VAN, Turkey (A.W.)—The Van Metropolitan Municipal Council restored the old names of 704 neighborhoods, Turkish newspapers reported.
The municipality has said that it will use these old names in its official documents. In each local municipality research was conducted to identify the old names of the neighborhoods.
In Başkale 81 villages and neighborhoods received their old names back; in Çaldıran 86; in Çatak 34; in Edremit 18; in Erciş 105; in Gevaş 37; in Gürpınar 174; in İpekyolu 50; in Muradiye 41; in Özalp 53; and inside the city proper 25.
The decision was approved by members of the council who were from the pro-Kurdish party as well as the ruling party. Reportedly, village signs will also be changed and include the Kurdish and Armenian names.
Before the Genocide, there were around 90,000 Armenians living in 350 villages in what is today the province of Van, according to Les Arméniens dans l’Empire Ottoman à la veille du génocide by historians Raymond Kevorkian and Paul Paboudjian. There were 382 churches and 65 monasteries in the area.
Aryadz serdi mkhitarank? I don’t trust Turks or Kurds unless they give our lands back they can keep the gold for it is cursed to generation to come.
Maybe it’s a first step. Justice comes through the Lord, not through recriminations.
BOTH KURDS AND ARMENIANS NEED EACH OTHER AGAINST TURKISH OPPRESION.
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE OBJECTIVE OF TURKS THROUGH HISTORY TO ELIMINATE ARMENIANS AND KURDS……….
Seriously great news. Language and names are hugely important in Armeno-Kurdish-Turkish matters. Language points to history, state ideology, populations (even if exiled or murdered), restored memory, and perhaps reconciliation. Restored names indicate ‘We can’t go back along that route.’ Just as the US failed with the Cuba blockade, so Turkish state ideology has failed to crush Armenian history.
IT’S IMPERATIVE FOR THE ARMENIAN NATION (DIASPHORA & ARMENIA)TO BE FLEXABLE, BUT NOT TO BE OBLIVIOUS OF OUR PAST 700 YEAR HITORY.
Can anyone tell me where the name “edremit” comes from?
The Turks changed the name of our (Greek) village on the coast of the Aegean, Adramytium, to “edremit”…
Thanks in advance.
According to the Turkish government: Arabic. In Arabic “erd” means place, “met” means long (not 100%. I don’t speak Arabic and even on trivial matters such as this I tend to not trust the Turkish government). “Erdmet” became “Erdemit” over time as thats how locals pronounced it.
As for the Edremit you’re talking about, there’s apparently two. The Ancient Roman/Byzantine/Greek city that was changed to Edremit and the actual, modern day town of Edremit which is located a few miles away.
doing family research on my grandfather mourad muradian who left for America during the diaspora. he entered the u.s. army and fought in the Argonne forest in france Family documents say he was from either Keushah,Russia or Kishk by Lake Van. Anyone tell me if these are good village name spellings just prior to 1915?
there is a village Köshk close to khorhom at the lake Van
if you need the map with the old villages I can send , But I need you email adres
Can i get a help on my research –
Back in 1900’s Was there a place called Narek (?) near Ercis
My grand farther was telling us stories and he often would confuse bot saying he was living in Ercis and then he would say Narek.
Thank you for your help.
There needs to be caution when allying with the Kurds. They view Western Armenia as belonging to them. This would further complicate the “alliance” we have with them were there to be reparations or re-settlement of the historic Armenian territory at the invitation of the Turks or otherwise.