20:31 04/09/2018

A tour throughout Polis neighborhoods

Author Tehmine Harutyunyan

“You will never go to Istanbul with a light heart,” I thought, drinking ghahva (Turkish coffee) brought from Polis (Istanbul, used by Armenians and derived from the ending of the historical name of the city Constantinople). Yet you always come back even leaving half inch from your heart there,” were my thoughts. 

As a matter of tradition, Armenians go to Istanbul and return from Polis. The editor in Chief suggested to write a story of the holiday. I am at table now and recall every single detail of the trip.

The first came Grigor or - let me spell correctly - Krikor. Istanbul Armenians usually pronounce and write the sounds b ph, p g kh, q a bit differently. They call Grigor simply Krikor, Karo – as Garo, Palyans – as Balyans.

At the airport I was greeted by Krikor. He was born and grew up in Malatya, then moved to Polis. He had a difficult life in Malatya as there were no conditions to learn Armenian. The things changed when he arrived in Istanbul in his youth, lived within an Armenian community, married an Armenian woman, yet never learnt the language.  

The next stop from the airport was Krikor’s house. Located in Heybeliada island (the second largest of the Prince Islands in the Sea of Marmara), we reached the place by ship. We were trying to communicate with my non-existent Turkish and Krikor’s poor Armenian. Krikor felt uncomfortable for his lack of Armenian knowledge, yet his justification sounded excellent – his children and grandchildren know Armenian and attend Armenian schools, adjacent to the local churches.

Then, the four islands appear. We were passing by Kınalıada island when Krikor’s eyes started blazing. Kınalıada or Knal, as the local Armenians call the island, is an Armenian populated island with 90 per cent of the population being Armenians. Krikor’s children and sister also live here. Armenians are prone to live side by side. While buying a property in any district of Istanbul, the first priority for them is always to check whether there are Armenian neighbors.

Anna, Krikor’s wife, is the brightest part of his life whose roots come from Mush and Malatya (once heavily Armenian populated regions in Eastern Turkey).  

Their mutual affection was born from stories about Malatya. In Kınalıada, they often attend gatherings of the locals. By the way, visitors from Armenia shine like stars at those events. As I was told once by the friend, who had the privilege to attend one of those evenings, everyone came and welcomed the guest.

Krikor’s syster, Ankin, prepares the tastiest dolma in the world with a special recipe - stuffed with lamb and dried vegetables. Dolma preparation is a long process. First, the vegetables are peeled, and dehydrate in balcony before being stuffed and boiled. The Malatya Armenians have their own special bread recipe as well. In general, a small Western Armenia lives in this small island with each district having own lifestyle and habits. 

You will not hear much Armen in the streets. The language issue is a serious one in Polis. State interference could be an explanation as unlike the religion where Armenians are conservative, the language is on the verge of disappearing.  Non-Armenian communication among the locals is of a major issue. The majority of the Armenians does not speak Armenian. My impressions were shared by Diana, one of the community members: “Unfortunately, the number of students attending Armenian colleges is desperately droping. The new generation prefers the local language,” explained Diana.

Today, 18 Armenian educational institutions operative in Istanbul with 14 of them belonging to the Apostolic Church and 4 – to the Catholic.

The second came Shaqe, whom I met in Polis. She is Krikor’s neighbor. She was born and raised in Polis and speaks Armenian beautifully, even more than me and you.

- O, Mr. Krikor, good day, how are you doing. You have a gust, as I see. Krikor understood Shaqe, yet answered in Turkish. I cannot transfer the 80-year old woman’s excitement when she revealed I had come from Armenia.

- Oh, my darling, have you arrived from Armenia? Are you tired of the roads? How long are you going to stay?  Will you be here during the Assumption (Traditional blessing of the grapes marked by the Armenian Church) as we could go to church?

I said I was not tired at all and was happy to be in Polis. I also promised wo go to church, Missis Shaqe then turns to Krikor: “Have you learnt a single Armenian word today? You won’t get rid of me until you learn. Even my cat knows Armenian better than you, Krikor, that’s a shame.” She again turns to me with pride, adding “My cat is Armenian.”

“Oh, Now I will be strangled in my sleep,” continued the woman: “You know, I am just coming from the Kınalıada Armenian Church. His Holiness Sebuh from Vanadzor, Armenia offered his prayers. My soul is enlightened. It was such a sweet feeling. I will probably attend a liturgy at St. Mary Church of the Mother of God in Polis during the Assumption. Do you know the place?” asked she.

I replied positively, adding the visit to the Polis Mother Cathedral is well planned. Shaqe resoundingly clapped her hands in appreciation, saying tasting grapes will start for her only after the service.
It was completely impossible to describe my excitement not for being too religious but rather seeing the love, belief, life, the values cherished, the Armenians and Armenia in that small island.

The images of people protesting the church in Yerevan streets, others - boasting openly of their atheism on social media, devaluating everything and those trying to appear more catholic than the Pope passed in front of my eyes. I thought of the huge differences among the Armenians of Diaspora and Armenia. One reason to explain was perhaps the carelessness in Armenia and the lack of fear to lose their identity.

The formation of a separate Armenian religious community in Constantinople traced back to 572. Since the establishment of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1461, 55 Armenian churches have been built in Istanbul, Apostolic, Evangelical and Catholic among them.  Some 36 Churches operate till our days.

The next neighbor of Krikor I would like to introduce is mother Arshaluys. In one of evening she was treating us with Dondurma (a Turkish mastic ice cream) and fruits. No one tried fruits no matter how hard Anna treated all us to taste. The next morning, I see Anna explaining the fruits might spoil as she decided to made compote. “You will taste it in the evening,” added she.

The all generations of refugees, perhaps, feel through a genetic code all sufferings and the hunger they experienced. Their treatment of the food is a matter of culture as they are used to assess the moral value of the food.

The Armenian trace in Istanbul is everywhere. It has left an indelible mark in the life of the developing city. The heritage left by only Palyans allows to state with proud this city has been decorated by Armenians. Apart from all, there are merely Armenian neighborhoods, Shishli, Qurtulush, where you meet Armenians at every turn.

The pharmacy of Mr. Hakob on the road to one of Armenian districts is an example, the Armenian signboard of the jewelry shop of Vartan Ohanessian comes the next. The latter is the one who prepared and sells the Forget-me-nots, the symbol of commemoration of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, right in the center of Istanbul. 

We will find Armenians where you expect to see them the least. I was looking for a photographer for a long time to make a photoshoot in Istanbul. I embarked on a photographer social media account Ignis Sanat and contacted.

It turned out they are a married couple with the husband Armenian and the father of the wife also Armenia. I made up my mind to entrust that ‘saint’ task. We arranged out meeting toured the whole city and take photos. Karen, the husband, was all about Armenia as he planned to visit the motherland with wife and was asking me to tell about the treasures of the country to her.
I am confident they will arrive soon and the first place we may see them is Tatev monastery. He knew so many legends about Tatev that could comfortably work as a tour guide in Armenia. Everyone in Istanbul knows about Armenians. Tourists have no nationality as they are always welcomed and liked in their city. But, whenever a tourist starts discussions about a lost motherland and the Genocide, the first thought strikes them is they have come to demand a territory.

There are many Turks who believe the Genocide took place, yet they are not keen on accepting the truth out of uncertainty about the future and vague ideas of compensations. Erdogan’s cynical condolences delivered every year on April 24 bolster their belief in the invented lie.

On many occasions, I asked the locals about their treatment of the Armenians. All of them respond they are humans like us, probably out of politeness. They do that guided by kind intention as they have been brought up with an idea that Armenians are people of second sort. Today, they are so benevolent that equal those people to them. By the way, in all their speeches they mechanically share Erdogan’s rhetoric and the tone of voice. That comes to show the leader’s direct impact on all of them.

The politics and Erdogan were the least topics I would like to share while telling my story of Polis. The Assumption or the Blessing of the grapes was to come in the end. The solemn prayer service started in the yard of the St. Mary Church of the God Mather. 

Christian Feasts are specific days and marked pompously in general, this one in particular, as it was  also the Feast of St. Mary. The Church bells started ringing. I could not but keep emotions and excitement. Armenians were marking a Christian Feast in a country that conducted Genocide. No church bell ever carried such a great meaning in my life as the one I heard in Polis.




Source Panorama.am
Share |
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

13:35
MP Levon Kocharyan warns of false statements
Opposition Hayastan faction MP Levon Kocharyan has warned his supporters over false and misleading statements being disseminated on his...
13:08
Armenian expert warns against land handover to Azerbaijan
Political scientist Suren Petrosyan warns that the handover of four border villages in Tavush Province to Azerbaijan would pave the way for the...
12:43
Yerevan Bus head resigns
Yerevan Bus CJSC Director Hovhannes Manukyan has stepped down. "I've submitted resignation today," he said in a social...
12:23
Police raiding homes of Armenian opposition group members
The Armenian authorities are searching the homes of members and supporters of the opposition group National Democratic Pole as well as its...
11:47
Armenian leadership seeking rupture of ties with Russia, Lavrov says
The Armenian leadership is messing up relations with Moscow for no good reason, TASS quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as...
11:30
Today marks Good Friday
The week leading up to Easter or Holy Resurrection is called Holy Week (in Armenian Avak Shabat). During this period, the Armenian Apostolic...
11:15
Political prisoner Narek Samsonyan sends open letter-inquiry to U.S. ambassador
Chairman of Civic Consciousness NGO, founder of AntiFake.am media outlet, political prisoner Narek Samsonyan wrote an open letter-inquiry to...
11:00
ARF calls for consolidation to save Armenian statehood
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) Bureau issued the following statement on Thursday: "In recent weeks, Nikol...
17:12
She said yes: Marriage proposal at Hayat Project concert in Gyumri
A young man proposed to his beloved at a Hayat Project concert in Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city. In a video posted online, the...
16:45
Opposition MP slams Pashinyan's Artsakh statements
Opposition Hayastan faction MP Ishkhan Saghatelyan has expressed support to the Artsakh government in exile following Armenian Prime Minister...
16:04
MP Aghvan Vardanyan visits arrested activists
MP Aghvan Vardanyan, who represents the opposition Hayastan faction, on Thursday visited the Armavir Penitentiary where activists Vazgen...
15:36
Armenian opposition MP visits border villages
Opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan has visited the villages of Voskepar and Baghanis in Tavush Province adjacent to the border areas demanded by...
15:04
Ex-Yerevan mayor setting up new party
Former Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan is setting up a new party in the near future, his team has confirmed to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service....
14:36
Armenia to send 29.94 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza
Armenia will deliver 29.94 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza ravaged by the conflict with Israel. The decision was approved at a cabinet...
14:07
Expert: Pashinyan decided to terrorize Artsakh leaders
Political analyst Suren Surenyants has criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statements on Artsakh leaders at a cabinet meeting on...
13:35
Analyst: The West doesn't care about Armenia
The West wants Armenia and Azerbaijan to sign a peace treaty as soon as possible and Armenia's territorial losses do not matter to it,...
13:06
Moscow concerned over anti-Russian bias of Armenia-EU-US meeting
The Armenia-EU-US meeting scheduled for April 5 is causing Moscow’s concern as Washington and Brussels are openly discussing its...
12:37
Pashinyan: Some circles displaced from Karabakh take actions threatening Armenia's security
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warns that the actions taken by “some circles” forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh)...
12:04
Artsakh dissolution decree was 'the only way' to save people, president says
President Samvel Shahramanyan claims his decree ordering the dissolution of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Republic was the “only...
11:30
Japanese supplement products recalled after two deaths and over 100 people hospitalized
Health supplement products believed to have caused two deaths and sickened more than 100 people have been ordered to be taken off store shelves...
11:15
Today is Holy Thursday
The week leading up to Easter or Holy Resurrection is called Holy Week (in Armenian Avak Shabat). During this period, the Armenian Apostolic...
11:00
Upcoming Armenia-US-EU meeting not directed against any third party – Foreign Ministry
The high-level meeting scheduled for April 5 in Brussels is aimed at strengthening Armenia-EU-US cooperation and is not directed against...
17:00
Azerbaijan's team opts out of Sambo World Cup in Yerevan
Azerbaijan's national team will not participate in the Sambo World Cup to be held in Yerevan, Armenia, Azerbaijani Sambo Federation official...
16:45
Biden calls Putin 'butcher'
US President Joe Biden has disparaged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the second time in two months, publicly calling him a...
16:30
Armenian parliament speaker defends land handover to Azerbaijan
Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan has defended the plans to hand over border villages in Tavush Province to Azerbaijan. He...
16:04
Azerbaijan must create conditions for safe return of Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh, UK says
The UK government is clear that Azerbaijan must create the conditions for a safe and secure return of ethnic Armenians who were displaced from...
15:35
Photo campaign calls for release of political prisoners in Armenia
A photo campaign for the release of Armenian opposition activists has been launched in Yerevan. Photos of political prisoners Narek...
15:15
Arthur Abraham's father dies at 68
German-Armenian boxing star Arthur Abraham’s father, Grigor Abrahamyan, has died in Berlin at the age of 68. “We’re deeply...
15:00
Armenian MP warns of threats after possible land handover to Azerbaijan
Opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan has warned of threats to a number of settlements in Armenia amid Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s signaled...
14:31
EU mission hosts French ambassador to Armenia
The EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA) on Wednesday hosted French Ambassador to Armenia Olivier Decottignies and members of the French...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}