DOCUMENTING THE LEGACY OF THE ARMENIANS OF JERUSALEM

Despite the wars and persecution they have lived through, they have endured and stamped their presence indelibly on the map not only of the city, but the world as well.

They are the Armenians, their nation the first to accept Christianity as their state religion.

The community of creative souls is legion, far out of proportion to their number, giving the world such renowned figures as the musician and composer Ohan Dourian, the philosopher Haig Khatchadourian and the theologian Apraham Terian.

Divided in two groupings, one resides in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City, the other has sought refuge from the 1915 Turkish massacre, in the sprawling convent of St James.

The Armenians date back their presence in Jerusalem to around 90BC when the Armenian King of Kings, Tigranes II, marched on the region at the head of a vast army, leaving behind the nucleus of a tiny settlement when he withdrew.

The settlers grew and prospered.

Over ages, the Armenians of Jerusalem, who have also gave the city its first printing press and photographic studio, providing the dynamism and vitality to help drag Jerusalem out of its regional backwater and onto the world stage.

Some 15 years ago, on the other side of the world, in the northern beaches suburb of a teeming metropolis Down Under, a timely decision was made to work on preserving the heritage, culture and history of these people who have refused to be deleted from the pages of history.

The instrument would be a website shrine or memorial that would encompass historical data and records of their achievements in various fields of endeavor.

One main feature would be the collection of genealogical data for the creation of an all-in-one family tree of the Armenian Quarter community whose members are all related to one another, either closely or distantly.

I myself turn out to be related to Ohan Dourian through my father’s sister whose husband is Ohan’s brother!

The website will also include details of a census conducted during the 1948 war, listing the names of all the Armenian families then living in Jerusalem.

A feature of the site is the display of copies of the registers (called “domar”) kept by the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, giving details about the births/baptisms, weddings/marriages and deaths of members of the community, with a starting ground of around 1840.

Earlier registers still lurk within the bowels of the the Patriarchate’s archives, waiting for a propitious moment, for a determined scholar to explore and decipher.

The website, currently located at http://armenianjerusalem.altervista.org, now being revamped, is intended as a definitive portal leading to the preservation and perpetuation of the culture, the history and heritage of the Armenians of Jerusalem.

It has been supported by Gulbenkian, the leading Armenian philanthropic foundation, and has received the blessing of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

In addition, various members of the Armenian communities worldwide contributed reminiscences, photographs and documents to boost the website’s presence.

The linchpin of the project is the creation of a one-in-all family tree that would incorporate the inter-connected Armenian Quarter clans, in one connected network.

At their peak, the Armenians of Jerusalem stood at some 25,000 but that number has been eroding as more young people leave to seek a better future in the West.

Some do return, but only to revisit and to “recharge our batteries.”