Kars and Ani and some Hopa

Bütün Türkiye resimleri için buraya basınız

Click here for my page with very many Turkish cities

Comments can be written but are only visible after I have checked them: these pages are not forums for political debate - nor to just let the world know you exist!

Yorum yazabilirsiniz ama yorumlarınızı ben kontrol ettikten sonra sitede görebilirsiniz. Bu sayfalar politik tartışmalar ya da dünyaya hayatta olduğunuzu duyurmak için hazırlanmış forumlar değil!

Kars is a city in the far Eastern part of Turkey, near the border with Armenia. A bit further to that border are the remains of Ani, in a military zone. A river has eroded a deep divide between the two countries there. I show some pictures of Kars, some of Ani, and some of Hopa, which is actually on the Black Sea coast, the last stop before Georgia. I went there on my way back West from Kars. The country is magnificent there, so I returned in June 2006 and took many more pictures. Sorting them and adding comments will take some time, I am very busy but wanted to show them anyhow. Locals will recognize the spots.

KARS, ANİ ve HOPA

Kars, Türkiye’nin Doğu Anadolu Bölgesi’nde, Ermenistan sınırının yakınında bir şehir. Bu sınırın biraz ötesinde, askeri bir bölgede, Ani kalıntıları var. Bir nehrin aşındırması iki ülke arasında derin bir yarık oluşmuş. Bu galeride biraz Kars, biraz Ani ve biraz da Gürcistan’dan önceki son durak olan ve aslında Karadeniz sahilinde bulunan Hopa’nın resimlerini gösteriyorum. Hopa’ya Kars’tan batıya geri dönerken uğradım. Çok az fotoğraf var, bunun sebeplerinden biri Kars’ta ve Hopa’da sadece birer gece kalmış olmam. Tekrar gitmek niyetindeyim, orada kırsal çevre olağanüstü.

Türkçe çeviri: Melek Emir. Katkılarından dolayı teşekkür ederim.

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Hopa

Hopa to Samsun soldiers farewell

Hopa to Samsun stop for local bread

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comment |

effildIncitle		11-Jun-2011 12:29
Thanks For This Post, was added to my bookmarks.

Yunus		11-Oct-2010 07:18
Thanks for the pics.. i lived in kars for three years.. this city, apart from all cities in turkey, has its own culturel formation and history.. if you get there and walk around the streets, easily you ll undrstand what i mean.. The views you get from makes you curious about the past, about the experiences .. Nice to see these pictures of this tired city.. And.. to The Armenian friends.. Don't judge the past with your own point of view.. please.. we have the same stories here about what your ancestors did in.. so lets we both be honest with ourselves.. And for the ones, who could never understand the meaning of "being Turk" in our great leader Ataturk's expression,which he tried to tell his own nation, make them believe in after the independence war, please make time to learn..

Dick Osseman		16-Jul-2010 21:56
Dora's mail address (only visible to me unless in the message itself) is: dwro8ea@googlemail.com

Dora		15-Jul-2010 16:42
I have a question as well about villages around Kars. My grandfather and his father and mother came from there. My grandfather mentioned that they came from a village called Samsun or something like that around Kars. Is that correct? And also.. does anybody know if there are any records anywhere of these people living there? Or of the exchange?

Dora		15-Jul-2010 16:17
For Spyridis: I have a similar family history! I'm Greek and my mother's grandfather came from Kars in 1939. We still got some relatives in Ordzhonikidze today. We might be able to share some information. If you are interested, send me an e-mail

Spyridis		11-Apr-2010 22:27
i have returned after 1 year. Meanwhile i lost my brother and my father. So i need a lot to reach, the origins of my grandfathers may be Ysemin can help He wrote "It's been long time passed from your writing. But i'm new about the visiting this page.My fiance is from Kars and his family still live there. You said your grandfather lived in chatach (in Turkish ÇATAK) his parents live near ÇATAK . But there are two ÇATAK village there.They called Big Chatach (in Turkish BÜYÜK ÇATAK) & Small Chatach (in Turkish KÜÇÜK ÇATAK) . Maybe you can read this if you pls contact me maybe one day you can visit.. Take care ...My name is Yasemin living in Ýstanbul" Hope to contact him Spyridis

Geust		08-Jan-2010 05:29
Dear fellow Turks Before you speak out with so much hate against Armenians or Greeks or Kurds or whatever, I would like you to really look yourself in the mirror and try to define what a "Turk" is! If you really look deep into your routes and genes, you will find that you have some combination of the following: Osam, Tatar, Selcuk, Mongol, Arab, Kurd, Armenian, Greek, Georgian, Russian, European, etc. etc. etc. Basically a "Turk" is very similar to an "American"! If you disagree, then how do you explain the fact that you no longer look like the Mongols? The point I am trying to make is that, you do carry the genes of the people you hate so much! It is time for you to accept history and try to work on reconciliation instead of wasting your energy on superficial fanaticism!

Guest		10-Dec-2009 20:41
Hi Spyridis, It's been long time passed from your writing. But i'm new about the visiting this page.My fiance is from Kars and his family still live there. You said your grandfather lived in chatach (in Turkish ÇATAK) his parents live near ÇATAK . But there are two ÇATAK village there.They called Big Chatach (in Turkish BÜYÜK ÇATAK) & Small Chatach (in Turkish KÜÇÜK ÇATAK) . Maybe you can read this if you pls contact me maybe one day you can visit.. Take care ...My name is Yasemin living in Ýstanbul..

Spyridis		01-Sep-2008 22:51
My name is Spyridis, I am 45 and I am Greek, living in Athens. The parents of my mother lived in a placed named Ortokii, or something that, in Kars, and mooved around 1919 to Soviet Union, in a place named Ordzhonikidze (Орджоники́дзе, and now Vladikavks. They mooved to Greece about 1938 My fathers parents, lived in a village named Chatach or something like that, in Kars and they mooved in Greece about 1919. My faher met my mother in a Greek city named Volos at the beginning on '50s. I just want to see my grandfathers ana grandmothers villages at Google Earth. Does anyone knows the names of the villages, Ortakii and Chatach, something like that, in the current era, just to see, where the Greek old ones lived. Please contact me at spyridis@ath.forthnet.gr

J		28-Aug-2008 17:58
Beautiful photos! I love Kars. I was there in 1999 and enjoyed every minute. We spent most of the time looking for Karakala where Russian Molokans and Armenians lived. Next time I want to visit the old section of Kars where people used to shop and do business before the city became modern. My great grandfather bought a beautiful rooster there, broght it back to Karakala and when they prepared to go to America, they took the rooster with them to L.A. I still haven't found our Karakala.

Dick Osseman		26-Aug-2008 21:31
Hi, Volkan, Rather than write in the Karş Manşet about stopping the world you should do something about your English, since you seem to be unfamiliar with the word "former". Or "border" or whatever word it is you misinterpreted. I know my history, thank you, being about twice your age I have had the time to read up on it.

Dick Osseman		20-Aug-2008 19:07
No, I will not weed out words that have been on for over two years. Luckily you cannot see some of the worst comments this page (and many others) has received, as I put on a filter and only let the (even if sometimes only half) decent ones slip through. I spend at least an hour each week trying to decide if people are trying to offend others, or are just a bit sloppy in their writing, translating texts in languages I only partly know, weighing arguments pro and con their content. I do not want to return to things I let slip though that long back. And I certainly will not spend half a year re-reading everything that might offend others (I have over 7300 comments in all, apart from the thousands of mails I received). You may see that in many of the "discussions" an element of reason and kindness takes the upper hand after some mud slinging. And on the other hand, only the day before yesterday I decided not to show some comments that would make most people jump. Let that be enough, don't ask me to make this a neutral zone with only educational and correct texts. History is being rewritten all the time, partly by the victors, partly by new theoreticians. Let's not instruct each other to burn the books.

dilek		20-Aug-2008 13:51
Dear Dick, I congratulate you for your work. I liked the photos as I could see. However, please take out the controversial comments to let your web site "free of politics" my last words to the " a neighour " nicked person. I protest your last words.We can not judge any nation on the base of what we heard from our side. Please listen to the other side as well. I invite you to visit Erzurum.

KarsPlan		06-Jun-2008 14:12
Kars was an Armenian city and is a Turkish city. I wish one day these two people will be again brother and all pains will be forgotten. Ben de Karslý'yým; orda doðmadým ama ailem oralý. En son '78'de gitmiþtim Kars'a. Çok bakýmsýz ve yoksuldu. Çok ihmal edildi Kars. Ona sahip olduðunu ileri sürenler ona sahip çýkmadý.

selçuk yýldýrým		12-Mar-2008 08:16
selçuk yýldýrým Her þey o kadar uzak ki, kimin ne duyup ne hissettiði kendi içinde...koca bir nostalji.

Kamil ÖZCAN		01-Mar-2008 23:21
Kars doðumluyum ama 24 yýldýr Mersindeyim ve 22 yýldýr Karsý görmedim ama anýlarý hala dün gibi. Aydýn, eðitim düzeyi iyi, kültürlü bir güzel ilimizdi. Muhakkak diðer yerler gibi biraz deðiþmiþtir cok göc verdi.O t harika taþlý yollarý eskiden kalan mimari yapý ve süslemeli taþdan görkemli binalar harika kaþarý havasý herþeyi ile Güzel yurdumun güzel ili Kars a sevgi ve selamlarýmla

OYA AÞAR SAVGA		11-Jan-2008 09:30
Karsýn güzel bir yer olduðunu hep ailemden duymuþtum. Kars doðumlu olmama raðmen çok küçük yaþýmda ayrýldýðým Karsý birdaha hiç görmedim. Pek birþeyde hatýrlamýyorum. Fakat sizin sayenizde gerçekten söylendiði kadar güzel bir yer olduðunu görmüþ oldum. Umuyorum 2008 programýmda oralarý görmek ve Ani harabelerinin muhteþem dokusunu yakýndan inceleyebilmek fýrsatým olur... Çok teþekkürler süper fotoðraflar... Oya Aþar

Gokhan		04-Jan-2008 03:32
I really apreciate the pictures.I have never been personally.However my grandfather and grandmother and even my mother was born in the city in Kars wiht the region of Gole.And as I have always heard my grandfather was a very well known an rich man in the city and very respected because of his hardwork.He started working athe the age of 6 years old starting to work and worked untill he had died.My mother's side moved to the main city Istanbul where my fateher was from.Because when my grandfather had the first kid(my uncle) boy and the rest 6 daughers then he wantd them to be educated well in a city in istanbul where I was born also at american hospital.I think and heard it is avery multiculturel city and the first named Turkish city.I live righ now in Miami Beach which is a nice place as I liek leaving here and also my business here and beside of it probably the genetics aso because istanbul where I was born and Spain and Italy where I was raised and Miami where I live is a very multinational city.I heard that my grandfather had a lot of armenianfriends and did business with them however he was %100 turkish.My concern is people today travel and this makes an industry of tourism of having and understanding different cultures untill people learn to realize there is only life in earth and there is only one god in world with different religions and all religions believe paradise or hell.So one day in future or our kids will realize to live all together.Because look how we can see the past with today's technology of one click and future the world will be getting smaller with two alternatives,either with bigger wars and after learning to live together without other way,or without a war by past experiences. I personally althoug I am %100 turkish plan to have and raise my kid in Miami andmake him to teach the languages and different cultures and to respect the all of them,because to question people in lifeis the easiest but to try to understan them is the hardest way,and if you look to these pictures these picturesare from old history with hard condition of lifes that we dont have today and they are still there,the easy things in life go easy as they come.We are humans and GOD gave us to oppurtunity to speak and discuss which is different than animals.We can not blame past and live with that,I tried believe or not,my partner was amuslim same as me but money changed him and he cheated me for 5million dollars andwe were doing marble business and I critisize the past of this for 2 years but all was I lost two years of this by critizating,then I called and told him although I was planning to kill him for that that you know what bro we do marblke and you know very well even you got my 5 millin dollars all you can take one day with you is half of a slab when you die,so does not worth for it,tere is alife after this where evry religion believe as well as they believe in one god.Have a good year of 2008 and think about future and our kids always to raise them in the best way...

Andrew Kazakoff		04-Dec-2007 00:04
I was trying to find where my grandparents came from. My grandfather said that he was last from the province of Kars, village of Pokrovka (Russian Doukhobor Village, they had to keep moving because of their pacifist beliefs and non bearing of arms) which according to the co-ordinates of 40 degrees, 50 minutes North, 43 degrees, 19 minutes East should be North-east of Kars. He mentioned that he could see Mount Ararat from there. Is this possible? Also wonder if there still are some Doukhobours (Spirit Wrestlers) still there? Grandparents moved to Western Canada in 1899.

Gürkan		05-Oct-2007 19:10
Thank you so much to bring me my hometown. I've not been to Kars for 8 years. Last night a friend sent link and I strolled in my own streets. I saw my middle school's photograph. I got very happy. You say that you think to go Kars again. Absolutely go and walk step by step Kars. Cause Kars is so beautiful. Kars takes rain mostly in summer and colourful flowers grow. In winter Kars all wears white like a bride. Kars' history is so beautiful. And you should see there's fascinating natural bauties. Thank you again and again for your love of Turkey. On the earth we're all brothers and sisters, actually we're you and you are us... Goodbye...

Anatoli		30-Jul-2007 08:54
what if it's aTurkish city or Armenian? Does it make any difference? The thing is Anatolia itself is a region which welcomed many civilizations in the history, from Ýstanbul to Kars or other regions like Mezopotamia. The land has it's history. Now, the only thing we should do is look forward and live together in peace. Main idea in Orhan Pamuk's nowels is this I think.

Subdued		23-Jul-2007 17:07
Rinvit is absolutely correct in saying that at that time there were ancient Bulgarian tribes passing these territories - around the VI - VII century to be precise. I'd just like to note that the term "Bulgarian-Turkic" is not scientific. No one actually knows which tribes were the Bulgarians related to. What can be said for sure is that they originated somewhere in Central Asia where the ancient Great Bulgaria was. However, it would be incorrect to link those tribes to the Turks, who - just like Dick Osseman said - appeared much later in history (VI AD, while Ancient Bulgaria had already existed for few centuries by that time). Any connection between Bulgarians and Kars? I don't know. Rinvit's assumption is an interesting one, but oh... maybe :)

Rinvit		18-Jul-2007 20:47
My wife's ancestors were Greeks from Kars and that's how I got to this site. I'm sorry for an off-topic comment but I'd like to react to Subdued's post. Maybe (and I emphasize this maybe) "Bulgarian Turks" was meant in a reference to ancient Bulgarians, or better Bolgars – Turkic tribe that created powerful medieval state called Volga-Kama Bulgaria. As a Bulgarian you should know that it was part of these Bolgars who moved to the Balkans, mixed with local Slavic population, accepted their language and created second Bulgarian state which – unlike their original homeland – still exists and we all know it as a nowadays Bulgaria. It is also interesting that on the slopes of the Caucasus you can find Russian federal republic Kabardino-Balkaria – it's name comes also from one group of Bolgars (today called Balkars) who moved there appx. in the 10th century.

Subdued		15-Jul-2007 22:24
Thank you very much for the pictures, Mr Osseman, great job! I find the comment about the Bulgarian Turks who had allegedly founded the city of Kars hilarious. I am Bulgarian, and my country didn't meet the Turks before the 1390s - the end of the XIV century that is. The city of Kars is mentioned in ancient historical sources dated centuries earlier (IX-XI, if I'm not mistaken). It was the capital of one of Armenia's kingdoms. Later it became part of Bysantium, and much later - of the Turkish empire. So, yes, initially the city was part of Armenia, just like the rest of Eastern Turkey once was. I don't feel that it is either necessary nor productive to turn this place into a political forum - there are much more suitable places for that. All I feel worth mentioning is that all those Eastern now-Turkish cities reveal a lot of Armenian history, soaked in their stone ruins. Despite the change of the state territories and the change of the geographical names, it will be wrong not to link those cities to ancient Armenia. One of the commentators here called this "a waste of time" and why don't people better "discuss the cultural and natural values of the region". As a respond to that, I'd just like to say that - well, it just comes so that "the cultural and natural values of the region" are imminently linked to the Armenian history and culture and one cannot discuss or even understand their historical meaning without stressing this fact.

Guest		05-Jun-2007 22:56
Thank you for the fantastic pictures of Kars architecture. I am of course reading "Snow" and trying to imagine the town. I was especially interested in the Russian architecture and I am very grateful you took so many pictures of the buildings built by Russians. Have Mr Orhan Pamuk contacted you yet to thank you for such a great illustration for his book? Best regards.

Dick Osseman		16-May-2007 13:04
Ali, this is a heroic attempt to clarify matters, though I do not precisely understand what matters. And: what to do with the morons who did not understand your attempt, as you only address "some"?

Ali		16-May-2007 11:57
there are lots of China towns in the states..And lots of Chinese lives there..Is it China or USA?Ofcourse not China..a simple example to make it easier to understand for some of you morons..

Dick Osseman		29-Apr-2007 18:45
That is amazing, because for all I know the Turks were then still living near what later became Mongolia. Or rather, I have several sources indicating there was no such entity as "Turks" mentioned until in the 6th century, but AD, not BC. That was also mentioned at the Mongolia exhibition earlier this year in Istanbul. But you know they secretly went to Bulgaria, and from there founded this city, 1200 years earlier? You must know things that have remained hidden for most. Please run to the nearest university and prove your case.

erdincaslan		29-Apr-2007 18:29
The name of that city is the oldest turkish city name in Turkey and Kars was founded by Bulgarian Turkishs in 6th century BCE.

Sinan		12-Apr-2007 23:05
I am born in Hopa and now at the moment living in Germany. I want to thank Mr. Osseman for his interest in whole Turkiye. Why there must be a political discussion everywhere, when it is about Turkiye? In this manner, I am dissappointed that the forum owners wrote a clear warning against "political debate", but published all of these political comments below. What is your aim making this web page? If these comments are the ones, that you controlled and published, i find it disgusting. Because then you try to be seen as an innocent objective photographer, who actually want to start a political discussion in his own direction. If these comments are automatically added, I would excuse me and beg for your pardon.

Mehmet		05-Feb-2007 19:08
No need to say "an Armenian City", "a Turkish City", "a Kurdish City", "a Russian City". It'a nice city where all of this nations lived and still live. You can see Armenian Churc, Russian Architecture, Turkish, Kurdish, Azerbaijani, Russian people in there. I'am from Kars, and i really would want to see Armenian and other nations in Kars too. Thanks for photos...

Guest		10-Jan-2007 02:42
I, too, am reading "Snow," by Orhan Pamuk. Whatever one may thinks of his books or of him as an author (see comments from others), his book made me curious to see Kars. I was thrilled to come across your detailed photos, and I'm grateful for your hard work. As others have said, I may never have the opportunity to visit this town. In a similar way, we may never have the opportunity to fully understand the religious beliefs of others, but however we can "visit" them is, for all of us, a step closer to God, and to each other. Peace to all.

June8		28-Nov-2006 21:49
A city belongs to the people who's living there, historical stories even they are not true should be protected and they will be another color in our landscape painting. I feel very sorry for Armenian people (i'm sure they have bad memories...) but also i feel very sorry for my grandmother and grandfather who are killed at Crete because they are Turkish. These are sad stories and all of the nations have these kind of tales. The only thing we should do today is to hope that they will never happen again. Thanks for these wonderful photos.

Don Kars		18-Nov-2006 08:49
My name is Don Kars and I was very interested in your photos of the place where my name is the same. I live in New Zealand. Thanks very nice pictures.

Guest		13-Nov-2006 23:32
Thank you Dick for the nice pictures of Kars. There is still alot of Armenian culture there. I am an Iranian American, but love ancient Armenian monasteries and churches (which architecturally resemble the churches I saw in the Republic of Georgia).

Guest		28-Oct-2006 14:45
Hello, I am Greek, and my grandparents were born in Kars area on 1900-1902. They were Pontus greeks (Black sea-Euxinous Pontus) speaking greek (pontus dialect very close to ancient greek language) and christian orthodoxe. So, they were living there for some thousands of years: Ancient Greece, Hellenestic period, greek orthodoxe byzantine period. Many other greeks (survived from the New-turks mania during the period 1910-1920) came from that area as result of the population changes between Greece and Turkey after the Lausanne convention (1923). At that time, we can speak for a number of aprox. 100.000 people. I love turkish people, I am not a fanatic, I visited many times Turkey but we have to remember sometimes historic issues. Thanks to all, and congratulations for this wonderfull site!!

Bedros		28-Oct-2006 02:38
Nice images. Unfortunately, Kars isn't as rich in diversity as it once was (with a mixed population of Armenians, Russians, Turks, and Georgians) and as an Armenian I still find its cession to Turkey by Soviet Russia in 1922 to be unfair, but this is just my opinion and I prefer that this is not drawn into an argument. However, I feel compelled to respond to the note left by "a girl." First, I, quite frankly am surprised that you, a Turk I would assume, would be so critical of him. If anything, I think you would be proud, after all, he is the first Turk to win a Nobel Peace Prize. Second, I think that if you want to be taken seriously, you should stop using websites that espouse ethnic anti-Armenian hatred (such as Tall Armenian Tale) to prove your point. Thank you. Kindest regards, Bedros

Guest		18-Oct-2006 16:54
Your pictures of Kars has really helped me in reading Orhan Pamuk's book Snow. It's hard to get a mental image of a place that you have never been to, and those images help to make sense of a book that is introducing a different culture and life from the one that you know. Thank you for an amazing website. I can only imagine the hours you have spent in this labor of love. It must give you great satisfaction to read the comments of people who benefit in so many different ways.

Dick Osseman		13-Oct-2006 20:11
..... so write to the BBC and complain there, what do I care about your "research". A word of warning: it seems someone finds these pages attractive to publish a stream of messages that have nothing to do with my pictures. In future I will hide those messages for other viewers, so it will be just for me. I will also probably install an option, so "guest messages" can be scanned by me first, before anyone can see them. And I swear that I can Google just as well as this commentator if not better. It is my opinion that for many people instead of thinking and doing their own research they use Google. I can assure you, the outcome of the mental process called thinking is not at all like that of Googling. In particular if you do not use the principle of weighing arguments against each other, but just follow a trail from one like-minded site to another, I think you will get more confirmed in what you consider to be an opinion, but to me smacks like indoctrination.

Archieves		13-Oct-2006 19:51
In BBC I read a news which says "Turkey shoul open the ottoman archieves.". They are commenting on the issue without any knowledge. The archieves has been opened for years: www.devletarsivleri.gov.tr/ You can go to any centre and do research.

Dick Osseman		11-Oct-2006 20:42
Since you indicate you are a teenager your message will not be deleted (unless it causes too much of an uproar), I will just keep in mind you're too young too have an opinion that I would consider deletable. I know I would be terribly offended if people wrote me so when I was a teenager myself, but I think it's true: learn some more, read some more, than maybe I can take you seriously. But not now.

umit		08-Oct-2006 13:12
thank you very much my friend. I ve been live in turkey but i did not so much places like.... Thank you again.. umity

Can		04-Jun-2006 02:52
Ani and Kars in particular, Anatolia in general hosted and briged many cultures. Regardless of who were the first, who were passed, who were the last whether be Urartus, Armenians, Greorgians, Zorostroians, Iranians, Turks, Mongols, Kirmanchis, Zazas Kars and Ani are ancient and contemporary cities and Anatolia is the main body of the Republic of Turkey. This is the fact of "today", and everybody who do not have malicious intentions welcome to her. Lets accept the fact and move on....

Ahmet		03-May-2006 15:20
Turkish City or Armenian City or Kurdish City. What a funny discussion that leads to nowhere except for waste of time. Why don't you comment about the cultural and natural values of the region ? Exchange opinions about how the region could be developed. What a paradise it could be if Turkey, Armenian and Georgia could cooperate and open their borders for developing relations, trade and tourism. The only way to stop future wars is to build understanding between peoples. Don't forget the past but try to build a common future.

A Neighbour		20-Apr-2006 05:46
it's not Armenian city ... well, Constantinople is not a Byzantine city : ) Babylon is an original Iraqi city, Mayan cities in Yucatan are Mexican ... would you my dear neighbour, prove that to anybody in this world except some dummies? especially the Armenian Church called a "Kars biulding"? just wish you feel the same when (just imagine) a huge Turkish (sorry Ottoman, since they never called themselves Turks!!) mosque be called "a Constantinple building" or Karin (Erzurum to Turks) building. and ... finally calling a city Turks' does not imply it cannot be Armenian. as to the prsent you are right, but neither as to the past nor to the future. Maybe it's not gonna be Armenian, but it can be at least Kurdish ...

Kars		19-Apr-2006 10:32
Kars has been an Armenian city and nobody in this world can change that historical truth! My family comes from Kars - parents of my grandmother, Karapet and Almast Arzangulyan lived near by the Kars Castle. Karapet Arzangulyan was brutally assassinated by Turks. His wife, Almast found parts of his corpse all over the dining room. She collected the corpse and buried in the garden. Thanks God she did not get crazy after all.. Later, she with the kids (among them my grandmother) managed to escape with the help of American missionaries. You know it is not only one story, there are thousands, millions of them. Every family has a similar story. And there are two possible options, one – we, whole Armenian nation all of a sudden invented different little family stories of horror (it means the whole nation must be simply insane), or two - I am sorry to say, you need a bit more of education and wider outlook, a bit more of desire to understand pains of others and bravery to accept facts.

guest		12-Apr-2006 01:46
Only found out today that my grandfather had been born in Kars in the 1890's. He immigrated to the US in the 1920's. Thanks for the pictures. Very interesting to see since I will probably never get there.

Ani		10-Apr-2006 12:39
It is always hard to accept the mistakes that once were made by your ancestors, our dearest neighbours...However, it takes a whole bulk of courage to face the truth, and accept it as a FACT. Besides...ghosts of the past haunt the present genderations and they will not go away as long as Armenians exist...Memory lives within each of us, and a part of me is my grandfather who suffered consequences of Armenian genocide in 1915. And there is no way that this memory can be erased, I live and it lives with me.

Guest		02-Apr-2006 16:11
If not an Armenin city, then how do you explain the ruined Armenian churches which look identical to the ones in Armenia today. I don't think all Armenians are liars when they say that they come from Eastern Turkey. Look at what the Turkish government is doing today to Turks like Orhan Pamuk who admit the reality.

Osin		01-Apr-2006 20:36
Kars and Ani they were former Armenian cities .There were meny other churches and monasters but now unforunatelly they are destroyed or converted into mosques.I think civilisation can be called a civilisation only if has respect in confront of other civilisations.

sefa		11-Mar-2006 17:27
it's not armenian city. it's cacuasian Turkish city, and i'm proud of being a member...

guest		07-Mar-2006 15:29
beautiful former Armenian city.

Guest		23-Dec-2005 18:09
good photograph

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