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About a Slice of History
asbarez
Friday, March 2nd, 2012
Catherine Yesayan
BY CATHERINE YESAYAN
Learning a slice of history from the city of Tabriz, where Armenians
have thrived for centuries, is one of the attractions of a special
March 10 banquet planned by `Jan Tavriz.' The group strives to
preserve Armenian heritage in Tabriz and in the northwestern region of
Iran known as the province of Azerbaijan.
Tabriz stands along important crossroads of ancient cultures. Since
its first mention in history - back in the 7th century BC - Tabriz
has experienced many cycles of decay and rebirth. At times it has been
the capital of Persia, and at other times a major city in the
landscape of history.
David Rohl, in his book Legend: The Genesis of Civilisation, indicates
that Tabriz stands where the Garden of Eden was situated. He also
mentions that during the 3rd century, Tabriz, then called Tauris, was
the capital of Armenia.
My mother and her family were from Tabriz. In 1930s, during the years
my mother was growing up, there were around 30,000 Armenians living
there. Most of these Armenians were descendants of skilled artisans
and their families uprooted in the early 1600s from their homes in
Armenia and relocated to Isfahan, a city in the South of Iran, by King
Shah-Abbas.
>From the early 19th century to the early 20th Century, Tabriz was a
destination city to experience Western lifestyle, avant-garde trends,
and the latest in arts from music to literature. My mother tells me
that Tabriz had retail stores stocked with imported luxury items from
fine fabrics to china and toys.
The wealthy Armenians of Tabriz managed their community. They
underwrote the costs for operating the schools and churches. No child
was left behind for lack of money. I have heard stories about poor
kids who could not afford school supplies and had holes in their
shoes, but still attended an Armenian school.
According to Webster, microcosm means `universe in miniature.' In the
early 20th Century, the Tabriz my mother knew and where she was
growing up was truly a `universe in miniature.' The many ethnic and
religious minorities in the city created a rich and diverse culture.
In 1934, Germans built the imposing City Hall with a middle turret,
very similar to American city halls built in that same era. American
missionaries had built the Memorial school and a hospital.
French-Catholics had their own church and school, where students were
exposed to the French language.
Armenians have been a big part of Tabriz's modernization effort. The
reason is obvious. Armenians were Christians, thus their lifestyle
was closer to Europeans and especially to Russians. Well-to-do
families sent their kids to Europe or Russia to learn a trade or just
get educated. In Iran, Armenians were esteemed highly by Persians.
Tabriz had two Armenian neighborhoods - Ghaala and Leelava. Each
neighborhood had its own Armenian elementary school. There was only
one Armenian high school for both neighborhoods: Temakan High School.
Some Armenian students also attended the American Memorial school.
Ghaala, which was a more prestigious (wealthy) neighborhood, boasted
an old Armenian school built in 1836. The name of the school was
Aramyan. In 1936, when my grandfather was its headmaster, the school
celebrated its centennial. To me, the fact that 70 years ago, an
Armenian school in Iran celebrated its centennial is very intriguing.
It shows how Armenians made huge strides both socially and culturally
in Iran. The Aramyan school was famous for two more reasons: one, it
had a woman teacher, even before my grandparents' time, and two, its
concert hall, with stalls very similar to a mini opera house.
I have learned most of these facts about Tabriz from stories my mother
has told me. In 1963, we took a family trip to Tabriz and had the
opportunity to visit many places mom had mentioned. We went to
Glolestan gardens, and to the historic Ark which is an impressive
remainder of a huge citadel built in the early 14th century. We also
visited Shah-Goli, which features a promenade around a huge man-made
lake and a restaurant in the middle of the lake.
This is the seventh annual banquet of `Jan Tavriz.' For the last
several years the group has successfully collected and digitized 3000
pictures from private collections. All the pictures and the captions
will be displayed on March 10 at the banquet, held at RITZ CELEBRATION
BANQUET HALL (Kalaydjian Hall) 3325 N. Glenoaks Blvd, Burbank, CA
91504.
Proceeds from the banquet will go to preservation of the history
connected to Armenians in Azerbaijan province in the form of books and
other albums, and to rebuilding a cultural and sports center in the
town of Sisian in Armenia. For more information, contact the office
of Jan Tavriz at (818) 502-1858.
asbarez
Friday, March 2nd, 2012
Catherine Yesayan
BY CATHERINE YESAYAN
Learning a slice of history from the city of Tabriz, where Armenians
have thrived for centuries, is one of the attractions of a special
March 10 banquet planned by `Jan Tavriz.' The group strives to
preserve Armenian heritage in Tabriz and in the northwestern region of
Iran known as the province of Azerbaijan.
Tabriz stands along important crossroads of ancient cultures. Since
its first mention in history - back in the 7th century BC - Tabriz
has experienced many cycles of decay and rebirth. At times it has been
the capital of Persia, and at other times a major city in the
landscape of history.
David Rohl, in his book Legend: The Genesis of Civilisation, indicates
that Tabriz stands where the Garden of Eden was situated. He also
mentions that during the 3rd century, Tabriz, then called Tauris, was
the capital of Armenia.
My mother and her family were from Tabriz. In 1930s, during the years
my mother was growing up, there were around 30,000 Armenians living
there. Most of these Armenians were descendants of skilled artisans
and their families uprooted in the early 1600s from their homes in
Armenia and relocated to Isfahan, a city in the South of Iran, by King
Shah-Abbas.
>From the early 19th century to the early 20th Century, Tabriz was a
destination city to experience Western lifestyle, avant-garde trends,
and the latest in arts from music to literature. My mother tells me
that Tabriz had retail stores stocked with imported luxury items from
fine fabrics to china and toys.
The wealthy Armenians of Tabriz managed their community. They
underwrote the costs for operating the schools and churches. No child
was left behind for lack of money. I have heard stories about poor
kids who could not afford school supplies and had holes in their
shoes, but still attended an Armenian school.
According to Webster, microcosm means `universe in miniature.' In the
early 20th Century, the Tabriz my mother knew and where she was
growing up was truly a `universe in miniature.' The many ethnic and
religious minorities in the city created a rich and diverse culture.
In 1934, Germans built the imposing City Hall with a middle turret,
very similar to American city halls built in that same era. American
missionaries had built the Memorial school and a hospital.
French-Catholics had their own church and school, where students were
exposed to the French language.
Armenians have been a big part of Tabriz's modernization effort. The
reason is obvious. Armenians were Christians, thus their lifestyle
was closer to Europeans and especially to Russians. Well-to-do
families sent their kids to Europe or Russia to learn a trade or just
get educated. In Iran, Armenians were esteemed highly by Persians.
Tabriz had two Armenian neighborhoods - Ghaala and Leelava. Each
neighborhood had its own Armenian elementary school. There was only
one Armenian high school for both neighborhoods: Temakan High School.
Some Armenian students also attended the American Memorial school.
Ghaala, which was a more prestigious (wealthy) neighborhood, boasted
an old Armenian school built in 1836. The name of the school was
Aramyan. In 1936, when my grandfather was its headmaster, the school
celebrated its centennial. To me, the fact that 70 years ago, an
Armenian school in Iran celebrated its centennial is very intriguing.
It shows how Armenians made huge strides both socially and culturally
in Iran. The Aramyan school was famous for two more reasons: one, it
had a woman teacher, even before my grandparents' time, and two, its
concert hall, with stalls very similar to a mini opera house.
I have learned most of these facts about Tabriz from stories my mother
has told me. In 1963, we took a family trip to Tabriz and had the
opportunity to visit many places mom had mentioned. We went to
Glolestan gardens, and to the historic Ark which is an impressive
remainder of a huge citadel built in the early 14th century. We also
visited Shah-Goli, which features a promenade around a huge man-made
lake and a restaurant in the middle of the lake.
This is the seventh annual banquet of `Jan Tavriz.' For the last
several years the group has successfully collected and digitized 3000
pictures from private collections. All the pictures and the captions
will be displayed on March 10 at the banquet, held at RITZ CELEBRATION
BANQUET HALL (Kalaydjian Hall) 3325 N. Glenoaks Blvd, Burbank, CA
91504.
Proceeds from the banquet will go to preservation of the history
connected to Armenians in Azerbaijan province in the form of books and
other albums, and to rebuilding a cultural and sports center in the
town of Sisian in Armenia. For more information, contact the office
of Jan Tavriz at (818) 502-1858.