Mkhitarian college - Istanbul, Turkey

Klodya Gültaşyan: Photographs, Adana

These photographs belong to Klodya’s mother’s side of the family (Geodelekian and Oughourlouian), who were originally from Adana. During the Genocide, those family members who survived went to Aleppo, and later, after the end of WWI, they settled in Istanbul. Klodya’s great-great-grandmother and father, Mary Geodelekian (born Oughourlouian) and Sahag Geodelekian, were both born in Adana. Sahag died in Aleppo in 1918, while Mary passed away in Istanbul in 1964. Their daughter, Valentine Geodelekian is Klodya’s great-grandmother. These photographs are part of Tania Gültaşyan’s (born Gürünlü) collection in Istanbul; she is Klodya’s mother.

Adana: Makrouhi Geodelekian (Sahag’s mother) with her grandchildren. Photograph by the Arabian bros.

Adana, the Geodelekian family. Seated in the middle of the photo with the child on her lap is Makrouhi Geodelekian, Sahag's mother. Sahag and his wife Mary are seated next to each other to the left of the photo. The identity of the woman next to Mary is unknown, however it is clear that she is a nun from the Armenian Sisters’ Congregation of the Immaculate Conception. The identities of the others in the photo are unknown.

Adana, 1910: The Oughourlouian and Geodelekian families. From left to right are: Sahag Geodelekian (seated) and Mary Geodelekian (born Oughourlouian). The woman seated in the middle is Mary’s mother, the other men are Mary’s brothers.

Adana, 1910: The wedding photo of Mary Oughourlouian and Sahag Geodelekian.

Nadin Mangioğlu: Photographs, Divrig/Divriği

Nadin Mangioğlu, a student from the Mkhitarian School, brought these family photographs and we digitized them during a Houshamadyan workshop at the school. These photographs show the Der Minassian family from the Gasma village in Divrig (present-day Kesme), in the Sivas/Sepasdia region.

The first photograph (above) shows Siranoush and Minas Der Minassian. They are Nadin Mangioğlu's paternal grandmother's, Hripsime Mangioğlu's (born in 1937 in Istanbul), parents. Siranoush and Minas were both born in Divrig.

Standing (from left): Roupen Der Minassian (Minas' brother), Minas Der Minassian. Seated (from left): Shoushan Der Minassian (Roupen's wife) seated with her child on her lap, Siranoush Der Minassian and her child. The Der Minassian family members in the photo were all born in Divrig. Minas and his family moved to Istanbul around 1915. These photographs are currently in the possession of Hripsime Mangioğlu in Istanbul.

Burag Firtina: Photograph, Gesaria/Kayseri

Burag Firtina, a secondary school student from Mkhitarian School brought this photograph of his maternal grandmother's father, Mourad Menekşe, born in the 1890's in Gesaria/Kayseri. The family moved to Istanbul in the 1920's. The photograph is currently kept by Burag's grandmother, Aghavni Menekşe, in Istanbul.

Karin Gülbenkoğlu: Photograph, Istanbul

Karin Gülbenkoğlu a secondary school student from Mkhitarian, brought this photograph. It shows Sarkis Gyulbenkian, Karin's paternal grandfather, Berdj Gülbenkoğlu's father. Sarkis Gyulbenkian was born in Istanbul in the early 1900's. The photograph is currently in the possession of Berdj Gülbenkoğlu in Istanbul.

Zulal Kalataş: Bucket, Sivas and scores, Istanbul

Zulal Kalataş, a student from Mkhitarian, brought this bucket from Sivas and the scores booklet which was published in Istanbul in 1913. The bucket belonged to Zulal's paternal forefathers from Sivas. The scores booklet is published in Istanbul in 1913. It belonged to Haigouhi Hazerian (née Shahdanian), a family friend. The bucket and the scores are currently in the possession of Shoushan Kalataş (Zulal's mother) in Istanbul.

A scores of the Armenian song "Ov Medzaskanch Tou Lezou" (Oh, You Grand Language), scores and arrangement by Gomidas Vartabed, published in 1913, in Istanbul, at the occasion of the 1500th anniversary of the invention of the Armenian alphabet.

The lyrics of this song are by N. Mezroubian, the arrangement by Gomidas Vartabed.