Urfa Resistance: The memoirs of Henry Wilfred Glockler

In a recent article in “Aztag” Daily on May 8, 2025, Raffi Ardhaldjian made a reference to the Urfa Resistance, which like the last Artsakh stand, took place in September (1915). 

The Armenian section of Urfa with Holy Mother of God Cathedral. The cover of the book "Interned in Turkey 1914-1918"

The Urfa resistance (Armenian: Ուրֆայի հերոսամարտի) is about the Armenians in Urfa defending themselves in 1915 against the Armenian Genocide launched by Ottoman Empire. The Urfa resistance lasted from 29 September 1915 to 15/20 October 1915, according to Wikipedia, more or less during the same frame the last stand of Artsakh lasted.

Raffi’s posting reminded me of an article my late uncle Dr. Antranig Chalabian had written in Simon Simonian’s “Spurk” Weekly in Beirut on April 19, 1970, labeling it “The sad odyssey of a valuable manuscript - Արժեգաւոր ձեռագրի մը տխուր ոդիսականը”. The article had to do with the publication of the eye witness account of the resistance of the Urfa Armenians by Henry Wilfred Glockler, who had entrusted his manuscript to Antranig Chalabian having learned about Antranig assisting Prof. Stanley Kerr in the publication of Kerr’s book “The Lions of Marash”. (see below)

The memoir appeared as a book titled “Interned in Turkey 1914-1918”. I had posted my translation of Antranig Chalabian’s article in my blog on April 10, 2019. I reproduced it below. Vaհe H Apelian.

                                    ***

My translation of Antranig Chalabian's article: 

“I received a letter from an American professor¹, dated August 28, 1967. In it he informed me that he had a friend in New Jersey by the name of Henry Glockler who had witnessed Urfa's heroic battle and had written a book, in 1918, about the event. He had been unable to publish the book. The professor was asking whether Armenians would be interested in the manuscript. I asked for a copy. I also told him that I would bring the manuscript to the attention of Beirut's Urfa Compatriotic Organization. A copy of the 150-page manuscript arrived soon after. Some of the papers had turned yellow and others were on the verge of falling apart.

The author was born in Beirut and had spent a part of his life in this city. He graduated from the American University of Beirut in 1908 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He had also taken a two-year business administration course. Later he received M.B.E.²Order and Medal from His Highness King George VI and the Order of Cedar3 from the Lebanese Government.

In 1915, as a Briton and thus a subject of a country hostile to the Ottoman Empire, he was deported to the interior of Turkey. On his way to exile, he stopped in Urfa and came across destitute Armenian deportees. Witnessing their miserable condition, he wrote a heart-wrenching but beautiful description of their plight. He became an eyewitness to the city's heroic battle. 

Urfa's battle for existence is unique. The heroes of Van had a glimmer of hope that the advancing Russian Army would rescue them. The Mussa Dagh Armenians had the sea backing them and thus had a semblance of hope for rescue. When the Armenians of Urfa waged their decisive battle for existence they were cut off from the rest of the world and could harbor no hope from anywhere.

The names of heroes, such as Mgrdich Yotneghparian, Sako, Rasdgelenian are not mentioned in "Interned in Turkey". The author, a young foreigner, does not recognize them. However, whatever is mentioned in the book it's about the Armenian plight and the decisive battle of the lion-hearted Armenians of that city, waging a battle to death without the slightest hope of rescue. The splendid and yet agonizing descriptions make the book a very valuable eyewitness account. The book heightens and broadens for posterity the memory of Urfa's heroic battle from the confines of its historical record in Armenian.

It is such a heroic battle's eyewitness account, by a non-Armenian, that we had at hand. I approached the Urfa Armenian Compatriotic Organization.

The presence of wealthy Urfa Armenians in the compatriotic organization was a hopeful sign and I had no doubt that the manuscript would generate a lot of interest. I naively thought that the descendants of the Yotneghparian and Rasdgelenian heroes would find the manuscript a treasure trove.

I wrote a letter to the Committee of the Urfa Compatriotic Organization. After a long delay, the committee members asked to see the manuscript. I sent it.

Thirteen months after submitting the manuscript to the committee, I was hopeless.  I approached Garbis Kazanjian, a committee member, and asked him to have a meeting with the rest of the members. This sympathetic Urfatsi told me outright, "My friend, do not rely on others; do it yourself."

At an exhibition about the Yeghern⁴, in the West Hall of the American University of Beirut, I met Kersam Aharonian⁵. I said, "Mr. Kersam, there is a valuable manuscript ……….."

"Let the Urfatsis have it printed," he answered, without taking his eyes off of the exhibits.

I collected the manuscript and headed to Antelias to meet Archbishop Karekin Sarkissian⁶and ask for his advice. "Antranig, I know few people who will be interested. They have set aside a little money as well for projects such as this. I will personally hand the manuscript to Vahe Oshagan⁷."

I got in touch with Oshagan. He read the manuscript and was very enthusiastic. "This is very good and should be published. However, the other committee members must read to make a decision," he said.

The second reader of the manuscript was Vartkes Der Garabedian⁸. He spoke positively about the manuscript and about publishing it.

It was time for a third committee member, Prof. Shavarsh Torigian⁹, to read. He was away in Japan. Upon his return, I handed the manuscript to him.

In a telephone conversation, he said, "It is good and should be published. Presently we are engaged in the publication of the works of Lepsius¹⁰, therefore we cannot assume the responsibility of publishing the manuscript."

The elderly author of the manuscript, having come to his wits' end, wrote to me, "I am sending you $500 dollars. Have the manuscript printed and distributed. I will donate the proceeds of the copies sent to me to a worthy Armenian cause."

We came to an agreement with the printer¹¹and printed the manuscript that had waited for the past fifty years to see the light of day.¹²”

    

Notes:

1.                   Prof. Stanley Kerr, the author of "The Lions of Marash".

2.                Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

3.           The National Order of the Cedar is a civil and military State Order of Lebanon. Established on Dec. 31,1936, the order is the second highest honor bestowed by Lebanon.

4.               Synonymous to the Genocide of the Armenians.

5.          Kersam Aharonian (1916-1981) was an author and the longtime editor of "Zartonk" Armenian daily in Beirut.

6.            The late Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin I Sarkissian.

7.            Vahe Oshagan (1922-2000) was a prominent Armenian author, poet and editor.

8.           Vartkes Der Garabedian was a community leader and the first elected chairperson of the Homenetmen 1st World Committee, a post he held until he was gunned downed in West Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War.

9.       The late Prof. Shavarsh Torigian was a prominent political scientist and the author of the "The Armenian Question and the International Law".The late Prof. Shavarsh Torigian was a prominent political scientist and the author of the "The Armenian Question and the International Law".

10.      Johannes Lepsius  (1858-1926) was a German Protestant missionary, Orientalist, and humanist with a special interest in trying to prevent the Armenian  Genocide in the Ottoman Empire.

11.      The late Simon Simonian, editor and publisher of "Spurk" weekly in Beirut.

12.     Sevan Printing Press was owned and operated by Simon Simonian. 

Link: “The Lions of Marash” by Prof. Stanely Kerr: https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2021/07/antranig-chalabian-big-books-little.html

Lest we forget: Bayard Dodge, a great friend to the Armenians

The attached is my translation of the late Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian's article he posted in Simon Simonian’s "Spurk" weekly on Dec. 31, 1972.  Bayard Dodge hailed from a prominent American family. In 1923 he succeeded his father-in-law, the founding president Howard Bliss, and became the third president of the American University of Beirut that had formerly been known as "The Syrian Protestant College". The article is also a testament to young bishop Mesrob Ashjian's care and concern to pay homage to those who helped the destitute Armenians in their hours of need.  Vaհe H Apelian

Bayard Dodge (1888-1972)

“The Armenian media kept a strange silence at the death of a great friend of the Armenians, Bayard Dodge. Strange, because he was a towering figure in Lebanon and a great number of people have been beneficiaries of his good deeds. He contributed greatly towards the establishment of the Lebanese Armenian community.

It was my pleasure in the last two years to meet him and relive with him the period when caravans of destitute Armenians would arrive in Lebanon and find shelter in orphanages preparing to face life and end up establishing the vibrant present Armenian community in Lebanon. I feel a debt of gratitude towards him and belatedly pen these lines in his memory. More than others, he deserved to be remembered and eulogized by Armenians.

Bayard Dodge was born in 1888 in a family known for its humanitarian missionary zeal. His name, along with that of his father's Cleveland, great paternal uncle Steward, and father-in-law Daniel Bliss remain forever associated with the American University of Beirut (AUB).

After attending Princeton and other top American universities, Dodge headed to Lebanon. It  would become his adopted country. He set foot in Lebanon in 1913 and immediately assumed a variety of responsibilities. His caring heart and generosity of spirit would reveal themselves when he was appointed director of the Near East Relief Association in 1920 where he rendered incalculable assistance to the Armenian orphans. From 1923 to 1948 he acted as president of the AUB. During his distinguished tenure he made the university a center of learning and knowledge to people in Lebanon, in Asia, Africa and Europe.

After his retirement he returned to the U.S. For the next quarter-of-century he maintained his ties with Lebanon and continued to work for the betterment of the country. Prime Minister Saeb Salam eulogized him saying: “Bayard Dodge exemplified the best in Americans. He understood the people of Lebanon as well as the Arab peoples. He identified himself with them and made their social, educational, and national struggles his own.”

Bayard Dodge was also known as a man of faith. Even though he was a devoted Christian he saw much commonality with Muslims. In a statement that appeared posthumously, he said:  “A good Muslim and a good Christian are alike in many ways. It is a blessing that the American University of Beirut was founded in Lebanon, which is a unique country”.

The AUB’s modest and unpretentious president was also a scholar, and a capable administrator devoted to good causes. He was honored by many universities receiving honorary doctoral degrees. Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Iranian, Polish, French, Greek and British governments decorated him with medals of distinction.  In 1960 he was honored the “Woodrow Wilson" award. Suleiman Franjieh, president of Lebanon, posthumously bestowed upon him the National Order of Cedar First Class.

Bayard Dodge died on May 30, 1972. Memorial services were rendered in Princeton and in Lebanon. Alas, we Armenians could not express our gratitude on these occasions for the services he rendered to us, among them for his decisive role in the acquisition of the [Antilias] property for the seat of the Catholicosate of Cilicia.

The world bestowed upon him all the accolades it could. Surely it is the God’s recognition of him as a devoted servant mattered most to him, for he worked tirelessly to live up to the motto of the university he served: “That they may have life and have it more abundantly”.

The Dodges displayed in their home with affection the attached photo of Bayard Dodge receiving the plaque the Armenian community presented to him in 1948 as a token of its gratitude. Also in the photo, Catholicos Karekin I Hovsepian is sitting next to Mrs. Dodge.”

When Vartan Mamikonian Was About to Balk - Simon Simonian (1/2)

 In memory of DIKRAN GULLEKIAN. This blog was originally posted on Tuesday, August 3, 2021. I am reposting it in remembrance of Dikran Gullekian, whom I had befriended on Facebook. I had asked him to send me a picture of the painting of Vartan Mamikonian, I had seen on a wall in his room, in Beijing, China. Dikran Gullekian passed away on December 30, 2023 in Montreal (see below). I am reposting the blog in his Dikran’s memory.  Vaհe H Apelian

Courtesy Dikran Gullekian

«Geh khntrvi Khatchatsevel – Կը Խնդրուի Խաչաձեւել» is the title of an unusual book by the late Simon Simonian. He fictionalized an event that allegedly took place in Beirut’s UNESCO Hall filled to capacity, where  some of the Armenian historic figures, such as: Gregory the Illuminator, Catholicos Sahag Bartev, the legendary patriarch of the nation Haig, Dikran the Great, King Drtad and many others, came onto stage and said what they did and what would have happened had it been their way.

The slogan of the event, in classical Armenian, was the following: “There has not been a dusk that was not followed by a dawn”. The  theme of the dignitaries’ discourses was tri fold: 1.What did we do for the Armenian people. 2. How is that the Armenian people survive and did not die off? 3. Why is it that the Armenian people will not die off?

This fictitious event was supervised by the current Armenian political parties, each having assigned a specific task. The Hnchagians were to ring the bell alerting the attendees to the succession of the appearances of these Armenian historical dignitaries on stage. The Tashnags were tasked to oversee the security of the event. The Ramgavars were tasked to maintain silence as the event progressed. The Communists were tasked to create commotion. The event supposedly took place on January 1, 1965, the year the 50^th anniversary of the Armenian genocide was to be commemorated

From the get-go, the readers are alerted that this  unusual event is a satirical Armenian history review. Customarily when organizers announced an upcoming event, they  alerted  the community not to hold another event that would overlap theirs. But this time around, the organizers were imploring to have this event overlapped, which made the title of the book "Please Overlap". After the appearance of the dignitaries on stage was concluded a dinner dance was held. 

The book is 152 pages long and was published by Simon Simonian’s Sevan Publishing House in Beirut in 1965. The book retailed for 2.5 Lebanese Lira, or 3 Syrian pounds. For those who live abroad (aradasahman) the book retailed  for a dollar. 

It should be noted that ardasahman is a term Armenians in Armenia use for those who live outside Armenia. It also should be noted that Simon Simonian was a persona-non-grata in Soviet Armenia and his literary works and the bi-weekly “Spuyrk” he published were banned in Soviet Armenia. Consequently, Simon Simonian must have  known that his book will not see the light of day in Soviet Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora outside Lebanon was abroad for him. Simon Simonian was a fiercely independent person and the only organization he belonged was the compatriotic union of the Sassountsi Armenians. His parental lineage was  from Sassoun.

 A quote in the book pertaining to Vartan Mamigonian prior to the famous Battle of Avarayr, bewildered me. It reads as follows: “On the Greek-Persian border, shortly before the Battle of Avarayr, Zoravar Vardan Mamikonian was stopped  by Armenian border guards as he tried to cross to the Greek side with his entire family, his wife, his two brothers, Hmayak and Hamazasp, and their wives, sons and grad children and with all his blood relatives (nobles) and servants. Vartan Mamikonian declared at the border that he is crossing to the Greek section for the freedom of worship, and that his brother Hmayak was even willing to do begging (pp. 176-7). The border guards returned Vardan Mamikonian and his blood relatives to the Ayraradian plain and showed them the way to Avarayr. It is evident that Vartan was forcibly led to Avarayr, against his free will. They were ordered to rest all winter.” GHAZAR PARBETSI, a relative and friend of the Mamikonians. (Venice Press, pp. 174-185).”

Simon Simonian attributed the quote to the Armenian chronicler Ghazar Parbetsi and “authenticated” it by citing not only the author but  also the pages of the book and its source. When I inquired about the authenticity of the quote, some friends claimed its completely ficticious. Sassoun, Simon Simonian’s claimed it is an authentic quote.  Fortunately, two friends came to my rescue forwarding me a copy of the chronicle and Harout Topjian, who is educated in Cilician See, shared the following by putting it in context and noted that Vartan Mamigonian, angered by the disunity and discord among the Armenian wanted to pass to Armenia under the Hellenic rule. The Armenian nobles having heard from Vasak Sunni, who was the marzban (Persian appointed governor) of Armenia, Vartan Mamigonian’s intention and preparation  to cross to Armenia under the Greek side sent a delegation headed by the priest Ghevont Yerets who assured him the Armenian nobles stood by the secret vow they took, while they pretended yielding to the Persian King Yezkert’s demands and accepting the Persian religion so that they could return to Armenia for the sake of their homes and families. The delegation implored him to return for they knew without Vartan Mamigonian’s leadership they will not be able to counter the eminent attack by the angered Persian king. 

Vartan Mamigonian relented and returned noting to them he feared neither  the enemy, nor the dreaded war. It is only because of the divided loyalties and disorderly deeds that he decided to move to Armenia on the Byzantine side with his family, brothers, their families and his courtiers and that he would return as long as the nobles promised to act in an orderly manner and remain united.

Thus began the preparation of the famous battle waged on the plains of Avarayr. The disunity and the discord among the Armenians appeared to have posed to doom the most famous Armenian battle, its contemporary chronicler Eghishé described in detail.

As to the Simonian’s quote, there is a kernel of truth in it, but surely he has changed the wording as the actual text by Ghazar Parbetsi indicates (next).

 

Note:          Simon Simonian’s posted quote: “Յոյն-պարսկական սահմանին վրայ, Աւարարայրի ճակատամարտէն քիչ առաջ, Հայ սահմանապահերու կողմէ վար դրուեցաւ Ծօրավար Վարդան Մամիկոնեան, երբ կը փորձէր պարսկական բաժնէն յունական կողմը անցնիլ՝ իր ամբողջ ընտանիքին եւ տոհմին – կնկան, երկու եղաբայրներուն՝ Հմայակին եւ Համազասպի, անոնց կիներուն, զաւակներուն ու թռռներուն, իր բոլոր արիւնակից ազգականերուն (ազնուական) եւ ծառաներուն հետ։ Վարդան Մամիկոնեան սահմանին վրայ յայտարարեց թէ ոգիի ազատութեան համար կ՚անցի յոունական բաժինը, իսկ իր եղբայր Հմայեակ՝ նոյիսկ մուրացկանութիւն ընելու համար ( էջ 176-7)։ Սահմանապահերը Այրարատեան դաշտ վերադարձուձին Վարդան Մամիկոնեանն որ իր արիւնակիցները եւ անոնց ցոյց տուին Աւարարայրի ճամբան։ Յայտի է որ Վարդան բռ նութեամբ կ՚առաջնորդուի Աւարայր, իր ազատ կամքէն հակառակ։ Հրամայուեցաւ անոնց՝ ամբողջ ձմեռը հանտիստ ըմել։ՂԱԶԱՐ ՓԱՐՊԵՑԻ, Մամիկոնեաններու ազգական եւ բարեկամ պատմիչ։ (Տպ. Վենետիկ, էջ 174-185 ).

                                                                                    ***

Dikran Gullekian

 

Hamprtsoum Antourian broke the news of the death of Dikran Gullekian noting:  “With great regret I announce the death of a great friend DIKRAN GULLEKIAN (KELEKIAN), a the of 70 after a long illness. He left us quietly in the evening of December 30, 2023."

I befriended Dikran on Facebook. He was born and raised in Lebanon. The whirlwinds of life had taken him to Beijing, China where he made a living catering middle-eastern food and had become a good ambassador to all things in Armenian. He was divorced after having married locally. He often posted about food and about pets. He appeared to be an animal lover.

ON December 10, 2019, Suzanne Ajamian, on behalf the Armenian community in China (CHINA-HAY) posted that “Dikran Gullekian, an Armenian residing in Beijing and fighting for his  December 9, our friend Dikran Gullekian – much loved for his kind heart and delicious hummus – suffered a stroke requiring immediate heart surgery to save his life. Together the Beijing community raised a miraculous Y250,000 for doctors to successfully operate on Monday night. Dikran is now stable in the ICU and faces a long road for recovery.

It was around that time that I befriended him on Facebook. He seemed to get by doing what he did, middle eastern cuisine and attended to pets. He had posted a picture of Vartan Mamikonian he had someone draw for him. I had asked him to have a picture of the painting forward to me. He did and I posted it in my blog and reposted it here next to a picture of his.  He left the painting behind in Beijing, China,  when he moved to Montreal, Canada where he had relatives and friends. He passed away, on December 30, 2023, as posted.

I attached some of the comments on his Facebook page.

 

“He is one friend I miss a lot, he was my 5th friend on FB. Humorous, kind, respectful & very considerate. I pray for the Holy Spirit to comfort us all.... in Jesus Name. (Nora Matossian)

 

“RIP my friend. will miss our talk around food and Spice”.  (Bedros Bedros) 

 

“Just learnt the passing of Dikran, RIP “Laogu. (Zhen Gupo)

 

“Rest in Eternal Peace dear Dikran my Facebook friend, although I never met you but you were a part of my daily visit to Facebook” (Armineh  Արմինէ Khachadourian)

 

“老友老顧Dikran Gullekian於加拿大時間2023/12/30過世

享壽70歲 RIP” Leo Liu

 

 

When Vartan Mamikonian Was About to Balk - Simon Simonian (1/2)

 This blog was originally posted on Tuesday, August 3, 2021. I am reposting it in memory of DIKRAN GULLEKIAN, whom I had befriended on Facebook. I had asked him to send me a picture of the painting of Vartan Mamikonian, I had seen on a wall in his room, in Beijing, China. Dikran Gullekian passed away on December 30, 2023 in Montreal (see below). I am reposting the blog in his Dikran’s memory.  Vaհe H Apelian

A painting of Vartan Mamikonian courtesy Dikran Gullekian

«Geh khntrvi Khatchatsevel – Կը Խնդրուի Խաչաձեւել» is the title of an unusual book by the late Simon Simonian. He fictionalized an event that allegedly took place in Beirut’s UNESCO Hall filled to capacity, where  some of the Armenian historic figures, such as: Gregory the Illuminator, Catholicos Sahag Bartev, the legendary patriarch of the nation Haig, Dikran the Great, King Drtad and many others, came onto stage and said what they did and what would have happened had it been their way.

The slogan of the event, in classical Armenian, was the following: “There has not been a dusk that was not followed by a dawn”. The  theme of the dignitaries’ discourses was tri fold: 1.What did we do for the Armenian people. 2. How is that the Armenian people survive and did not die off? 3. Why is it that the Armenian people will not die off?

This fictitious event was supervised by the current Armenian political parties, each having assigned a specific task. The Hnchagians were to ring the bell alerting the attendees to the succession of the appearances of these Armenian historical dignitaries on stage. The Tashnags were tasked to oversee the security of the event. The Ramgavars were tasked to maintain silence as the event progressed. The Communists were tasked to create commotion. The event supposedly took place on January 1, 1965, the year the 50^th anniversary of the Armenian genocide was to be commemorated

From the get-go, the readers are alerted that this  unusual event is a satirical Armenian history review. Customarily when organizers announced an upcoming event, they  alerted  the community not to hold another event that would overlap theirs. But this time around, the organizers were imploring to have this event overlapped, which made the title of the book "Please Overlap". After the appearance of the dignitaries on stage was concluded a dinner dance was held. 

The book is 152 pages long and was published by Simon Simonian’s Sevan Publishing House in Beirut in 1965. The book retailed for 2.5 Lebanese Lira, or 3 Syrian pounds. For those who live abroad (aradasahman) the book retailed  for a dollar. 

It should be noted that ardasahman is a term Armenians in Armenia use for those who live outside Armenia. It also should be noted that Simon Simonian was a persona-non-grata in Soviet Armenia and his literary works and the bi-weekly “Spuyrk” he published were banned in Soviet Armenia. Consequently, Simon Simonian must have  known that his book will not see the light of day in Soviet Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora outside Lebanon was abroad for him. Simon Simonian was a fiercely independent person and the only organization he belonged was the compatriotic union of the Sassountsi Armenians. His parental lineage was  from Sassoun.

 A quote in the book pertaining to Vartan Mamigonian prior to the famous Battle of Avarayr, bewildered me. It reads as follows: “On the Greek-Persian border, shortly before the Battle of Avarayr, Zoravar Vardan Mamikonian was stopped  by Armenian border guards as he tried to cross to the Greek side with his entire family, his wife, his two brothers, Hmayak and Hamazasp, and their wives, sons and grad children and with all his blood relatives (nobles) and servants. Vartan Mamikonian declared at the border that he is crossing to the Greek section for the freedom of worship, and that his brother Hmayak was even willing to do begging (pp. 176-7). The border guards returned Vardan Mamikonian and his blood relatives to the Ayraradian plain and showed them the way to Avarayr. It is evident that Vartan was forcibly led to Avarayr, against his free will. They were ordered to rest all winter.” GHAZAR PARBETSI, a relative and friend of the Mamikonians. (Venice Press, pp. 174-185).”

Simon Simonian attributed the quote to the Armenian chronicler Ghazar Parbetsi and “authenticated” it by citing not only the author but  also the pages of the book and its source. When I inquired about the authenticity of the quote, some friends claimed its completely ficticious. Sassoun, Simon Simonian’s claimed it is an authentic quote.  Fortunately, two friends came to my rescue forwarding me a copy of the chronicle and Harout Topjian, who is educated in Cilician See, shared the following by putting it in context and noted that Vartan Mamigonian, angered by the disunity and discord among the Armenian wanted to pass to Armenia under the Hellenic rule. The Armenian nobles having heard from Vasak Sunni, who was the marzban (Persian appointed governor) of Armenia, Vartan Mamigonian’s intention and preparation  to cross to Armenia under the Greek side sent a delegation headed by the priest Ghevont Yerets who assured him the Armenian nobles stood by the secret vow they took, while they pretended yielding to the Persian King Yezkert’s demands and accepting the Persian religion so that they could return to Armenia for the sake of their homes and families. The delegation implored him to return for they knew without Vartan Mamigonian’s leadership they will not be able to counter the eminent attack by the angered Persian king. 

Vartan Mamigonian relented and returned noting to them he feared neither  the enemy, nor the dreaded war. It is only because of the divided loyalties and disorderly deeds that he decided to move to Armenia on the Byzantine side with his family, brothers, their families and his courtiers and that he would return as long as the nobles promised to act in an orderly manner and remain united.

Thus began the preparation of the famous battle waged on the plains of Avarayr. The disunity and the discord among the Armenians appeared to have posed to doom the most famous Armenian battle, its contemporary chronicler Eghishé described in detail.

As to the Simonian’s quote, there is a kernel of truth in it, but surely he has changed the wording as the actual text by Ghazar Parbetsi indicates (next).

 

Note:          Simon Simonian’s posted quote: “Յոյն-պարսկական սահմանին վրայ, Աւարարայրի ճակատամարտէն քիչ առաջ, Հայ սահմանապահերու կողմէ վար դրուեցաւ Ծօրավար Վարդան Մամիկոնեան, երբ կը փորձէր պարսկական բաժնէն յունական կողմը անցնիլ՝ իր ամբողջ ընտանիքին եւ տոհմին – կնկան, երկու եղաբայրներուն՝ Հմայակին եւ Համազասպի, անոնց կիներուն, զաւակներուն ու թռռներուն, իր բոլոր արիւնակից ազգականերուն (ազնուական) եւ ծառաներուն հետ։ Վարդան Մամիկոնեան սահմանին վրայ յայտարարեց թէ ոգիի ազատութեան համար կ՚անցի յոունական բաժինը, իսկ իր եղբայր Հմայեակ՝ նոյիսկ մուրացկանութիւն ընելու համար ( էջ 176-7)։ Սահմանապահերը Այրարատեան դաշտ վերադարձուձին Վարդան Մամիկոնեանն որ իր արիւնակիցները եւ անոնց ցոյց տուին Աւարարայրի ճամբան։ Յայտի է որ Վարդան բռ նութեամբ կ՚առաջնորդուի Աւարայր, իր ազատ կամքէն հակառակ։ Հրամայուեցաւ անոնց՝ ամբողջ ձմեռը հանտիստ ըմել։ՂԱԶԱՐ ՓԱՐՊԵՑԻ, Մամիկոնեաններու ազգական եւ բարեկամ պատմիչ։ (Տպ. Վենետիկ, էջ 174-185 ).

                                                                                    ***

Dikran Gullekian

 

Hamprtsoum Antourian broke the news of the death of Dikran Gullekian noting:  “With great regret I announce the death of a great friend DIKRAN GULLEKIAN (KELEKIAN), a the of 70 after a long illness. He left us quietly in the evening of December 30, 2023."

I befriended Dikran on Facebook. He was born and raised in Lebanon. The whirlwinds of life had taken him to Beijing, China where he made a living catering middle-eastern food and had become a good ambassador to all things in Armenian. He was divorced after having married locally. He often posted about food and about pets. He appeared to be an animal lover.

ON December 10, 2019, Suzanne Ajamian, on behalf the Armenian community in China (CHINA-HAY) posted that “Dikran Gullekian, an Armenian residing in Beijing and fighting for his  December 9, our friend Dikran Gullekian – much loved for his kind heart and delicious hummus – suffered a stroke requiring immediate heart surgery to save his life. Together the Beijing community raised a miraculous Y250,000 for doctors to successfully operate on Monday night. Dikran is now stable in the ICU and faces a long road for recovery.

It was around that time that I befriended him on Facebook. He seemed to get by doing what he did, middle eastern cuisine and attended to pets. He had posted a picture of Vartan Mamikonian he had someone draw for him. I had asked him to have a picture of the painting forward to me. He did and I posted it in my blog and reposted it here next to a picture of his.  He left the painting behind in Beijing, China,  when he moved to Montreal, Canada where he had relatives and friends. He passed away, on December 30, 2023, as posted.

I attached some of the comments on his Facebook page.

 

“He is one friend I miss a lot, he was my 5th friend on FB. Humorous, kind, respectful & very considerate. I pray for the Holy Spirit to comfort us all.... in Jesus Name. (Nora Matossian)

 

“RIP my friend. will miss our talk around food and Spice”.  (Bedros Bedros) 

 

“Just learnt the passing of Dikran, RIP “Laogu. (Zhen Gupo)

 

“Rest in Eternal Peace dear Dikran my Facebook friend, although I never met you but you were a part of my daily visit to Facebook” (Armineh  Արմինէ Khachadourian)

 

“老友老顧Dikran Gullekian於加拿大時間2023/12/30過世

享壽70歲 RIP” Leo Liu

 

 

 

 

 

He Was Different - Ան Ուրիշ էր

Բնագիրը կցուաց է Attached is my translation of Simon Simonian’s poignant story about his mother. The story is titled "He Was Different" - "An Ourish Er - Ան Ուրիշ Էր. It was the first story in Simon Simonian's book titled "The Mountaineers' Twilight” - “Լեռնականներու Վերջալոյսը”, published in Beirut in 1968. Vahe H. Apelian

Bédo was my mother’s first husband and my father’s bosom friend. My father and Bédo had worked together in the same mill. After Bedo’s death my father married his wife, my mother.

After his death, Bédo has continued living in our house and continues to live as a husband, as a father and as a friend, but as a foe of a friend. My father, who had loved him as a brother, is the only one who is discontented with Bédo coming back to life. His animosity started after Bédo’s interment. I remember well, during my childhood, every time there was bad feeling between my mother and my father, the person responsible for the trouble was Bédo who worked in mysterious ways after his death much like all the great souls, saints and heroes do after their deaths.

Bédo was not a saint or a hero. He was a mere Sassountsi from the Dalvorig village. He was the son of an ironsmith. His father had worked in the Dalvorig mines extracting iron from the rock veins and melting it to make plows, hatchets, shovels, pickaxes, and rifles. The guns were muzzle type with which he, his brothers and the villagers had defended themselves against attacks by Kurds and Turks. The leaders of the Armenians were Mourad (Hampartsoum Boyandjian), Mihran Damadian, “Baron” Vahan, Kevork Chavoush and other luminaries of the time. It is in honor of Bédo’s father and his comrades that the once popular patriotic song, “I am a Brave Son of Dalvorig”, was sung.

At twenty Bédo had left Sassoun and after working in mills, had settled in Aintab much like many Sassountsis. At twenty-five, he had married my mother Ménnoush who was barely eighteen then. Bédo, a handsome, brave young man, had captivated my mother’s heart.

“Mother, was Bédo handsome?” I used to ask my mother in my childhood as she recounted stories about him.

“There was no other like him,” my mother would say and continue: “He had dark eyebrows and moustache; a handsome posture, a proportioned face. He dressed like a bég. All the girls in our town noted his manly handsomeness. Lucky you, the women would tell me…..”

To validate her description, she would open her old chest, the dowry chest, which along with her and much like her, was becoming a worn down witness of old and happy days. From underneath the moth laden, malodorous, dark blue, apricot and pearl-colored worn out clothes, she would pull out her photo bundle, unwrap its silky shroud and hand to me her wedding picture so that I would look at Bédo, her Bédo.

My mother’s recollection would fill my soul with fascination towards the man who had once been my mother’s husband. To further stress so that I would not waver from the impression I harbored of the dead man, my mother would add: “In this picture he does not look as handsome as he was. Hey, bygone days. We took this picture in haste. He had just returned from the mill and was covered with flour all over. The neighbors were having their pictures taken. In our days, women did not go to the photographer’s shop. We had this picture taken on the spur of that very moment because he refused to change his clothes”

At times, during these mysterious viewing sessions, my father would happen to suddenly step in the house. My mother, with tears still in her eyes, would wrap the picture and place it back. My father, silent and sad, would sit at a corner and inhale the smoke from his cigarette more deeply than usual. My father’s sad silence would last for days, sometimes for even weeks during which time he would not speak with my mother. That absent person beyond the grave thus caused a lot of heartache between my father and my mother. My father’s sadness, my mother’s tears and the omnipresence of the departed would fill my childhood soul with an unexplainable mystery.

During winter, whenever my father would be absent for months on end working in the mills, my mother would sit around the oven area during the evenings and tell us about Bédo who had told her father “let your ‘yes’ not be a ‘no’”. After long deliberation, her father had consented to give his daughter away in marriage to Bédo. After their engagement, during which they had seen each other only once, seven years of blissful marriage followed.

“He was an out of the ordinary man”, my mother would tell us;  “whenever he missed home, whether there was snow or blizzard, he would walk for four hours in the cold of the night just to come home.”

Of course my mother was the repository of his joy. They thus lived happily but without a child. My mother had believed that on the seventh year of their marriage, she would conceive and carry his child. The seventh year brought with it the unexpected, Bédo’s sudden death in the mill during work. There is no need to visualize my mother’s torment and agony. My mother would recount his elaborate funeral procession and the overwhelming sadness among the Sassountsis and would particularly emphasize my father’s inconsolable lament over the loss of his bosom friend. Time did not heal my mother’s wounds. There had remained only one thing for my mother, visiting her husband’s gravesite even in the dead of the winter.

“I remember well,” my mother would say. “It was Vartanants Day and I needed to visit his grave at any cost. Our cemetery did not have walls or guards. There was the fear of wolves. My mother was with me. As I was walking among the graves, suddenly Bédo appeared in front of me in the same dress we had him dressed for his interment. I froze. He looked at me and said, ‘return home and do not come here anymore’. My mother arrived and saw me standing still. I told her nothing about the occurrence. I grabbed her arm and we returned home. We had not reached Bédo’s grave yet. My mother remained perplexed.”.

That day became a turning point for my mother. From there on she found refuge in her needlework. From a whole year’s labor she raised enough funds to place a tombstone on Bedo’s grave, on which she had inscribed:

However, the thick tombstone with all its weight has not been able to contain Bédo’s heart that continues to live on this earth, that is to say, in my mother’s bosom.

A year passed. My father proposed to marry her. They got married. They started having children. My mother devoted herself to raising her children. But she never forgot her Bédo. The passing years and responsibilities crystallized Bédo’s love like a diamond that my mother keeps in her heart. In fact, it’s the only crystal she carries in her heart. She raised her children in memory of Bédo. My mother is convinced that we are Bedo’s children for, as a matter of fact, Bédo had appeared to her the day before her conception. Without the apparition of Bédo, she claimed, she had never conceived. Bédo had become our Holy Ghost

My mother had willed that when she died, she should be buried next to Bédo. However, her exile put an end to that vow. But my mother had taken another solemn vow that neither exile nor war or anything earthly would deter her from that solemn vow. In her after life she would be with her Bédo. My father knew about my mother’s alarming preference. That is why he remained melancholic the rest of his life. He knew that there was a fateful separation in store for him in afterlife.

My mother’s preference had me ponder. I have thought that her first love, Bédo’s handsomeness and bravery, the loss of her youthful happiness influenced her decision to make her preference known to us. But there was something different with my mother. Whenever I quizzed her, she would only say: "He was different.”

My mother admits that my father, her second husband, has been virtuous, God-fearing, good natured, just and has always treated her kindly. But all my father’s virtues have given way to the appeal of the deceased. My mother, in her essence, remains the spouse of the deceased. My father carries a wound that never healed because of my mother’s total devotion to Bédo. That is why his once bosom friend Bédo, has become his foe after his death for whom he can do no harm with his living self. The other, on the other hand, from the beyond, continues to aggravate my father on Earth.

We, the children, presented alternating stands towards our two fathers. In our childhood, through my mother’s tales, we deeply loved Bédo. When we grew older and realized our father’s pain, we sided with him and pounded Bédo, who through his interference from the world beyond, caused so much grief to our father. Our assault for a while bore fruits. Bédo’s downfall started. But we could never dethrone him for my mother continued to open her wooden chest, unwrap the bundle and with her fingers caress the pictures while murmuring softly “He was different.”

We ended our teens, rounded our twenties and became more mature. We ceased to side with either of my parents. It was the period of our neutrality. We let our mother receive her extraterrestrial visitor in our home and continue her affair with him. But we did not let her verbalize her preference to us.

There remains the last chapter for us that will start in the afterlife. We are sure that a separation will take place, our mother will re-join with her Bédo who is surely waiting impatiently for her. We will remain with our father. Separated from us, our mother will miss us. She will vacillate between her Bédo and us. She will want to join us with Bédo in a threesome arrangement of sorts. My father who despised the francophone triangle and the ghostly presence of Bédo will not want to have his erstwhile friend turn his foe in our midst. We, who were not accustomed to such things on Earth, will reject our mother’s proposition. With each passing day, our mother will miss us more and more. She will eventually concede, leave her Bédo behind and join us, and we will have our family anew.                                                      

 

                                                             ***

I wrote this piece after a long delay and reader be mindful that my mother is an old woman as I write about her Bédo. She has heard from my brothers that I write about Sassountsis. She confronted me once and said: “Son, let it not be that you write about Bédo. He was not like Mano or Magar. He was different…..”

Forgive me mother, for I wrote about your Bédo.”

    Բնագիրը՝