Glazed time by NarPhotos

The multimedia project GLAZED TIME has been produced with the assistance of the European Union within the framework of the programme ‘Support to the Armenia -Normalisation Process’. This project’s first exhibition in Diyarbakır issupported by Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality and Heinrich Böll Stiftung Turkey.

NarPhotos NarPhotos is an independent collective established in 2003 by photographers for whom documentary photography is a visual tool of ''understanding and expressing'' the world. The aim is to show the various conditions in human life. For the members the way of making the projects has an importance as well as the final result. In these times where producing together, sharing the knowledge, support and collectivism become an exception. They belive that the function of the images has a priority over their plastic and esthetic values. Members do not accept what is given as the way it is, instead of staying satisfied with the answers they prefer to ask more questions. They produce photo reportages with the idea of trying to change the situation instead of admitting and protecting the existing circumstances.

4 Plus Documentary Photography Center 4 Plus Documentary Photography Center is an initiative by three Armenian documentary photographers, Anahit Hayrapetyan, Anush Babajanyan and Nazik Armenakyan. The aim of 4 Plus is the development of Armenia's photojournalism and documentary photography, as well as raising awareness about issues in Armenia through photography.

Berge Arabian Berge Arabian, born in Qamishly, Syria in 1957 of Armenian decent. Moved to Canada and lived there for 37 years where he graduated in Political science and worked for many years as a photographer for NOW magazine. A self-taught photographer focusing on social documentaries. Has been living in Istanbul for 5 years and is a photographer for the weekly Agos newspaper.

GLAZED TIME The two documentary photography

testimonies by focusing on peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

collectives NarPhotos from Turkey

personal stories. These stories found

and 4PLUS from Armenia got together

their places in a series of video and

in the year of the 100th anniversary

photographic compositions that can

of the Armenian Genocide to take a

be considered as short expeditions

closer look at the remains of a time,

into the past by setting the starting

starting from 1915, that has been

point at the present. Each narrative of

considered voiceless because no one

the present is showing insights into

dared to talk about it. Together they

its protagonistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daily life and due to

examined remnants of an age that has

the variety of these stories is drawing

been considered nonexistent because

the picture of a broader collective

no one dared to acknowledge it, a time

memory. The Armenian population

which has been covered, which has

of Turkey was significantly reduced

been virtually glazed over.

since the beginning of the last century; they were forcibly detached from

The essence of the works that you are

their lands and houses; a majority of

about to see aim to present firsthand

them were sent to death marches and

were faced with genocide. As long as

up his oven in a gentle and meditative

they remain voiceless and do not try

manner, repeats the following words

to lift up the glaze of that era, they are

in Kurdish that each of us will relate to

considered acceptable citizens. To put

and most of us will agree upon:

it in a folkloric-nostalgic way, Turkey’s

“Zor e… Tenêbûn pir zor e”*

Armenians that once used to play an important part in Anatolia’s social

Uncle Sarkis‘ grief upon the loss of

spectrum and who are now countable

his wife that results in those words,

on merely the fingers of one hand, do

is certainly adaptable to a nation’s

not cease to constitute considerable

deprivation of its own land, its cultural

pieces of Anatolia’s colourful mosaic.

relicts, its relatives, its lovers, its par-

Those who dare to lift parts of the

ents, its sons and daughters: “Zor e…

glaze that has been put upon that age,

Tenêbûn pir zor e”

those who do not stop questioning no matter what kind of consequences

On the other hand, as much as this re-

they have to face, they won’t ever be

lates to Armenians of Turkey who lost

moving on freely without having to feel

their lives; it also holds true for all the

the pressure of a repressive mindset

other peoples of Anatolia as long as

like a stick being banged persistently

they fail to question what happened

at their necks.

to their neighbours and friends, and sincerely do not wonder about their

One of the presented video composi-

whereabouts. In this case, the only

tions is based on the story of eighty-

thing to remind them of is:

five years old Uncle Sarkis in Diyarbakir, who has had lost his wife ‘Bayzar’

It is difficult… Loneliness is very diffi-

last year. Uncle Sarkis, while heating

cult!*

LIFE IN ANCIENT TARON Anahit Hayrapetyan – Serra Akcan

100 years have passed. It’s been 100

gions, languages and races… What’s left

years already, but the fight on these

behind are the things told, the things

grounds still has not ended. It continues

that have been written. And photographs

without distinguishing between reli-

are what have been left behind.

Anahit Hayrapetyan ‒ 4Plus

It is a cloudy day, we are in Moush

King Menua (800 BC), the Mamigonyan

which used to be the center of the

Family that has been ruling and pro-

Taron region during the middle ages...

tecting Armenia’s Taron district in the

a region where the majority of Turkey’s

8th century, the Pakradunis who have

Armenians used to live until 1914… 113

been claiming their lands after them…

church, 66 monastery, 18 pilgrimage site

The Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman

and 87 school…

Empire… Taron district’s Armenian past got lost steadily in the course of war

First we walk through the center of the

fares, massacres, pillages, deportations,

city; we walk through the historical for-

genocides, economical oppressions and

tress district – or more precisely, what

forced islamization.

has been left of it. In the course of an urban transformation project a couple

“My father is of Kurdish descent, my

of years ago, a huge part of the fortress

mother Armenian… Everyone knows us

district, which has been an old habitat

by the name of my mother’s father, my

for Armenians with around 500 houses,

grandfather, Hazar… There have been

has been demolished by TOKI.

three priests at the church, my grandfather was one of them… he used to be

It is hard to find any traces of the his-

strong, he used to be great… Everyone

torical past of this inner-fortress city

knows it and says it… There is nothing

upon which the town Moush has been

to hide… I mean, even if you tried to hide

built… Nailed inscriptions of the Urartu

it, still everyone knows it… They know

my mother, they know my father, they

My grandmother and I went to collect

know where we came from, where we

herbs… my grandmother used to pray

have gone to, everything’s obvious…”

there, at the church of Arak… I asked my grandmother what she was doing

Snow is falling… We are walking

there… Naturally, I did not know any-

through the villages… Çengili, Tsıronk…

thing about worshipping until then… She

The sun comes through… Norşen, Mo-

said one or two words in Armenian…

ngunk… Doors open, stories are being

‘We are praying to God… for being able

told, people who have migrated from

to live a life without troubles and mis-

Sassoun to Moush are telling them…

chances…’ I have kept these few Armenian words in mind since then… Believe

“My grandfather Avadis moved from

me, our elders have been the ones who

Sassoun to Mongunk, Monguk belongs

have been suffering the most, just to

to Moush. We were born after that, we

grant us the possibility of living on these

have been born in Mongunk. I remem-

grounds… It is not imaginable… You can’t

ber now that my grandmother and my

explain this with just talking about it…

grandfather, they have been suffering a

They had to work so hard, they had to

lot. Language for a start… the Armenian

stand up against great oppressions… It

language was forbidden, they weren’t

is too hard to understand them thor-

allowed to speak… To be able to speak,

oughly, so hard to recall, to think back

they had to be in a safe shut up space…

on them…”

Worshipping was impossible as well, it was forbidden… I was 9 years old then…

Anahit Hayrapetyan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; 4Plus

Serra Akcan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; NarPhotos

Anahit Hayrapetyan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; 4Plus

Serra Akcan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; NarPhotos

Muslim Armenians are talking about

Armenians in Sassoun have been able to

the things that their grandfathers and

keep alive their ancestors’ way of living

grandmothers have told them. They are

within their 156 villages, 127 churches, 6

protecting their identities with memo-

monasteries and 15 schools.

ries only. They are talking about everything that they have been silent about

“We have been starving; we had to flee

since ages… It costs them a lot of effort

into the caves, we stayed in caves. We

to explain the blessing that comes along

would flee in the mornings… we would

with being able to live on the grounds

return home in the evenings. We would

they have been born onto.

be afraid of anyone we saw; bears and pigs used to eat up all of our crops.”

- ‘Shall we go to Sassoun?’ - ‘Let’s go...’

Sassoun’s history is closely tied to Taron’s. Despite all the pillages and

Just like a mountain refuge, Sassoun

massacres, Sassoun has successfully

has been an ancient cradle for Arme-

managed to keep the Armenian popu-

nian epics. Until 1914, about 25.000

lation high. In 1904, in spite of military

expeditions in Sassoun, the Ottoman

Rain is falling… A family opens its

governance has not been able to break

doors; the family’s house is located on

through the Armenian resistance. Al-

the mountain’s foothills, at the very top.

though the citizens of Sassoun had to

Between trees, an oven made in a hole

face a huge migration wave due to the

in the earth is giving out smoke. A man

lack of safety and tax pressure, they

is chopping wood, a woman is kneading

have been left alone after the resistance

bread dough and a child is embracing a

in 1918. Following this, a great number

new born lamb.

of Sassoun’s citizens had to leave their grounds for Caucasian Armenia, Syria,

“We have been living in the villages

Lebanon and Europe.

below… We moved up to Pırşenk at the end. We have been living in this village

“There have been two Ohanneses, my

for approximately 70 years. We have

uncle’s sons. My father used to go to

made it this far, what shall happen from

Syria to see them, he used to visit them

now on is in Allah’s hands; he will know,

in the past… Those years have been

we do not know…”

marked by great poverty… There has been nothing...”

Serra Akcan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; NarPhotos

Anahit Hayrapetyan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; 4Plus

Serra Akcan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; NarPhotos

Anahit Hayrapetyan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; 4Plus

Serra Akcan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; NarPhotos

Anahit Hayrapetyan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; 4Plus

- ‘We have come out of the 19th century,

We have come a long way; poverty, in-

did you notice?’

justice, treason and casualties which have been left without compensation,

- ‘We are living in the 21th century right

disillusionments… neighbours get angry

now, still we are going through the

with each other, doors shut… migration

same things… massacres, migrations…

continues… the fight continues… doors

war continues without distinguishing

open, camps are getting set up… Some-

between religion, language and race…’

how it does not stop…

Serra Akcan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; NarPhotos

IDENTITY ARMENIAN Nazik Armenakyan

It was my second visit to Istanbul and

schools and Armenian daily newspapers

the first time that I was supposed to

in various districts of the city, like small

meet the Armenian community. In the

relics. While photographing the Arme-

point where East fuses with West–Polis,

nian spiritual, cultural and educational

as the Istanbul Armenians usually call

centers, or simply getting to know the

it–there is a large Armenian commu-

Armenians of Polis, I would take notes

nity of around 70 thousand. Living in a

in my notebook and attach small imag-

place where the whole country does not

es. My notepbook soon became a unique

belong to your identity, yet you breathe

diary mirroring the Armenian commu-

the same air and share the same

nity of Polis–made of small bits here

space – how do the Armenians of Polis

and there that nevertheless constitute

preserve their identity? This was the

strong pillars–and documenting how it

main question that nagged at me. It is a

lives through its culture, language and

gigantic city where, after certain well-

spirit, maintaining its Armenian identity

known historic events, our forefathers

even one hundred years later by speak-

survived and continued to live, believing

ing in Armenian, singing and dancing in

that Istanbul is not like the other cities.

Armenian, and praying in Armenian.

So they built new Armenian churches hospitals, educational institutions,

Nazik Armenakyan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; 4Plus

Sona Zardaryan: ''It isn’t easy being an Armenian and living in Turkey. My family suffered losses but continued to live in Istanbul. We sing Krunk even at the most joyous of feasts, and everyone ends up shedding tears. It’s true that you can tell by looking at us that we’re not Muslim, but we’ve put a lot into this city.''

Nazik Armenakyan ‒ 4Plus

Chairman and Preacher of the Religious Assembly at the St. Vardanants Church in Istanbul, the Very Reverend Father Tatul Anushian: ''Each night follows each morning, each morning follows the previous night – it is a chain. When we open our eyes in the morning, we might expect sunshine, but end up with sudden rain, winds and storms… We don’t know how things will develop. Only one things matters – the importance of maintaining our identity.''

Matins and Morning Mass at the St. Trinity (Surb Errordutyun) Church of Istanbul

Nazik Armenakyan ‒ 4Plus

On 16 May 1914, Patriarch Maghakia Ormanian led a special ceremony to open the Armenian national cemetery in Şişli.

Armenian spiritual leaders and famous figures, who have played a major role in the development of both Armenian and Turkish culture and science, have been laid to rest at the Armenian national cemetery in Ĺ&#x17E;iĹ&#x;li, Istanbul.

Nazik Armenakyan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; 4Plus

Sima Karateke: ''I am a pharmacist and have been living in Istanbul for 47 years. My sister and I opened a pharmacy in this Armenian-populated district of FerikĂśy and we work here.''

A portrait of Simaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandmother in the pharmacy.

Nazik Armenakyan ‒ 4Plus

The “Hermon and Anahit Variş” theater was founded in 1997. It mostly stages comedies, predominantly in Turkish, in order to attract a bigger audience.

The theatrical group after one of their performances.

Nazik Armenakyan ‒ 4Plus

Sarem Külegeş Şeşetyan: ''I grew up in Istanbul and have been dancing in the “Maral” dance troupe for 25 years. I’m the troupe’s trainer now. Cultural life in the Armenian community of Istanbul is very rich, all you need to do is stay informed. We give performances with our songs and dances; that is very important work.''

The “Maral” song and dance troupe was founded in 1980 by Benon Kuzabaşi and his friends. The main objective of the troupe is to present Armenian culture, dance, song and music to the public.

Nazik Armenakyan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; 4Plus

Davit Khachatryan: ''I am from Armenia and have already been working at the Hrant Dink school for 2 years, teaching history and geography. Working at this school has been a special experience for me, and the only way to maintain my Armenian reality.''

Hrant Dink School This eight-year school, located in one of the Armenian-populated districts of Istanbul, Kumkap覺, has been operating at the Armenian Evangelical Church since 2003, and began to bear the name of Hrant Dink in 2010. The students consist of the children of Armenian immigrants, living in the Armenian-populated districts of Istanbul.

Nazik Armenakyan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; 4Plus

Children attending the kindergarten of the Hrant Dink school.

Children in second grade at the Hrant Dink school.

Nazik Armenakyan ‒ 4Plus

Alex Çida, an alumnus of the Central High School.

The Central High School, founded in 1886, is an Armenian high school in Istanbul that hosts around 230 students from grades 9 through 12. The school has 50 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 60 graduates every year.

Nazik Armenakyan ‒ 4Plus

Hera Büyüktaşcıyan: ''I am an artist, I’m mainly into conceptual art now. I’m half-Armenian, half-Greek. This year, I’m going to participate in the international Venice Biennale, presenting an installation called “The Keepers” as part of the “Armenity” section. I maintain my Armenian identity through my language, Armenian. Language is a space through which you can discover many hidden things.''

Hera also works at the Greek school in Istanbul.

Nazik Armenakyan ‒ 4Plus

Sibil Bektorosoğlu: ''I was born in Polis, my father was strict, but it was thanks to my family that I managed to preserve my identity. My father would always worry – how would I manage to succeed by always singing in Armenian? I am very surprised to see Turkish channels broadcasting my music videos. My girlfriend knew someone who would buy albums by Armenian singers in America. I would write out those songs word by word, then sing them. This was like a dream for me – singing in Armenian in Turkey. Music knows no one language, I preserve my identity by singing in Armenian.''

Nazik Armenakyan â&#x20AC;&#x2019; 4Plus

There are many small shops selling old items in the Balat district of Istanbul. At one of them, I bought a stack of photographs that once belonged to an Armenian family.

Small images from the Armenian reality of Istanbul.

LONGING A Travelogue Story Berge Arabian

In 1930, my father, an Armenian who

But even that move had not put an end

was born in Hazro in the province of

to the persecution they felt as entities of

Diarbakir, moved to Aleppo, Syria along

a minority in the new Turkish republic.

with his family. He was nine years old

Thus, a decision was taken to leave the

at the time and the family had been

ancestral homeland by fleeing to Syria

living in the Armenian neighbourhood

where many of their friends and distant

of the city of Diarbakir for the previous

relatives had made their new home.

two years. The move was not a choice but a necessity. Having lost most of the

This project was an attempt to recreate

members of their respective families

visually my fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, and his familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s,

and relatives at a young age during

journey route from the city of Diarbakir

the 1915 genocide, my grandparents

to Syria through the Kilis border.

had grown up and gotten married to

Overall, the project was done in the

each other in the wake of the dark

style of a visual travelogue in order

days of the massacres. The human

to evoke a memory of the Diarbakir

losses, forced islamasization and the

Armenians in the aftermath of 1915

persecutions by the locals because

through the story of my own familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

of their Christian-Armenian past, had

flight. In a way it is also a visual

forced my grandparents to flee Hazro

homage in memory of my father and my

and take refuge in the city of Diarbakir.

grandparents.

DIYARBAKIR

Celal* is singing such a song of

all my elders left Diyarbakir? But this

longing... such a song full of sorrow. I

longing is so powerful sometimes that

have been listening to him, 3 times. 4

my chest wants to blow up. I can not

times. And little by little all this longing

bear this pain anymore. All my life ,

is rising inside me. I miss you. I miss

all my life living with this longing. it is

Qamishly. I miss my father. I miss my

sometimes unbearableâ&#x20AC;Ś It never stops.

childhood... Where did this longing all begin from? Where? from Qamishly?

* Celal GĂźzelses a Diyarbekir Kurd

From my childhood? From the time

musician (1899 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1957)

Berge Arabian

THE ROAD

I am thinking of the young Syrian

which I tried to recreate with the little

refugee boy at the border, Mulham, and I

information that I have and with all

miss him too. I miss him… I want to hug

the little bits and pieces, there is no

him to take his pain away. He had said

complete story. I only know a few things.

to me,” your pain is worse than mine…I

unfortunately when I was young, I did

will go back to my Halep when the war

not listen well. And they did not tell

stops but you...you have been longing for

me in detail or in a way so that I could

Qamishly for 50 years and you have not

carry this story, their story, to the next

been able to see it again. It is too much

generation after me, or to the ones I

to long and not to have.”

love. So in a way to have come here and to have taken this journey from

I just want to shout here. To scream

Diyarbakir to Kilis, without knowing if

and take out this 50 year pain that I am

I am in the right track or at the right

carrying inside me…

places that they traveled through, is not important. Because what is important

In a way it is good to have done this

now is that for so many years, in my

story. I am still doing it. I am realizing

mind I had been trying to piece together

that truely, my father’s departure story,

a complete story. And it is very difficult

to know what really happened. How they

child father , a child on the streets of

went through these roads, with new

Diyarbakir. Imagining my grandfather,

hopes to start a new life. For me also,

washing or cleaning in a courtyard.

it is the start of a new life because I am

Imagining everything. But now, I do

leaving behind me all the mystery. All

not need to imagine anymore. I now

the painful mystery that I have always

know. This was the journey that was

tried to imagine. Therefor I have created

calling for me. And I took it…I took it

my own story. I have retraveled and

and it embraced me totally and now

retaken the same steps I think they did.

Diyarbakir is a new Diyarbekir… with a

Whether the right ones or the wrong

new hope.

ones, I think that I did my own journey and left behind me unknown details

Everywhere on the journey, I met Syrian

which I never had. But for me it is as

refugees. They are everywhere. In small

if it is a fresh start with a new hope, a

towns… on the road…. some of them

new beginning. It is like cleansing this

are cotton pickers, some of them are

heaviness that has been inside me for

clearing rocks and on vast lands…

so many years. Always imagining my

sitting on the streets. Everywhere...

But when my father and family had

forced exchange will always happen.

to leave Diyarbakir and went to Syria,

People will always be forced to leave

they were like these refugees… with

their ancestral lands. Lands that they

nothing on their backs… with nothing

have known for a very very long time. A

in their pockets. Almost... They stayed

land where they drank its water. They

in a refugee camp. It is strange that 80

breathed its air. They are always forced

or 90 years later the children of those

to leave their land and start a very long,

people who accepted them, helped

painful journey. Starting a life full of

them or shared with them some human

memories. Memories that start from

compassion, have now come to the

their childhood, their youth. And there

same lands that my elders had to

is no going back. Landless they will

leave…. Seeking the same refuge in a

be. Once you leave, it will never be the

place where at least they can feel safe.

same. And that’s the tragedy of it…. The

And yet, the story does not end here. In

tragedy of Human history.

other places, in other times, this same

Berge Arabian

my heartfelt thanks to my dear road friend Husametin Bahce who kept replaying Celal to make me cry.

Berge Arabian

THIS IS OUR HOME Anush Babajanyan

Turkey is their home. They played upon

feel, the concerns of being Armenian

its streets and alleyways as children.

and the consequence it can bring, trou-

Istanbul is the labyrinth of their up-

bled that this potential discomfort even

bringing. As adults, they attend Turkish

exists.

universities in this cosmopolitan city west of the Bosphorus, enlightened and

Presented together with their portraits,

bonding with Istanbulites of all nations.

these are places of refuge they love, seeking comfort, a bonding and reaf-

Istanbul is home. Yet in their dwellings

firmation of self-context. It is in these

and upon its thoroughfares, they feel

oasisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; where they connect to the land

vulnerable, unsettled. Insecure.

and themselves.

Their speech is subtle and brave, an

It is where there is warmth.

even tenor that emits the worries they