ARMENIANS OF NIRZE, TURKEY: Roots of an Armenian-American

Edited by Harry Parsekian

History records that Armenians have had a presence of millennia in Anatolia. Under Ottoman rule, religion, language, traditions and common values contributed to the strong bonds between villagers and villages and towns. Armenians contributed much to the cultural, economic life of the country and its progress. This world came to an abrupt end beginning in April 1915 with the deportations and massacres of Armenians, a chapter in history known as the Armenian Genocide.

This book attempts to provide a glimpse into the vanished way of life in Armenian villages and to share its traditions and values with the public at large, with deep respect for the memory of those who perished and with compassion for those who survived. The story of the village of Nirze, northeast of Kayseri/Gesaria, in central Anatolia, Turkey, is a microcosm of the Armenian experience, past and present. Its history mirrors that of thousands of other villages.

Nirze Educational Society (2015)