarp, Unter Halbmond und Sonne, ca 1913, Berlin)
2) The monastery of Nareg (Source: Vasbouragan, Venice, St Lazzaro, 1930)
3) The monastery of Nareg (Source: Keghuni, 1904, Venice, St Lazzaro)

Kaza of Van

(See below for picture captions and sources)

Captions and sources
1) Van: a scene from the town. (Source: P. Müller-Simonis, Durch Armenien, Kurdistan und Mesopotamien, Mainz, 1897)
2) Varak/Yedikilise monastery (Source: P. Müller-Simonis, Durch Armenien, Kurdistan und Mesopotamien, Mainz, 1897)
3) Varak/Yedikilise monastery (Source: P. Müller-Simonis, Durch Armenien, Kurdistan und Mesopotamien, Mainz, 1897)
4) St James of Koghtn on Varak mountain (Source: P. Müller-Simonis, Durch Armenien, Kurdistan und Mesopotamien, Mainz, 1897)
5) Interior of Varak/Yedikilise monastery with monks around King Senekerim’s throne (Source: P. Müller-Simonis, Durch Armenien, Kurdistan und Mesopotamien, Mainz, 1897)
6) Van: the Dominican fathers’ house (Source: P. Müller-Simonis, Du Caucase au Golfe Persique, à travers l’Arménie, le Kurdistan et la Mésopotamie, Washington D.C., 1892)
7) Van: local Armenians (Source: P. Müller-Simonis, Du Caucase au Golfe Persique, à travers l’Arménie, le Kurdistan et la Mésopotamie, Washington D.C., 1892)
8) Ardamed/Edremit. Cuniform inscriptions near the Semiramis water channel (Shamiram su) (Source: P. Müller-Simonis, Du Caucase au Golfe Persique, à travers l’Arménie, le Kurdistan et la Mésopotamie, Washington D.C., 1892)
9) St James of Koghtn on Varak mountain (Source: P. Müller-Simonis, Du Caucase au Golfe Persique, à travers l’Arménie, le Kurdistan et la Mésopotamie, Washington D.C., 1892)
10) Van: an Armenian woman (Source: P. Müller-Simonis, Durch Armenien, Kurdistan und Mesopotamien, Mainz, 1897)
11) Van: Gakavian family. Preparing thread from cotton (Source: Christine Gardon collection)
12) Island of Akhtamar/Akdamar, the church of the Holy Cross and the monastery (Source: Earl Percy, Highlands of Asiatic Turkey, London, 1901)

Captions and sources
13) Van: Gakavian family. Weaving (Source: Christine Gardon collection)
14) Van: Gakavian family (Source: Christine Gardon collection)
15) Van: Gakavian family, 2 April 1906. Seated, from left to right: Vosgehad (grandmother), Harutiun (father), Aghavni (mother). Standing in front of grandmother and father: Vahram. Standing, left to right: Harutiun’s brothers Dikran, Set and Hrant (Source: Christine Gardon collection)

Captions and sources
16) The island of Akhtamar/Akdamar and the monastery (Source: Walter Bachmann, Kirchen und Moscheen in Armenien und Kurdistan, Leipzig, 1913)
17) Van: the Dominican fathers’ house (Source: Henry Binder, Au Kurdistan, en Mésopotamie et en Perse, Paris, 1887)
18) A scene from the market in Van (Source: Henry Binder, Au Kurdistan, en Mésopotamie et en Perse, Paris, 1887)
19) Van: the Dominican fathers’ house (Source: Henry Binder, Au Kurdistan, en Mésopotamie et en Perse, Paris, 1887)
20) Van castle (Van Kalesi) (Source: Henry Binder, Au Kurdistan, en Mésopotamie et en Perse, Paris, 1887)
21) The monastery on the island of Akhtamar/Akdamar (Source: Eberhard-Joachim Graf von Westarp, Unter Halbmond und Sonne, ca 1913, Berlin)

Van (Source: Victor Pietschmann, Durch kurdische Berge und armenische Städte, Wien, 1940)

Captions and sources
23) The island of Akhtamar/Akdamar in Lake Van (Source: Walter Bachmann, Kirchen und Moscheen in Armenien und Kurdistan, Leipzig, 1913)
24) Van castle (Van Kalesi) (Source: Henry Binder, Au Kurdistan, en Mésopotamie et en Perse, Paris, 1887)
25) Van: a panorama (Source: Henry Binder, Au Kurdistan, en Mésopotamie et en Perse, Paris, 1887)

Van: Varak/Yedikilise monastery (Source: Vasbouragan, Venice, St Lazzaro, 1930)

Captions and sources
27) The ruins of Saint Peter (Bedros) (Source: C.F. Lehmann-Haupt Armenien Einst und Jetzt, Berlin/Leipzig, 1926)
28) Van: a scene from the town (Source: C.F. Lehmann-Haupt, Armenien Einst und Jetzt, Berlin/Leipzig, 1926)
29) Van: the inmates of an Armenian orphanage (Source: C.F. Lehmann-Haupt, Armenien Einst und Jetzt, Berlin/Leipzig, 1926)
30) Van: Armenian gypsies (Source: C.F. Lehmann-Haupt, Armenien Einst und Jetzt, Berlin/Leipzig, 1926)
31) A scene from the town of Van (Source: C.F. Lehmann-Haupt, Armenien Einst und Jetzt, Berlin/Leipzig, 1926)
32) Lake Van (Source: H.F.B. Lynch, Armenia. Travels and Studies, Vol. II, London, 1901)
33) The northern part of Lake Van, the island of Gduts/Çarpanak and the monastery of St John (Source: H.F.B. Lynch, Armenia. Travels and Studies, Vol. II, London, 1901)
34) The interior of St John monastery, Gduts/Çarpanak Island (Source: H.F.B. Lynch, Armenia. Travels and Studies, Vol. II, London, 1901)
35) A panorama of Van seen from the heights of Varak. On the right is Mount Sipan/Sübhan, and on the left the island of Gduts/Çarpanak (Source: H.F.B. Lynch, Armenia. Travels and Studies, Vol. II, London, 1901)
36) Van: plan of the town (Source: H.F.B. Lynch, Armenia. Travels and Studies, Vol. II, London, 1901)
37) Van: an Armenian merchant’s house (Source: H.F.B. Lynch, Armenia. Travels and Studies, Vol. II, London, 1901)
38) Van: the interior of the church of the Holy Mother of God in the Haigavank quarter (Source: H.F.B. Lynch, Armenia. Travels and Studies, Vol. II, London, 1901)
39) Van: the castle (Van Kalesi) and the fortified centre of the town (Source: H.F.B. Lynch, Armenia. Travels and Studies, Vol. II, London, 1901)
40) Van: a scene from the fortified centre of the town (Source: H.F.B. Lynch, Armenia. Travels and Studies, Vol. II, London, 1901)
41) Holy Cross church on Aghtamar/Akdamar island (Source: H.F.B. Lynch, Armenia. Travels and Studies, Vol. II, London, 1901)

Lake Van (Source: Victor Pietschmann, Durch kurdische Berge und armenische Städte, Wien, 1940)

Captions and sources
43) Gduts/Çarpanak island, Lake Van (Source: Victor Pietschmann, Durch kurdische Berge und armenische Städte, Wien, 1940)
44) Van: a general view of the town (Source: Victor Pietschmann, Durch kurdische Berge und armenische Städte, Wien, 1940)
45) Van (Source: Victor Pietschmann, Durch kurdische Berge und armenische Städte, Wien, 1940)
46) Van castle (Van Kalesi) (Source: Victor Pietschmann, Durch kurdische Berge und armenische Städte, Wien, 1940)
47) Van castle (Van Kalesi) (Source: Victor Pietschmann, Durch kurdische Berge und armenische Städte, Wien, 1940)
48) The town of Van: conscription during the First World War (Source: Victor Pietschmann, Durch kurdische Berge und armenische Städte, Wien, 1940)
49) Van. Details are missing, but these are very probably girls in an Armenian orphanage (Source: Barry Dukes collection)
50) Van. Details are missing, but these are Armenian school graduates (Source: Barry Dukes collection)
51) Van. Details are missing, but these are Armenian school graduates (Source: Barry Dukes collection)
52) Van. Details are missing, but these are Armenian students in a school or orphanage (Source: Barry Dukes collection)
53) The monastery of Varak (Yedikilise) (Source: NAASR collection)

The monastery of Varak (Yedikilise), 1895 (Source: Delores Oro-Bedrosian collection)

Sandjak of Hakkari

(See below for picture captions and sources)

The fortress of Khoshab/Hoşab (Hoşab kaza) (Source: Henry Binder, Au Kurdistan, en Mésopotamie et en Perse, Paris, 1887)

Captions and sources
2) Amadia/Amedi. A town inhabited by Nestorians (Assyrians) (Source: Henry Binder, Au Kurdistan, en Mésopotamie et en Perse, Paris, 1887)
3) The fortress of Khoshab (Hoşab kaza) (Source: Henry Binder, Au Kurdistan, en Mésopotamie et en Perse, Paris, 1887)
4) Akra. A town inhabited by Nestorians (Assyrians) (Source: Mark Sykes, Dar-ul-Islam, London, 1904)

The fortress of Khoshab/Hoşab (Source: Noel Buxton, Harold Buxton, Travel and politics in Armenia, London, 1914)