AGBU Boghos K. Garmirian school - Lebanon

In April 2015, Houshamadyan conducted a workshop with the students of the AGBU Boghos K. Garmirian School in Dbayeh (Lebanon), for the purpose of including students in the process of gathering archival material on Ottoman Armenians. After the workshop, the students found some interesting photographs, which you can see in this section.

Hrag Partamian: Photograph, Aleppo

Hrag Partamian, a secondary student from Garmirian, provided this photograph to us. The photo depicts an AGBU (Armenian General Benevolent Union) meeting, which took place in Aleppo in 1914 for the occasion of Catholicos Sahag II Khabaian's visit (1849-1939). Hrag’s paternal great-grandfather and great-grandmother, Levon and Varteni Partamian, are also in the photo.

Levon Partamian was born in Marash in 1881 and died in Aleppo in 1931.

Varteni Partamian (born Der Vartanian) was born in Marash in 1894 and died in Beirut in 1978.

Levon and Varteni got married in Marash in 1911. Their first child, Berjouhi, was born in Marash in 1912. Their son, Garabed, was born there in 1914. Hereafter, the family moved to Aleppo and thus survived the Genocide. They later had two more children – Noubar and Vartan. The latter is Hrag’s grandfather.

Hagop Joulfaian: Photograph, Aleppo

Hagop Joulfaian, a secondary school student from Garmirian School, provided this photograph to us. It was taken at the Kelekian Armenian Oprhanage in Dörtyol. Hagop’s great-grandmother, Marissa Soghomonian-Talasian (1909 Alexandrette/Iskenderun -1988 Beirut), is in this photo. Marissa’s two older brothers (in the photo on the left) and her father served in the Ottoman army. During the Genocide she lost several family members (mother, brothers).

After leaving the orphanage, Marissa married, had a son and a daughter, and until 1939, continued to live in Iskenderun. When France ceded the area to Turkey in 1939, Marissa and her family, alongside thousands of Armenians, left the area and boarded a ship that would deliver them to Lebanon.

Kegham Telvizian: Photograph, Ayntab

Kegham Telvizian, a secondary student from Garmirian, provided this photograph to us. The photo is of the Demirdjian family from Ayntab. Kegham’s great-grandmother is in the photo. In 1920, the Demirdjian family left Ayntab, moved to Aleppo and later to Lebanon.

The Demirjian family, Ayntab ca 1907-1908. Standing from left to right are Meria Demirdjian (1895-1931) and Loutkia Demirdjian. Seated are Mr and Mrs Krikor and Annig Demirdjian. The little girl standing is Beatrice and the seated boy is Tatoul.

Arslanian-Baliozian family photos, Ayntab

This photograph was provided to us by the principal of the Garmirian School, Maral Arslanian-Baliozian. The photograph depicts members of her family, who were all born in Ayntab. Some of the photographs were taken in Ayntab, while others were taken in Syria and Lebanon, where the family settled after being forced to leave their native lands permanently in the 1920s. Maral’s paternal grandmother was Haiganoush Arslanian (nee Der Garabedian-Bozoghlanian), and her paternal grandfather was Krikor Armenag Arslanian.

Krikor Armenag Arslanian (Maral’s paternal grandfather). This photograph was taken in Aleppo. The doorway behind Krikor leads to a pharmacy. In the photograph, Krikor is surrounded by copper items that were crafted in Ayntab, which he is trying to sell. He had received permission from the proprietor of the pharmacy to sell his wares outside of the pharmacy’s door.

1) Astourian family. Seated, on the right, is Krikor Astourian. On his right, standing, is Zadour (Krikor’s wife and Maral’s great aunt).

2) The father of Krikor Arslanian (name unknown).

Seated from left to right: Roupen Der Garabedian, Nazeli Der Garabedian (later Gebedjian), Siranoush Der Garabedian (later Ghlndji), Ovsanna Der Garabedian (later Terzian) and Garabed Der Garabedian. Standing from left to right: Ovsanna Der Garabedian (Roupen's wife), Doudou Mouradian (Der Garabedian), Hayganoush Der Garabedian (later Arslanian) and Satenig Der Garabedian (Garabed's wife).