Malatya – Monasteries, Pilgrimage Sites, and Shrines (Part A)

Author: Varty Keshishian, 28/04/26 (Last modified 28/04/26) - Translator: Simon Beugekian

Melitene/Malatya is located southwest of Kharpert, about 15 kilometers from the right bank of the Euphrates River, along the northern edge of the vast plain of Malatya, at an altitude of 940 meters above sea level and surrounded by mountains on three sides. [1] At a distance of about seven-eight kilometers from the modern city are the ruins of the ancient city of Malatya. We must open a parenthetical here to note that the founding of modern Malatya does not date back to antiquity. We know that on the eve of the Ottoman-Egyptian War (1839-1841), when the Ottoman army was quartered in old Malatya, the civilian population left the city and settled down nearby, at the site of the summer retreat known as Asbouz. At this water-rich site, teeming with orchards and gardens, they built “Nor” [“New”] Malatya. [2] The old city, almost entirely deserted and transformed into a pile of rubble, called Eski Shehir (“Old City”) by the locals, became a minor hamlet with only a small number of residents. The new city was named Yeni Shehir, and the local Armenians called it “Vari Kaghak” [“Lower City”]. [3] Therefore, Old and New Malatya are successive chapters of a single continuous history, with New Malatya being the successor of Old Malatya.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Malatya was home to three Armenian churches, namely the Sourp Asdvadzadzin [Holy Mother-of-God] or “Mother” Church, the Sourp Yerortoutyun [Holy Trinity] Church, and Sourp Haroutyun [Holy Resurrection] Church, centrally located in Armenian neighborhoods. Each neighborhood or church had its own neighborhood (parochial/national) school. [4] The Armenian Protestant, Catholic, and Latin communities, which were formed in the mid-19th century in Malatya, each had one church or meeting hall of their own, alongside their own schools.

The old city and its environs were home to many standing, dilapidated, and ruined churches, monasteries, and shrines, including Sourp Sdepanos, Sourp Toros, Sourp Hovhannes, Sourp Krikor Lousavorich [Saint Gregory the Illuminator], Sourp Prgich [Holy Savior], Anardzat Pjishg [Silverless Doctor], etc. [5]

Until 1915, the Malatya Diocese operated as its own bishopric, under the jurisdiction of the Sis Catholicosate. The Malatya Diocese included the five subdistricts of Malatya, Keyakhte, Husni Mansour (Adıyaman), Behesni, and Aghdjadagh, each constituting its own parish alongside nearby villages and village clusters. [6] The subdistrict of Malatya included many Armenian-populated villages, such as Ordouz, Djrmkhd, Moushovga, Ansour, etc. [7]

Malatya was home to a large number of ancient monasteries, churches, pilgrimage sites, and shrines. Arshag Alboyadjian, who compiled and edited a voluminous tome on the history of Armenians in Malatya, wrote that there were 14 monasteries in the Malatya area, of which two or three had survived into the modern era. [8]

The first person to describe and classify the Armenian monasteries of Malatya was Father Karekin Srvantsdyants (ordained as a bishop in summer 1886). When he visited Malatya in August 1878, was able to visit three monasteries in the vicinity of the city in a single day. He wrote short descriptions of everything he saw and heard. [9]

The authoritative chronicler of Malatya, Father Garabed Benneyan, in his work dedicated to the geography and layout of Malatya, included a separate chapter titled “Standing Monasteries,” in which he described the three monasteries that he had comprehensive knowledge of – the Sourp Prgich, Anardzat Pjishg, and Sourp Krikor Lousavorich. [10]

Another source of important information on the monasteries and pilgrimage sites of Malatya is Mgrdich Vorperian. [11] In his topographic study published in multiple issues of the Pyuragn newspaper of Constantinople in 1900, the author described two monasteries: “There are many monastic sites, but only two living monasteries,” Sourp Krikor Lousavorich and Sourp Prgich. [12] The author omitted Anardzat Pjishg from this list, clearly deeming it to be one of the ruined monasteries, while other contemporary chroniclers confirm that until the end of the 19th century, though Anardzat Pjishg was in ruins, the monastic compound was still home to the remains of various structures, which hosted pilgrimage processions and church ceremonies.

It must be noted that the lists of Armenian churches and monasteries prepared by the Constantinople Armenian Patriarchate in 1912-1913, [13] for reasons unknown to us, lack information on the Armenian churches and monasteries of Malatya and the surrounding area.

Among modern sources, Hayasdani yev Haragits Shrchanneri Deghanounneri Pararanu [The Dictionary of Place Names of Armenia and the Environs] mentions three monasteries in Malatya and its vicinity, without naming them. [14]

In this article, we will use historical studies, handwritten sources, books, and material published in periodicals about the Armenian history of Malatya to describe, as comprehensively as possible, the three monasteries that remained standing in the late 19th century and early 20th century in Malatya. We will describe these monasteries’ roles as churches, pilgrimage sites, and shrines.

We must emphasize that among the various and varied sources used in this article, most prominent are the works of chroniclers, eyewitnesses, and memoir writers from Malatya itself, who are often the only or principal sources of information on Malatya, especially its monasteries, pilgrimage sites, and shrines. Their testimonies are the foundation of this article.

Since antiquity, Melitene/Malatya has been renowned for its monasteries, churches, and pilgrimage sites, which were the pillars of the national/spiritual, social, and collective lives of Malatya Armenians.

The Armenians of Malatya were, by nature, traditionalist, spiritual, and pious. But their piety did not begin and end within the confines of the church walls and with the listening of the beautiful Divine Liturgy, hymns, and prayers. This piety was also reflected in the people’s relationship with nature, and was manifested in songs, music, dancing, and games originating from ancient Armenian rites. Monasteries, churches, pilgrimage sites, and shrines were a daily and essential part of the life of Malatya Armenians, who relied on these institutions at all times – in joy and in grief, when seeking cures for their ailments, when hoping for the realization of a wish, or simply when seeking spiritual support and encouragement.

Most recently, until the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, there were three standing (or partly standing) monasteries in the Malatya region. Interestingly, these three monasteries – the Sourp Prgich, Anardzat Pjishg, and Sourp Krikor Lousavorich – were located in the same area and along the same line, each about 4-4.5 kilometers east of the city, at a distance of 3-3.5 kilometers from each other. [15] According to Garabed Nadjarian, a native of Malatya, the road leading from the city to the monasteries branched off several times. The branch leading eastward and to the right led to the Sourp Prgich Monastery of Ordouz, while another branch, leading to the northeast and leaning slightly leftward, led to the Anardzat Pjishg and further down, to the Sourp Krikor Lousavorich Monastery. [16] These monasteries were grouped together not just due to their geographic proximity, but also due to their place in the historical memory and understanding of the locals – their folk tales, songs, and legends. In this sense, the three monasteries formed a trinity.

Until the outbreak of the First World War, these three monasteries, partly standing and partly in ruins, continued serving as pilgrimage sites under the supervision of the Malatya Prelacy. Apparently, since these institutions had lacked monks and monastic orders for some time, their care was entrusted to special monastic stewards and guards. The duties of the abbot of each institution were relegated to the serving Prelate of Malatya. [17]

In the late Middle Ages, Minstrel Avak, from Malatya, dedicated a beautiful popular song to the three monasteries of Malatya. The following is an excerpt from this song, which is redolent with history and tradition:

Pounar Bashou chourn agen orhnadz e,
Anardzat Pjishg al vran shinvadz e,
Melidinou kaghaku chrin ehdadj e,
Zoregh Lousavorichu, medzt S. Prgich,
Hivantats oknagan, Anardzat Pjishg. [18]

The Sourp Prgich Monastery was located east of the city, at a distance of about an hour, near the village of Ordouz (ancient name Hordeoz), atop a large hill. [19] The village we well-known thanks to the monastery, for which reason, the monastery itself was commonly known as the Monastery of Ordouz. [20] Srvantsdyants, who was amazed by the beautiful view from the village, wrote: “The village of Ordouz is populous and as pleasant as Paradise, with its trees and waters. The residents are mostly Turkish, with a few Armenians. The village is almost considered a suburb of the city.” [21] Father Ghougas Indjidjian, a member of the Mekhitarist Order, called the village gardens “the finest”: “Finer than the gardens of Asbouz are the gardens of the village called Ordouz.” [22]

According to the most common legend that was told by Armenians about the origins of the monastery, the Sourp Prgich was founded by King Apkar and was consecrated by the Apostle Thaddeus. [23] According to this legend, the Apostle Thaddeus, following the directives of Christ, first traveled to Yetesia (Ourfa) and healed King Apkar, who had prayed to the Savior for healing, then proceeded to other Armenian areas to spread the faith. After recovering from his illness, King Apkar traveled to Malatya and decided to build a summer retreat on the hill adjacent to the city. He ordered the foundations of the retreat to be laid, thus leveling the hill. When the Apostle Thaddeus reached the area and learned that King Apkar was nearby, he decided to visit him. While making his way to the construction site, he was attacked by the king’s dog. The apostle, defending himself, killed the dog, severing its legs. As this was Apkar’s favorite dog, the enraged king ordered the dog’s killer to be jailed, thinking that Thaddeus was just a passing foreigner.

In the meanwhile, Anane, the crown prince, fell ill and became bedridden. All efforts by the doctors were in vain. The days passed. One night, the dejected and anxious king dreamt of a voice that said, “Until you release the foreigner from jail, and until he puts his hand on Anane, the latter won’t be healed.” Waking up, he immediately ran to the jail, and prostrating himself before Thaddeus, begged him for forgiveness and beseeched him to heal his son. Thaddeus healed Anane, and King Apkar’s joy knew no bounds. He ordered a heap of gold and silver to be paid to Thaddeus as remuneration, but Thaddeus refused this reward, as well as all the other vanities of the world. Instead, he urged the king to build a church named after the Savior at the site of his planned summer retreat. Apkar agreed to do so and ordered the church to be built with haste. Once built, it was consecrated by the Apostle Thaddeus himself. [24]

According to another legend, the monastery was initially founded by the Apostle Thaddeus and later housed his relics. [25] As Archimandrite Kevork Aslanian (later archbishop and interim Patriarch of Constantinople on two occasions), once the Prelate of Malatya, stated eloquently: “The village… Was overlooked from above by the Sourp Prgich Monastery, carrying antiquity on its shoulders, and dating back to the era of the apostles, according to tradition.” [26]

According to a 1902 report by the Malatya Prelacy, the monastery was founded as a place of worship before the Christian era, as a pagan temple, then became a church and was consecrated by the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew. [27]

There were many more traditions associated with this monastery. It was said that one of the apostles who came to Armenia preached on the hill of this monastery and performed several miracles there, and the monastery was built in his memory, as a shrine. [28]

Father Benneyan wrote the following about the Sourp Prgich: “This holy site, with its multi-century history, had the honor of being among the first of its kind. Alas, today, it is bereft of its former glory and splendor.” [29] The monastic compound occupied an area of 12,000-13,000 square meters. Most of the original structures in the compound were in ruins – marble columns lying on the ground in the narthexes, thick column capitals strewn about, and piles of rubble. [30] According to Father Garabed, the main church of the compound was once a beautiful, five-story structure, with multiple altars and halls. [31] It was built entirely with polished stones, and apparently had a pillared, domed steeple. What remained were sections of the main walls, with a height of 1.5 meters and a length of 3 meters, as well as large granite columns and pedestals leaning against the ruins. [32]

Traditionally, it was said that the monastery was home to 366 arches and 40 altars, each named for a saint. [33] Evidence of the former “glory and splendor” of the monastic compound was evidenced by the polished marble columns, carved column capitals, pedestals, stone altar tables, khachkars, and the pearl-colored flagstones of the floors. [34] “You are amazed and stand in awe while imaging the glorious past,” wrote Father Aslanian, while describing the ruins of the once-beautiful monastery, adding that the ruins were reminiscent of those of ancient Greek temples, with all their resplendent magnificence. [35]

From all this glory, all that was left standing by the end of the 19th century were “merely two small chapels,” one with three domes and another, to the right side of the first, called the Chapel of Saint Sophia. The ruins consisted of several partly collapsed walls, rising three-four meters above ground level. These walls were almost intact and built of marble, divided into sections by columns that were as thick as a person and capped with capitals. In the southern section stood the tower-like wall of the rectory, as well as about ten rooms. [36] Among the partly collapsed walls, one could still discern the series of the old narthexes and the arrangement of the columns. [37]

The locals linked the destruction of the monastery to the invasions of Tamerlane, repeating the traditional phrase, “This splendid temple was destroyed by Tamerlane.” [38] The people’s collective memory recalled various episodes from Tamerlane’s campaigns. One of them is worth reproducing here. According to it, after razing the Sourp Prgich Monastery, Tamerlane’s soldiers carried the stones of the monastery, passing it down a human chain, down the hill, and tossed them into the Euphrates. [39] According to another legend, the stones of the monastery walls were used to build a bridge with forty spans, and additional structures were built with the monastery’s remains. [40]

Srvantsdyants wrote the following about the monastery: “From its ruins, it looks like Sourp Prgich was a very large and beautiful structure. The church that currently stands at the site, which they’ve covered with a roof, is but a vestige of the dilapidated compound. It is dark inside, and they hold services there.” [41]

Kevork Melidinetsi (Topalian), writing about the history of the Sourp Prgich, stated that it had been captured, razed, and pillaged multiple times, but that the local “pious population, with their seas of sweat and often at the cost of their lives, rebuilt it.” [42] According to another source, the Sourp Prgich had fallen victim to natural disasters in addition to “human ones.” Frequent earthquakes had repeatedly destroyed its churches and the pilgrims’ quarters, as well as many other structures, “but, thanks to the pious people… New structures have always been built to replace the old ones.” [43]

Here, it is worth opening a parenthetical to note that even in previous historical eras, the Armenian churches and monasteries of Malatya were the targets of frequent attacks. Throughout the entirety of the 18th century, as well as prior to it and until the mid-19th century, the Armenian population of Malatya suffered greatly at the hands of the Kurdish tribes that lived in the area almost entirely independently, especially at the hands of the Kzlbash Kurds who had established themselves in the mountains of Aghdjadagh. [44] The local Turkish population, too, participated in these depredations until the reign of Sultan Mahmud II, until, in 1834, Rashid Pasha restricted their autonomy. [45] Nevertheless, Christians, especially Armenians, lacking their own state, and therefore also lacking basic rights and state protection, found themselves in an especially perilous state. Defenseless churches and monasteries were frequently raided and looted, while monastic estates were seized.

At the same time, the testimonies and memories of contemporaries regarding the monasteries of Malatya indicate that these institutions often suffered due to the inaction of the Malatya diocesan authorities, particularly the indifference and inaction of serving prelates.

Moreover, efforts to rebuild destroyed monasteries were undermined by the various prohibitions and limitations imposed by both the official authorities and local fanatical elements. The fact is that until the Tanzimat reforms of the 1860s, the Armenian population of Malatya was subjected to significant repressions, more so than Armenians in other cities and centers of population. As a result, even in the 1870s, the Armenians of Malatya lived relatively backwards lives, while in terms of the development of the educational system, Malatya ranked last among nearby cities. [46] This was exacerbated by the fact that until the last quarter of the 19th century, the city was home to no influential Armenian figures – writers, educated individuals, individuals wealthier than the norm, or other established and prosperous individuals – who could lead, sponsor, and organize the national/community life of Malatya Armenians. After visiting Malatya in 1878, Srvantsdyants wrote: “Generally, they live primitively, both in their internal and external lives … They were receptive to the idea that they must progress both in the material and intellectual domains … But they lack people who could awaken, enlighten, and lead them.” [47] Given this sorry state of affairs, naturally, the spiritual, ecclesiastical, and educational domains were neglected. Such was also the case with the monasteries, which, judging from the testimonies of contemporaries, had long been neglected and left to their own devices.

In the periods following the establishment of the national constitution and the reinstatement of the Ottoman Constitution, some progress was observed among Malatya Armenians. National/community life was restored. One of the important aspects of this revival was the reestablishment of the Sourp Prgich Monastery as a popular pilgrimage site. It can be said that with this, the monastery was granted a new lease on life.

And so, in the 1870s, Prelate of the Malatya Diocese, Bishop Srabion Saboundjian (Behesnitsi), initiated efforts to renovate and upgrade the monastery. [48] According to contemporaries, this “pious and productive” clergyman, after gaining the trust and favor of the local authorities, and with the absolute support of the Armenians of Malatya, succeeded in reviving the Sourp Prgich Monastery as a pilgrimage site. The monastic compound was renovated and the wall around it was rebuilt. [49] The vicarage “with the three columns,” part of the historical compound, was partially renovated and a roof built for it. It became a small church with a rectangular layout (30 x 20 meters), built of polished stone. [50] In the center of the altar was a marble slab, with a heigh of four gankouns, that served as an altarpiece. On both sides of the altar were recesses with wooden shutters, where the holy vessels and other holy items were stored. [51]

As part of these efforts, the monks’ old living quarters were renovated, as were other structures that served as the barn, hayloft, and the guards’ quarters. [52] Sources note that the polished stones from the oldest structures were used to build the living quarters and the compound wall. [53] The 10-12 rooms reserved for visiting pilgrims were furnished with the necessary items, such as bed, carpeting, etc. Even large vats and utensils for the cooking of offerings were obtained. [54] A dedicated area was built for the slaughtering and cooking of offerings, called eyvan. [55]

Moreover, Bishop Srabion commissioned the construction of new irrigation channels for the monastery’s fields, and at the same time, the planting of new orchards and gardens in the foothills below the monastery. [56]

Sources mention a well with a depth of 30 meters within the monastic compound. [57] There were two gravestones in the narthex, said to be those of two clergymen who had died defending the rights and property of the monastery. [58]

Srvantsdyants noticed the traces of a shuttered door on the northern side of the cathedral, above which was an inscription in Greek. [59]

According to one author from Malatya, at some distance from the ruins of the monastery compound, on the flank of the hill, was a site where the locals thought the monastery hid its treasures during raids. [60]

According to various sources, the Sourp Prgich was one of the wealthiest monasteries in Malatya, and owned vast fields, forests, orchards of fruit trees, and gardens in the area. [61] By the 1880s, the estates of the monastery had been greatly diminished to a total of two-three acres of fields. [62] Malatya Armenian chroniclers unanimously agree that the Sourp Prgich, like the other monasteries of Malatya, lost its estates at the height of the power of Kurdish chieftains and Turkish beys. Srvantsdyants wrote that the estates of the Sourp Prgich were seized by Turkish and Kurdish landowners. [63] Aslanian agreed: “The vast lands of the monastery were entirely seized and appropriated by villagers.” [64]

The handwritten manuscripts of the Sourp Prgich Monastery suffered a similarly ignominious fate. Witnesses recall that since antiquity, the monastery was home to a large and valuable collection of manuscripts. Mgrdich Vorperian specifically mentioned that many manuscripts were kept in the monastery’s cabinets, the oldest of which dated from the 13th century. [65] One of the first to examine several of these manuscripts was Father Karekin Srvantsdyants, who later described them in the first volume of his  seminal work, Toros Aghpar HayasdaniDjamport [Brother Toros Traveler of Armenia]. [66] We must note that unlike the Sourp Krikor Lousavorich Monastery, the Sourp Prgich was never considered a center of copying or printing, but it still housed a large collection of books. [67] Archimandrite (later bishop) Drtad Balian  mentioned that in the past, the monastery was home to many handwritten manuscripts, which, over time, had been scattered, and of which only four were left: “A Bible, a Haysmavourk, a hymn book, and a missal.” [68]

The Sourp Prgich Monastery once again began living and thriving thanks to the people’s pilgrimages. Church ceremonies and services were held at the site. In response to popular demand, the Divine Liturgy was performed every Sunday. Priests from the city would visit regularly to officiate the services or conduct the traditional blessing of offerings. The pilgrims would bring with them all the necessary implements and the lamb to be offered, and the priest from the city would bless the lamb. Then the pilgrims would slaughter, cook, and eat the offering before returning to the city. [69] “Every Saturday and Sunday,” remembered Vorperian, “pious, and also fun-loving people, would head to the Sourp Prgich in groups, and share either their joy or their grief with the monastery.” [70]

Authors from Malatya remembered the pilgrimages to the Sourp Prgich with emotion and nostalgia. Particularly large numbers of pilgrims visited the monastery on religious holidays and the feast days of saints. According to tradition, at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy service, the sacrificial offerings would be blessed, and the feasting and celebrations would begin, lasting into the evening. According to Father Aslanian, “every day, every week, and every month,” the monastery was full of pilgrims, especially throughout the hot summer season, as the monastery’s location, as well as its clean air, water, and surrounding orchards and gardens, made it a spectacular summer retreat. [71]

Srvantsdyants agreed: “The location of the monastery, with clean air and plenty of water, as well as the safety offered by the compound, attracted many people who came to have a good time. They would play games, plays music, dance, etc.” [72] And in fact, the clean air and plentiful water at the location made it a perfect place for a holiday, leisure, or feasting.

In his memoirs, Garabed Nadjarian mentioned that on religious holidays, music, singing, and feasting would go on until dawn both inside the monastic compound and the gardens surrounding it. Nadjarian quoted Garabed Aghpar, the monastery bellringer, who stated that in the past, the monastery had had a belfry and a bell, but after the events of 1895, the government had forbidden the ringing of the bell. For this reason, instead of a bell, to invite the faithful to prayer, the bellringer used a piece of copper, with which he would strike the scutiform piece of metal hanging near the chapel door [73]

The Sourp Prgich was famed as a miraculous monastery. Legendary stories about its miraculous properties circulated. People suffering from various ailments would visit the monastery, make vows, and slaughter lambs with the hope of being cured. Within the compound was the grave of a saint. It was said that the earth covering this grave had healing properties, and since antiquity, it was known as “a cure for jaundice.” [74] Those who suffered from jaundice would dip egg white into this earth before eating it, after which they would be cured. [75]

Faith in the powers of the Sourp Prgich Monastery was prevalent not only among Armenians, but also among other nationalities. According to Father Aslanian, a significant percentage of the pilgrims visiting the monastery were Turkish women, “who would never fathom visiting a doctor.” [76] Srvantsdyants confirmed that “most of the pilgrims were Muslim women.” [77]

In his memoirs, Garabed Nadjarian, a native of Malatya, recalled how his family had warm and friendly relations with the head of the village of Ordouz (near the monastery), Ahmed Beg, and his sons. Ahmed Agha, a Circassian by descent, was a fervent defender and a benefactor of the Sourp Prgich Monastery, “allocating a specific sum from each of his properties to the monastery.”It was said that during the catastrophic days of 1895, Mustafa, one of Ahmed Agha’s sons, participated in the robbery of an Armenian store with some Turkish boys. When he arrived home carrying a length of textile he had stolen, Ahmed Agha declared that this act would bring a curse upon his house and expelled his son from the family home. “The curse of God and Armenians killed my wife, my oxen, and my beloved mule,” Ahmed Agha supposedly proclaimed. At the same time, his fervent belief in the healing power of the Sourp Prgich seemed sincere. On several occasions, he claimed to have seen the monastery and Mourakhas Efendi (Prelate Bishop Sahag) in visions of lights. [78]

In 1883, the Constantinople Armenian National Central Executive Board, as the executive body of the National Constitution, dispatched Bishop Khoren Mkhitarian to Malatya to regularize the “unacceptable work of the diocese.” Bishop Mkhitarian was later elected as the interim prelate of Malatya. The former highly accomplished and devoted prelate, Bishop Srabion, “retired from diocesan affairs” and moved to the Sourp Prgich Monastery, serving as its abbot, as well as the abbot of the Sourp Krikor Lousavorich Monastery. [79] Throughout this time, Bishop Srabion, as he had done during his term as prelate, dedicated himself to reviving the Sourp Prgich Monastery. Large, popular pilgrimages became more frequent. In almost every season of the year, especially on holidays and days dedicated to offerings, the monastery teemed with pilgrims. Every Saturday and Sunday, the Armenians of Malatya, with their families and neighbors, came to the monastery, both to attend services and to enjoy their free time. During this period, in 1884, one night, three thieves bored a hole through the wall and stole the institution’s possessions – silver crosses, vessels and trays, valuable vestments, and other items. The authorities made no effort to track down the thieves, but Bishop Srabion, thanks to his authority and influence, not only succeeded in identifying them, but also ensured the return of the stolen items. [80]

Until 1893, the Sourp Prgich Monastery steadfastly served the Armenians of Malatya, just as they cared for it and nurtured it as their dearest and most revered holy site, where they spent the most moving and joyful moments of their lives. The earthquake that struck Malatya in 1893 completely destroyed whatever structures remained standing in the compound, including the domed chapel with the three columns, the Saint Sophia Chapel, and most of the walls, narthex, and living quarters. [81]

Miraculously, a short time after the earthquake, the Armenians of Malatya, most of whose homes had also been damaged, banded together to rebuild the monastery. “The walls are already quite high,” wrote Father Benneyan. But the catastrophe known as the Hamidian massacres intervened and undermined these reconstruction efforts. [82] According to sources, during the 1895 Hamidian massacres, Turkish brigands occupied the monastery and left it only after staying for some time. While there, they destroyed and plundered the institution. Even its property deeds were lost. [83]

After these events, when the Armenians of Malatya returned to the monastery for the first time, they found all the structures there, both old and recently rebuilt, including the walls, razed to the ground. [84]

Sources mention that Haroutyun Efendi Vosgerichian was the steward or trustee of the Sourp Prgich Monastery during these years. It is said that after surviving the catastrophe of 1895 both physically and financially, he made a vow to rebuild the monastery. [85] With the help of Father Khachadour Der Ghazarian, the interim prelate, Haroutyun Efendi built a small chapel and several rooms built of stone. [86] Father Khachadour, in his 1902 report, wrote that a total of five ground-level rooms had been built in the compound, and that even though the church was in ruins, the Divine Liturgy was held there every Sunday. [87]

Father Kevork Aslanian, who became the interim prelate of Malatya in 1903, made the renovation of Sourp Prgich one of his highest priorities. He commissioned the renovation of the compound, including the rebuilding of the church and the construction of new rooms, thanks to which the number of available rooms reached 25-30. [88] Aslanian also focused on the lands owned by the monastery, which had been neglected for some time, and ensured that they were productive and generated income. Every Sunday, the Divine Liturgy was held regularly for pilgrims visiting from the city or the nearby villages. Pilgrims with mellifluous voices were invited to participate in the singing of hymns. Most of the acolytes/readers consisted of pilgrims, too. [89] Management of the monastery was entrusted to the prelacy’s executive board, and the prelate personally served as the monastery’s abbot. In the 1900s, Garabed Gananian is mentioned as the institution’s trustee, [90] and Garabed Aghpar [Brother Garabed] as its bellringer and watchman.

According to a report from 1911, the Sourp Prgich Monastery owned three fields and a total of eight acres (deonyum) of land. The monastery had an average income of 20 Ottoman pounds, generated from the generous and heartfelt gifts of pilgrims and the rent on the land it owned. [91] These numbers had substantially decreased over time. [92] All of the monastery’s costs, including the salary paid to the watchman and his family, were covered by the pilgrims’ donations and gifts. [93]

The Armenians of Malatya were deported in 1915. After the Armistice, only very few of them returned from their deportation destinations. [94] Initially, they went back to their beloved pilgrimage sites, where they made vows and slaughtered animals. In 1938, a member of an American team of archaeologists visiting the region, in response to queries from anxious local Armenians, informed them that the monastery had become the property of a local Turkish landowner who had converted it into a vegetable nursery. [95]

The summit of the hill on which the Sourp Prgich Monastery was built offered a breathtaking view of the mountains, as well as the Pounarbashi Valley, which was nestled among the hills and crisscrossed by the branches of the eponymous stream. [96] The valley contained numerous ancient historical sites, several of which had a history of millennia. Notable among these sites was Aslan Tepe (Aryudzaplour), near the monastery (dating from 2700-2500 BCE, still standing). [97] The area was also home to the ruins of many churches and Armenian and non-Armenian cemeteries. [98]

Mgrdich Vorperian, as if standing on that very hill, painted a vivid picture of the spiritual and cultural panorama of the Sourp Prgich compound in the early Middle Ages: “It seems to me that this hill, imbued with spirituality, was an important site for all Armenian priests, Greek metropolitans, and Assyrian maphrians who are recorded by history since the fifth century.” The author then added: “Both tradition and the ruins of the area tell the story of the countless churches that were built on this hill.” [99]

And in fact, the valley of Malatya, stretching across the right side of the Euphrates, has revealed many layers of Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian relics from the early Christian period, many of which have echoes in the written and oral history of Malatya. Such relics include the stones bearing Greek inscriptions found both within the Sourp Prgich compound and outside of it, engraved crosses of Greek or Byzantine origin, and other finds. [100]

Outside of the confines of the monastic compound, near the summit of the hill, an ancient Armenian cemetery stretched over an area of several acres. The tombstones in this cemetery were mostly wind-eroded and covered with moss. [101] A. Kekevian, one of the chroniclers of the Armenian history of Malatya, mentioned that while he was a teenager, he and his friends had made attempts to clean and scrape off the mossy and half-buried tombstones to read the writing carved onto them. Kekevian also stated that he had heard from his elders that the cemetery had a history of millennia. [102]

Between the streamlets of the Pounarbashi, which flowed from the bottom of the Sourp Prgich hill, in a green field, stood a gigantic plane tree. The people of Malatya called the site “Chinarnots” [“Where the Plane Tree Is”], [103] and the millennia-old tree was revered and treated as an object of worship. Authors who wrote about the Sourp Prgich Monastery often commented on the popular beliefs and customs associated with this tree, which is evidence of the important role played by the tree in the belief system and lifestyle of Malatya Armenians. It was said that ages ago, the plane tree had been struck by lightning and a section of it had become charred. As a result, a recess measuring 40-45 feet in height had appeared in its huge trunk, which had a diameter of 12 feet. [104] It is well-known that historically, trees that had been struck by lightning were worshipped by Armenians. Remarkably, popular beliefs and legends associated with charred trees had survived unchanged in Malatya, especially the ancient tradition connected with twigs that grew on the branches of such trees.

It was said that it was impossible to visit the monastery and not visit this tree. Without a visit to the tree, the pilgrimage would be incomplete. [105] The old, the young, men, and women all visited this tree. Many local beliefs and instances of miraculous healing were associated with it. Generally, there was great faith in the miraculous powers of the tree. People who suffered from all kinds of illnesses, fevers, and infections beseeched its aid. They would tear a strip from their clothing and “tie it to its branches with ardor.” [106] Others tied colorful threads or ribbons to the branches, hoping to have their prayers answered. Yet others drove nails into the trunk. [107] Notably, this faith in the tree’s healing and miraculous properties was widespread not only among Armenians, but also other nationalities. Specifically, Turkish women would come to the plane tree on pilgrimages and would also tie strips of cloth to its boughs. [108]

The legends associated with this tree and its origin were intriguing. “It’s a blessed tree,” would say the locals, and would remember stories that had been passed down from one generation to the next. Supposedly, A pious pilgrim visiting the monastery on a pilgrimage, having nothing else to offer, had offered the seedling of this tree. The gift had been accepted and blessed, then planted near the monastery, along the banks of the Pounarbashi, next to the spring, so that it would always remain green. [109]

“The people loved this tree,” wrote one author from Malatya in his memoirs, “and they not only loved it, but had seemingly given it some of their own breath and spirit to bring it to life.” The author then ended with a moving conclusion: “This was the great plane tree of Ordouz, this historic tree, which we visited for the last time twenty years ago, and entrusted our names to it, alongside the date… With the promise of returning one day.” [110]

• [1] Tatevos Kh. Hagopian, Sdepan D. Melik-Pakhshian, and Hovhannes Kh. Parseghian, Hayasdani yev Haragits Shrchanneri Deghanounneri Pararan [Dictionary of Place Names of Armenia and the Environs], volume 3, Yerevan, Yerevan State University, 1991, p. 636.
• [2] Ibid. We must note that sources provide different, sometimes contradictory information regarding the circumstances and dates of the displacement of the population of Malatya. We know that the city was transformed into a military outpost in the autumn of 1838. Given the incompatibility of the soldiers and civilians living together, as well as the fact that the soldiers had to be quartered in civilian homes, the government ordered the population to leave, or rather, to not return from the summer retreat.
• [3] Arshag Alboyadjian, Badmoutyun Malatyo Hayots – Deghakragan, Badmagan, yev Azkakragan [History of the Armenians of Malatya – Geographic, Historical, and Ethnographic], Beirut, Sevan Printing House, 1961, p. 393.
• [4] Ibid., p. 690.
• [5] Archbishop Kevork Aslanian, “Fragments from the Radiant, Ancient Monasteries,” Pazmaveb Monthly, Venice-Saint Lazarus, 1937, number 12, p. 299.
• [6] Alboyadjian, Badmoutyun…, p. 586.
• [7] Hayasadani yev Haragits Shrchanneri…, volume 3, p. 638.
• [8] Alboyadjian, Badmoutyun…, p. 592.
• [9] Father Karekin Srvantsdyants, Toros Aghpar Hayasdani Djamport [Brother Toros Traveler of Armenia], volume 1, Constantinople, Y. M. Dndesian Printing House, 1879, pp. 311-315.
• [10] Father Garabed Benneyan, Malatyo Deghakragan yev Azkakragan Ashkhadasiroutyunu yev Krikor Khantsiani Malatyo Kavaraparparu[The Geographic and Ethnographic Study of Malatya and Krikor Khantsian’s Provincial Dialect of Malatya], published by the central executive board of the original chapter of the Malatya Scholastic Society, without mention of publication date or location [Aleppo, 1942], pp. 55-63. Father Garabed wrote this work in 1912, and it remained unpublished for a long time. Arshag Alboyadjian used this work extensively as a source for his bookBadmoutyun Malatyo Hayots [History of the Armenians of Malatya], quoting lengthy excerpts from it.
• [11] Professor Mgrdich Vorperian, a Malatya Armenian by birth, geologist, expert in geology and geography, poet and orator, was the uncle of poet Roupen Vorperian. He was a graduate of Euphrates College. He was martyred in 1915, in prison.
• [12] Mgrdich Vorperian, “Malatya,” Pyuragn Weekly, Constantinople, 1900, number 8, p. 117.
• [13] Arshag Safrasdian, “The Lists and Reports on Armenian Churches and Monasteries Presented by the Constantinople Armenian Patriarchate to the Turkish Ministry of Justice and Religions,” Etchmiadzin Monthly, Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, 1965, numbers 1, 2, 3, etc.
• [14] Hayasdani yev Haragits Shrchanneri…, volume 3, p. 637. Another sources simply states, “The Sourp Vartan, Sourp Sdepanos, Sourp Krikor Lousavorich, Sourp Hovhannes, and other pilgrimage sites near the city shared the same fate, with only ruins left of them” (ibid., p. 639).
• [15] Benneyan, Malatyo Deghakragan…, p. 55.
• [16] Garabed Nadjarian, “Delli Bekir,” Bab Oukdi Triannual Periodical, Cleveland (USA), 1937, number 3, p. 14. 
• [17] Aslanian, Pazmaveb, 1938, number 4-5, p. 109.
• [18] Benneyan, Malatyo Deghakragan…, pp. 61-62.
• [19] Ibid., p. 56.
• [20] Father Drtad Balian, Hay Vanorayk [Armenian Monastics],compiled by G. Avedian, Vagharshabad, Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, 2008, p. 216.
• [21] Toros Aghpar…, p. 315.
• [22] Father Ghevont Indjidjian, Ashkharhakroutyun Chorits Masants Ashkharhi [Geography of the Four Corners of the World], volume 1, part 1 – Asia, Venice-Saint Lazarus, 1806, p. 321.
• [23] Benneyan, Malatyo Deghakragan…, p. 55.
• [24] Ibid.
• [25] Father Hamazasb Vosgian,Sepasdyayi, Kharperti, Diyarbekiri, yev Drabizoni Nahanknerou Vankeru [The Monasteries of the Provinces of Sebastia, Kharpert, Diyarbakir, and Trabzon], Vienna, Mkhitarian Printing House, 1962, pp. 116-117.
• [26] Archimandrite K[evork] Aslanian, “The Antiquities of Melitene,” Amenoun Daretsuytsu, Azad Hayoun Pokrig Hanrakidaranu [Everyone’s Almanac, the Small Encyclopedia of the Free Armenian],compiled by Teotig, year 7, 1913, Constantinople, V. and H. Der-Nersesian Printing House, p. 150. 
• [27] Alboyadjian, Badmoutyun…, p. 598.
• [28] Vorperian, Pyuragn, p. 117.
• [29] Benneyan, Malatyo Deghakragan…, p. 57.
• [30] Ibid.; Aslanian, Pazmaveb, 1938, number 4-5, p. 110.
• [31] Benneyan, p. 57.
• [32] Ibid.
• [33] Ibid.
• [34] Ibid.
• [35] Aslanian, Pazmaveb, p. 110.
• [36] Benneyan, p. 57.
• [37] Aslanian, Pazmaveb, p. 110.
• [38] TorosAghpar…, p. 315; Benneyan, p. 57.
• [39] Benneyan, ibid.
• [40] Aslanian, Pazmaveb, p. 110; also see Vosgian, Sepasdyayi…, p. 117.
• [41] Toros Aghpar…, p. 314.
• [42] Melidinetsi, Nakhdjirner (1915-1918) [Carnage (1915-1918)], Boston, Hairenik Press, 1929, p. 32.
• [43] A. Kekevian, “Inside the Sourp Prgich Monastery,” Bab Oukhdi, 1937, number 4, p. 5.
• [44] H. Garabedian, “Letter from Melitene,” Mshag Daily Newspaper, Tbilisi, 17 May 1873, number 18, p. 3.
• [45] It was said that for this reason, all Armenians from the area spoke of Rashid Pasha with respect.
• [46] Emma Gosdantian, Agnargner Arevmdahay Mshagoutayin yev Hasaragagan-Kaghakagan Gyanki Badmoutyan (19-rt Tarou 80agan Tvaganner) [Observations on the Cultural and Community-Political History of Western Armenian (1880s)], Yerevan, unidentified publisher, 2005, p. 62.
• [47] Toros Aghpar…, p. 310.
• [48] Alboyadjian, Badmoutyun…, p. 595.
• [49] Vorperian, Pyuragn, p. 117.
• [50] Aslanian, Pazmaveb, p. 110.
• [51] Ibid.
• [52] Kekevian, Bab Oukhdi, 1937, number 4, p. 5; Vosgian, p. 117.
• [53] Aslanian, Pazmaveb, p. 110; Vorperian, Pyuragn, p. 117.
• [54] Alboyadjian, Badmoutyun…, p. 595.
• [55] Kekevian, Bab Oukhdi, 1937, number 4, p. 5.
• [56] Alboyadjian, Badmoutyun…, p. 569.
• [57] Kekevian, Bab Oukhdi, 1937, number 4, p. 5
• [58] Ibid.
• [59] Toros Aghpar…, pp. 314-315; Aslanian, Pazmaveb, p. 110.
• [60] Kekevian, Bab Oukhdi, 1937, number 4, p. 5.
• [61] Benneyan, Malatyo Deghakragan…, p. 57.
• [62] Ibid.
• [63] Toros Aghpar…, p. 314; Aslanian, Pazmaveb, p. 110
• [64] Aslanian, Pazmaveb, p. 110.
• [65] Vorperian, Pyuragn, p. 117. This manuscript was a vellum Bible dating from 1262, illuminated by Toros Roslin (Srpots Hagopyants Monastery of Jerusalem, manuscript number 2660).
• [66] Toros Aghpar…, pp. 324-331.
• [67] Vorperian, Pyuragn, p. 117; Aslanian, Pazmaveb, p. 110.
• [68] Balian, Hay Vanorayk, p. 216.
• [69] Vorperian, Pyuragn, p. 117.
• [70] Ibid.
• [71] Aslanian, Pazmaveb, p. 110.
• [72] Toros Aghpar…, p. 314.
• [73] Garabed Nadjarian, “Delli Bekir,” Bab Oukdi, 1937, number 1, p. 19. Also see Kekevian, Bab Oukhdi, 1937, number 4, p. 5.
• [74] Kekevian, p. 5.
• [75] Melidinetsi, Nakhdjirner (1915-1918), pp. 29 and 32. According to Father Aslanian, both city and countryside dwellers would coat the roofs of their homes with dirt from this hill to make them waterproof, as this dirt was rich in borax. Aslanian also mentioned that clay dishes, spear tips, and fragments of mosaics were often found at the foot of this hill, adding: “We, too, collected many such items, which is proof that this hill contained a trove of antiquities” (Aslanian, Pazmaveb, p. 110).
• [76] Aslanian, Pazmaveb, p. 110.
• [77] Toros Aghpar…, p. 314.
• [78] Nadjarian, Bab Oukhdi, 1937, number 1, p. 20.
• [79] Alboyadjian, Badmoutyun…, p. 569.
• [80] Ibid.
• [81] Benneyan, Malatyo Deghakragan…, p. 62.
• [82] Ibid.
• [83] Alboyadjian, Badmoutyun…, p. 598.
• [84] Benneyan, Malatyo Deghakragan…, p. 57.
• [85] Balian, Hay Vanorayk, p. 216.
• [86] Ibid. Haroutyun Efendi Vosgerichian was killed in 1915, alongside the other prominent Armenians of the city.
• [87] Alboyadjian, Badmoutyun…, p. 598.
• [88] Father Kevork Aslanian, “Around the Monasteries. The Sourp Lousavorich and Anardzat Pjishg,” Masis Weekly, Constantinople, 1906, number 20, p. 319.
• [89] Kekevian, Bab Oukhdi, 1937, number 4, pp. 5-6.
• [90] Alboyadjian, Badmoutyun…, p. 602.
• [91] Ibid., p. 598; Kekevian, Bab Oukhdi, 1937, number 4, p. 5.
• [92] Vorperian, Pyuragn, p. 117.
• [93] Kekevian, Bab Oukhdi, 1937, number 4, p. 5.
• [94] Sources indicate that 2,000 Armenians returned to Malatya after the Armistice.
• [95] Alboyadjian, Badmoutyun…, p. 602.
• [96] Aslanian, Masis, p. 317.
• [97] Aslanian described the scene thus: “We are at the top of a hill. To our left is Aslan Tepe, with its renowned antiquities, while facing us are the chains of boulders/rocks, next to which is the Anardzat Pjishg.” See Aslanian, Masis, p. 317.
• [98] Aslanian, Pazmaveb, p. 110.
• [99] Vorperian, Pyuragn, p. 117.
• [100] Ibid.; Aslanian, Masis, p. 317.
• [101] Aslanian, Amenoun Daretsuytsu, pp. 150-151; Aslanian, Pazmaveb, p. 110.
• [102] Alboyadjian, Badmoutyun…, p. 600.
• [103] A. Kekevian, “The Historic Tree,” Bab Oukhdi, 1937, number 4, p. 17.
• [104] Benneyan, Malatyo Deghakragan…, p. 62.
• [105] Kekevian, Bab Oukhdi, 1937, number 4, p. 17.
• [106] Melidinetsi, Nakhdjirner (1915-1918), p. 32.
• [107] Alboyadjian, Badmoutyun…, p. 594.
• [108] Melidinetsi, Nakhdjirner (1915-1918), p. 29.
• [109] Kekevian, Bab Oukhdi, 1937, number 4, p. 17.
• [110] Ibid., pp. 18-19.