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Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Tel: 818-500-1918
Fax: 818-246-7353
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.anca.org/
Ghazir Armenian Orphan Rug
Presented to President Calvin Coolidge in 1925
Thursday, February 26th | 7PM | Glendale Public Library
The public is invited on Thursday, February 26, 2015, at 7pm to a
power point presentation of the Ghazir Armenian Orphan Rug by Maurice
Missak Kelechian at the Glendale Central Library Auditorium, 222 East
Harvard Street in Glendale. The presentation will be in
English. Admission will be free. Library visitors receive 3 hours FREE
parking across the street at The Market Place parking structure with
validation available at the Loan Desk.
The program is sponsored by the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture
department and the ANCA-WR Initiative "America We Thank You: An
Armenian Tribute to Near East Relief," which recognizes the outpouring
of philanthropic generosity and humanitarianism by the American people
from the onset of the Armenian Genocide that rescued and rehabilitated
over 1,000,000 refugees and 132,000 Armenian orphans.
Msar Palace in Ghazir is about 20 miles from Beirut, Lebanon, perched
on a hill, the Msar (often spelled Mizar) palace in Ghazir was built
during the 19th century by a Lebanese prince, Emir Chehab II. Early in
1923, the Near East Relief organization rented Msar palace and turned
it into an Armenian girls' orphanage, the largest in the area. Under
the American flag, the orphanage became a safe haven for 1400 Armenian
girls who had witnessed the destruction of their country, during the
Armenian Genocide. The place is well known for its rug factory. From
1923 to 1930, the orphanage produced 3254 rugs and around 1000 orphan
girls certified in the art of rug weaving. These girls made history by
introducing the art of rug weaving into the Lebanese culture.
Three years after the Ghazir orphanage was founded and within a period
of ten months, seven Armenian orphan girls wove their masterpiece rug
on behalf of tens of thousands of Armenian orphans around the world.
The Ghazir Rug, also known as Armenian Orphan Rug is a magnificent
11.7 by 18.5 feet rug, woven into 4,404,206 individual hand-tied knots
of figures of more than one hundred animals and plants. The solemn
expression of pain and sorrow for everything lost: homeland, loved
ones and, trust in humanity. In December 1925, the rug was presented
to United States President Calvin Coolidge as a token of gratitude and
it stayed with Coolidge and his family even after he left the
office. The rug was returned to the White House in 1982, and stored in
the storage room for thirty-two years until November, 2014 when it was
exhibited at the White House Visiting Center.
"The Ghazir Rug is not just a carpet; it is a tangible connection to
the first genocide of the Twentieth Century -a silent, beautiful
rebuttal to those who deny the murder of 1.5 million men, woman and
children in a campaign of mass murder, forced marches, rape and
looting that befell the Armenian people from 1915-23. " -- Congressman
Adam Schiff--
From: A. Papazian
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Tel: 818-500-1918
Fax: 818-246-7353
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.anca.org/
Ghazir Armenian Orphan Rug
Presented to President Calvin Coolidge in 1925
Thursday, February 26th | 7PM | Glendale Public Library
The public is invited on Thursday, February 26, 2015, at 7pm to a
power point presentation of the Ghazir Armenian Orphan Rug by Maurice
Missak Kelechian at the Glendale Central Library Auditorium, 222 East
Harvard Street in Glendale. The presentation will be in
English. Admission will be free. Library visitors receive 3 hours FREE
parking across the street at The Market Place parking structure with
validation available at the Loan Desk.
The program is sponsored by the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture
department and the ANCA-WR Initiative "America We Thank You: An
Armenian Tribute to Near East Relief," which recognizes the outpouring
of philanthropic generosity and humanitarianism by the American people
from the onset of the Armenian Genocide that rescued and rehabilitated
over 1,000,000 refugees and 132,000 Armenian orphans.
Msar Palace in Ghazir is about 20 miles from Beirut, Lebanon, perched
on a hill, the Msar (often spelled Mizar) palace in Ghazir was built
during the 19th century by a Lebanese prince, Emir Chehab II. Early in
1923, the Near East Relief organization rented Msar palace and turned
it into an Armenian girls' orphanage, the largest in the area. Under
the American flag, the orphanage became a safe haven for 1400 Armenian
girls who had witnessed the destruction of their country, during the
Armenian Genocide. The place is well known for its rug factory. From
1923 to 1930, the orphanage produced 3254 rugs and around 1000 orphan
girls certified in the art of rug weaving. These girls made history by
introducing the art of rug weaving into the Lebanese culture.
Three years after the Ghazir orphanage was founded and within a period
of ten months, seven Armenian orphan girls wove their masterpiece rug
on behalf of tens of thousands of Armenian orphans around the world.
The Ghazir Rug, also known as Armenian Orphan Rug is a magnificent
11.7 by 18.5 feet rug, woven into 4,404,206 individual hand-tied knots
of figures of more than one hundred animals and plants. The solemn
expression of pain and sorrow for everything lost: homeland, loved
ones and, trust in humanity. In December 1925, the rug was presented
to United States President Calvin Coolidge as a token of gratitude and
it stayed with Coolidge and his family even after he left the
office. The rug was returned to the White House in 1982, and stored in
the storage room for thirty-two years until November, 2014 when it was
exhibited at the White House Visiting Center.
"The Ghazir Rug is not just a carpet; it is a tangible connection to
the first genocide of the Twentieth Century -a silent, beautiful
rebuttal to those who deny the murder of 1.5 million men, woman and
children in a campaign of mass murder, forced marches, rape and
looting that befell the Armenian people from 1915-23. " -- Congressman
Adam Schiff--
From: A. Papazian