The Çankırı Worry Beads

The attached is the abridged translation of the article Garbis Harboyan M.D. wrote. He  titled it “ ՉԱՆՂԸՐԸ-Ի 99 ՀԱՏԻԿՈՎ ՀԱՄՐԻՉԸ՝ ՀԱՅՈՑ ՑԵՂԱՊԱՆՈՒԹԵԱՆ ԱՆԺԽՏԵԼԻ ՎԱՒԵՐԱԳԻՐ” (THE 99 BEADS WORRY BEAD OF CHANKER, AN IRRIFUTABLE WITNESS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE). He had the attached article published in Armenian newspapers and had it posted on his Facebook page as well.  Garbis Harboyan is a prolific author and an expert about Armenian medical professionals martyred during the genocide of the Armenians. He resides in Montreal, Canada with his family.

Translated and abridged by Vahe H. Apelian

The 99 Beads of the Worry Bead

1915, April 24,  government officials in Bolis (Istanbul) conducted a widespread arrest of individuals named on a list prepared by the Turkish government. Approximately 200 Armenian notables including intellectuals, merchants, physicians, pharmacists, clergy, lawyers, activists and politicians were unexpectedly arrested and were imprisoned in Ayash (Ayaş), a small town near Istanbul.  

Forty five individuals from the list were killed and the rest were exiled to a prison in Chankere (Çankırı is a city on the north coast of Turkey). Some of those who were sent there were also killed there. Among those remaining was Vartkes Atanasian (Վարդերես Աթանասեան), who was a merchant from Istanbul and an official representative of his neighborhood (թաղապետ). Vartkes Atanasian carved on the 99 beads of his worry-bead the names of the remaining imprisoned Armenians. On the larger piece through which the two strings of the worry-bead were brought together and tied, he carved the following: “Chankere, 1915, April 11, memorial”. 

While he was in prison, a Turkish coachman presented himself to his wife Srpouhy and told her that her husband gifted the coachman a watch and asked him to deliver to her his worry-bead. Srphouhy accepted it without realizing that the individual beads are engraved. Vartkes Atanasian did not return home. He was subsequently deported and was martyred in Der Ez Zor.

 His daughter Eugenie, having survived the Armenian Genocide, found refuge in Paris carrying her father’s worry bead. In 1965, in the aftermath of the 50th commemoration of the Armenian genocide, she realized that her father’s worry-bead is a cherished relic not only for her family but also for the nation as a whole. Consequently, she gifted the worry-bead to the Armenian Genocide museum in Armenia. The worry-bead ended up in a display case in the Armenian genocide museum bearing no caption as a memorial of the Armenian genocide. It was simply displayed as a “19-20^th century art”.

Until 1984, no one had realized that the worry-bead is not only a mere relic from a martyred Armenian but that it is, in its way, an important historical document: None of the officials of the genocide museum had taken any interest in the worry bead, which remained in the display case. In 1984, Garine Avakian (Կարինէ Աւագեան), a senior researcher, historian, and antiquarian, who has been affiliated with the genocide museum for the past 27 years became attracted to the worry bead that had 99 beads (far too many than a customary worry-bead). 

Garen studied the worry-bead with scrutiny and found out  that  Vartkes Atanasian had engraved on each bead the name of an Armenian thrown in jail in Chankere. On the larger bead that tied the two ends of the string, he had engraved, “Chankere, 1915, April 11, memorial.” Thus, Vartkes Atanasian had engraved  103 names from those who were jailed there. Some of the beads had more than one name.

The following are the names engraved on the beads: 

1.Gomida V. (Կոմիտաս վ.), 2.  Hovnan V. (Յովհան Վ.), 3. Kachouny Khn.1 (Քաջունի քհնյ.), 4. Jevaherje J (Ճեւահիրճի), 5.  R. Sevag (Ռ. Սեւակ), 6. (Meskjian (Միսքճեան), 7. Topjian (Թօփճեան), 8.  Vartan Khn. (Վաբղան քհնյ.), 9.  T. Delar (Գ. Տէլալ), 10. Kazazian (Գազազեան), 11. Torkomian (Թորգոմեան) – physician (բժիշկ), 12. Boghosian (Պօղոսեան), 13. Denanian (Տինանեան), 14. Merza (Միրզա), 15. Altounian – dentist (Ալթունեան – ատամնաբոյժ), 16. Gkhlkharan (Կխլիառան), 17. Zareh (Զարեհ), 18. Yeznig (Եզնիկ), 19. Asadour V. – pharmacist (Ասատռւր Վ. – դեղագործ), 20. Manegian (Մանիկեան), 21. Zarifian (Զարիֆեան), 22. Meskjian (Միսքճեան), 23. Hajian (Հաճեան), 24. Chazaros (Ղազարոս), 25. Terzian (Թէրզեան), 26. Nshan (Նշան), 27. Nor-Gelejian (Նար-Կիլէճեան), 28. Arsenian (Արսենեան), 29. Tanielian B. - lawyer (Դանիէլեան Պ. – փազտաբան), 30. Cheraz (Չերագ) 31. Movses (Մովսէս), 32. D. Keleg – editor (Տ. Քէլէկ-խմբագիր), 33. P. Kgian (Բ. Քկեան), 34. Topjian (Թօփճեան), 35. Andonian (Անաոնեան), 36. Tolayan (Թօլայեան), 37. Shahnour (Շահնուր), 38. M. Mrents – teacher (Մ. Մրենց – ուսուցիչ), 39. Khonasarian (Խօճասարեան), 40. Varoujan (Վարուժան), 41. Shamdanjian (Շամտանճեան), 42. Chavoushian (Չաւուշեան), 43. Tabazian (Թապագեան), 44. Dkhpou- Okh (Տխբու-Օխ) 45. Aghababian (Աղապապեան), 46. Parselian (Բարսեյեան), 47. Dorian (Տօրեան), 48. Yessayan (Եսայեան-տաղարտը), 49. Kochoy Srpen (Գոչոյ Սրբին), 50. Yerchanig (Երջանիկ), 51. Zenop (Զենոբ), 52. Hoscheg (Հոսչիկ), 53. Hrant (Հրանդ) 54. Ereoum (Երէում), 55. Levon-2 (Լեւոն-2), 56. Azpeg (Ազբիկ), 57. Kantarian (Գանթարեան), 58. Gozmos (Կոզմոս), 59. Beylerian (Պէյլերեան), 60. Tashjian (Թաշճեան), 61. Hanesian (Հանեսեան), 62. Aram (Արամ), 63. Zeef (Russ.) (Ցիֆր (ռուս.)), 64. Deovletian (Տէօւլեթեան), 65. Kahayan- artisan   (Քէհեայեան – արհեստաւոր), 66. Maysbajian (Մայսպաճեան), 67. Basmajian (Պասմաճեան), 68. Sekonian (Սէքոնեան), 69. Chbj – architect (Զպճը – ճարտարապետ), 70. Arsajian (Արսչանեան), 71. Varteres – (Վարդերես – մուխբար), 72. Ferou-Khan (Ֆէրու- խան), 73. Sarafian (Սարաֆեան), 74. Avtounian (Աւթունեան), 75. Jambaz (ճամպազ), 76. Hrach (Հրաչ), 77. Momjian (Մոմճեան), 78. Kalender (Գալէնտէր), 79. Vaghenag (Վաղինակ), 80. Kalfayan – office – employee (Գալֆայեան – պաշտօնեայ), 81. Beyepian (Պէյեբեան), 82. Barouyr (Պարոյր), 83. Noyeg-commissioner (Նոյիկ – յանձնակատար), 84. Tatarian Թաթարեան, 85. Keoleyian (Քէօլէեան), 86. Ohnegiank (Օհնիկեանք)-4, 87. Terlemez-money-changer (Թէրլէմէզ սեղանաւոր), 88. Der-Kevorkian (Տէր-Գէորզեան), 89. Basmajian (Պասմաճեան), 90. Tayezjian (Դայըզճեան), 91. Injjineyan (Ինճիճէեան), 92. Kapageozian (Գաբակէօզեան), 93.Maneasian (Մանէասեան), 94. Ghonchegul (Ղոնչէկիւլ) 95. Parisian (Փարիսեան), 96. Korian-merchant (Գորեան – վճռկն), 97. Keropian – reverend (Քերոբեան – պատուէ)- Փ, 98. Toumajian (Թումաճան), 99. Balakian-. (Պալազեան- ծ.վ).

In 1992 Garine met Vartabed Grigoris Balakian, the author of “Armenian Golgotha” and noted that his name is engraved on the last, the 99th bead. She read his book and realized that Grigoris Balakian had only mentioned the names of 69 individuals imprisoned, while Vartkes Atanasian had engraved the names of 103 individuals imprisoned in Chankere.  After long research about the names engraved on the bead, she was able to track down the descendants of many whose names were engraved on the beads and  contacted them and collected detailed information about the person whose name is engraved. 

In 2002 Garine Avakian published a book about the worry-bead titling it  «Եղեռնայուշ Մասունք Կամ Խոստովանողք Եւ Վկայք Խաչի» (A Genocide Relic  or  Confression and Witness of the Gross). The book is the story of the worry-bead. After the publication of the book, Garine received more information about the names engraved on the beads from some of the descendants of the survivors. 

In the book, Garine Avakian presented the biographies of the persons whose names are engraved on the bead detailing their deportation routes. She noted that thirty five of the engraved names were martyred, and sixty one had survived. She has not been able to collect information about the rest. The information she gathered about the names engraved on the beads revealed interesting  details. For example, doctor Jevaherje survived because he was the gynecologist of the Sultan’s women. 

Thanks to Garine Avakian’s diligent work, the worry-bead has ceased to be an art piece for display and has become and irrefutably primary source of the Armenian genocide. Garine Avakian noted in her book; “The worry-bead has become a piece of history, an engraved witness of the Armenian Genocide and a rosary that ties generations”.

Garbis Harboyan, M.D.

Montreal, November 10, 2015 

1.    Khn., for Kahana, married priest.