A New Life in Turkey: Yerevan Family Only Armenians in Istanbul Neighborhood of Kuzguncuk
[ 2009/12/21 | 17:12 ]
“Football is my life, Football is my soul. I could play football all day long without getting tired,” says 16 year-old Gurgen Safaryan.
The Safaryan’s are the only Armenian family residing in Kuzguncuk, a neighborhood in the Üsküdar municipality on the Asian side of the Bosphorus in Istanbul Gurgen is the eldest son. He was only two and a half years old when the family left Yerevan thirteen years ago and resettled in Istanbul. The family’s second child, Haykoush, was born in Turkey.
42 year-old Aram Safaryan, the boy’s father, has been working as a guard at the Armenian St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Kuzguncuk for the past eleven years.
The church was built in 1835 and renovated in 1861. Divine Liturgy is performed on Wednesdays and Mr. Safaryan says that interested passersby often pop in to see what’s going on. The Safaryan’s live in a house next to the church.
“The mosque is right near the church. I’m the guard here so say when the dog barks at night I get up to take a look around. The mosque is right there in front of me. I’ve caught some guys trying to rob the mosque as they were breaking the door in or during the period when mosques were targets to be burnt. You are right, this is a church and that is a mosque, but for me there’s no difference. There’s that Armenian saying of ours – One shouldn’t throw stones at the spring from which they drink. I live here, eat and drink here. I raise my kids here. They even wrote about me in the papers and on T.V., saying I’m the only Armenian in Kuzguncuk,” stated Aram Safaryan (There was no mosque in the center of the neighborhood until 1952, when the Kuzguncuk Mosque was built in the courtyard of the Armenian church with building funds that included donations from the Armenian congregation – Wikipedia)
Mr. Safaryan says that the neighborhood was mostly populated by Armenian, Greeks, Jews and some Russians up until the 1940’s. There were very few, if any, Muslims. Over time, the Muslim population slowly increased and the Christians left.
Thirteen years ago, when Aram Safaryan arrived from Yerevan, he hardly brought anything with him. “I have nothing from Yerevan, no pictures or such. I was living in my brother’s house there,” he said. His wife Garineh works at the Getronagan Armenian High School in Istanbul established in 1886. She graduated from Yerevan’s Pedagogical Institute but cannot work as a teacher in Turkey since her diploma isn’t recognized there. “I work in the library performing secretarial and clerical work in addition to serving light refreshment to visiting guests. But I’m also taking special classes to get my diploma here. I’ve already got my high school equivalency diploma and now am attending college classes,” Garineh says.
16 year-old Gurgen has tried his hand at several sports activities – track, chess, basketball, tennis, but has chosen football as his main focus. He’s been playing with the Fenerbahçe Sports Club, nicknamed the “Yellow Canaries”, on the youth team and will join the ranks of the 17 year-old squad once he passes the grade. After that he has ambitions of playing with the Turkish national team. Gurgen is the only Armenian playing at Fenerbahçe.
“There have been many competitions with other squads, at our age group and even younger. We often play with teams coming from Europe. In 2005, the UEFA Champions League Final was played in Istanbul,” says Gurgen. He confesses, however, that becoming a world-class player is second on his list of priorities and is simply a hobby. He wants to get accepted at a good university and become a computer programmer.
:
All the classes at the Aramian H.S. where Gurgen goes to school are in Turkish, except for Armenian language and Armenian Church history. He’ll graduate in four years.
Gurgen has visited Armenia on several occasions after the family moved to Turkey. Yerevan seems to have left a positive impression on him. “I just went back again in August and everything seems to have changed; new buildings, new cars. It’s a big difference from when I visited in 2002. Back then Armenia looked like it was going through some rough times. Now, just by looking at the way people dress, you know that things are progressing in Armenia,” Gurgen says. One of his dreams is to start his own business and open up a place in Armenia. He would like to travel back and forth to Armenia. Moving there permanently is another matter.
December 21st, 2009 at 20:50
Chem karogh haskanal vonts karogh e Hayy Hayastanits artagaghti Turkia. Ugheghs chmtav.
December 21st, 2009 at 22:22
Mi zarmatsi, Hayere mech shatere kan vor azgain inknutyan zgatsmunke chunen. Uxaki anunov en hye. Sa hech, ba vor turki het en amusnanum!! Shatere kan.
December 21st, 2009 at 23:43
aydteg vat ban chka eselem mnum turkyayum mot 7 tarie.u es mi banem nkate aystegi mer hayer@ turkeriz chat dajanen.duk turkerin arumek haskanumem zes ama aysteg vor linek yev tesnek te inchpes en turker@ verabervum mer het kzarmanak.u es ays lurq kardalov shat uraxaza vor turkyayi(FENERBAHÇE)timum nayev mer haynele xaxum.
December 22nd, 2009 at 01:12
Hermine:
Bayts artagaxtel, aysinkn, mshtakan gnal aprelu ko tshnamu erkrum, sa urish ban e. Inch vor tegh chi dzum. Nayev arjanapatvutian harts e.
Du kgnair ko harevani xanutum ashxatelu, vory mortats liner ko yntanikin? Iharke, voch. Inchkan el vor ed harevand kez lav veraberver u inch ashxatavardzner tar.
Iharke hima turkery piti lav veraberven Hayerin. Saghin kotorel en u hetknery 95 tokosov jnjel. Hayery el “vtang chen nerkayatsnum” irents.
Heto, turkery Hayerin lav kverabervein, ete KAGHAKAKAN makardakov lav verabervein. Te che ste u de mi kani anhati lav verabervely da lriv urish makardaki “lav verabervel” e.
Es inks unetsel em tarber turk dasynkerner ev tsanotner. Es irentsits vat ban chem tesel. Bayts nerkust ka ayd tshnamakan zgatsumy. Hety kofe es xmum, hajord kayly arants tsavi danaky karogh es xrel sirty u heto hangist karogh es sharunakel kofed.
Heto artasahmanum Turkery Adrbejantsineri het lav el Hayeri dem en ashxatum, teyev zhpteres en ko het.
Es kez chem pnovum, bayts, im kartsikov, minchev turkian chchanachi Tseghaspanutiuny u chkatari hamapatasxan poxhatutsumner, petk che gnal irents erkir-VOCH turist, Voch el es im inch. Nuynisk petk el chi VOCH mi dialog unenal VOCH mi makardakov.
Hishir, vor Turkian der ILEGAL 1993 tvits shrjapakman mej e portsum pahel Hayastany, vorpeszi Hayastanin tsnki beri.
Indz tvum e menk turkeri het el erbek chenk karogh normal haraberutiunner unenal.
Hermine:
De portsir mi nor ekeghetsi karutsel turkiayum. Tesnenk turkian eli lav kverabervi?
Inchkan el turky lav lini, ireny mi or anelu e. turkin erbek chpetk e vstahel. Paperid glxin ekatsy kez u kez pes turkia gnatsatysnerin das cheghav?
Im hamest xorhurdy kez u turkiayum aprogh mnatsats Hayastantsinerin:
Pordzek sksel nor kyank turkiayits durs, kani karogh ek.
Misht asel em: turky asum e mi ban, mtatsum mi urish ban ev anum lriv mi urish ban.
December 22nd, 2009 at 09:38
To be honest, if people feel the need to leave the RoA, and there are ample reasons to do so, I’d rather see them move to Turkey than to Europe or the U.S.
The comments above condeming what this family has done is just empty bravado and the diaspora is full of it.
December 22nd, 2009 at 16:51
Gevork:
I see your point:there would be more Armenians in Turkey. But most of them (who move from RoA) are illegal and without possibilities to get a legal life or move up in the society. So it makes no difference (from a political point of view).
If all this would have been legal,may be you have had a point somewhere.
December 22nd, 2009 at 18:38
Inshallah henc tenc el klini.
Fenerbaxcheyi 17tarekanneri timic azgayin havaqakan futbolsitneri butciner@ maqrelu.
December 22nd, 2009 at 19:51
The point is that these Armenians, had they found their way to France, the U.S. or even Holland, would be probably lost forever as most Armenians living in the West are.
In Turkey, their assimilation would be less automatic and guaranteed.
Being legal or illegal has nothing to do with the big picture.
December 22nd, 2009 at 19:57
Came across this story about Armenians from Yerevan going to Turkey.
Yes, rather they try to make a living in Stanbul than Glendale.
It’s closer to the homeland; whether western or eastern Armenia.That’s why I stay here and not move to west to assimilate like all the rest.
December 23rd, 2009 at 23:17
ISK IM KARCIQOVV KAP CHUNI TE DU VORTEX ES BNAKVUM!!!!!KAREVOR@ VOR BNAKVELOVV TURQIAYUM MNUM ES HAY..MECANUM EV DASTIARAKVUM ES ISKAKAN HAYI VOGOV!!!!!!!ISK OV VOR CHI HASKANUM TE INCH BAN EE APRELL TURQIAYUM EV MECANALL U DASTIARAKVELL VORPES HAYY !!!!ISKAAKAN HAY MARD ES KAROX EM NRAN MIMIAYN CAVAKCEEELLL!!!!@ST IS SHAAT MEC KAMQI UJ PETQ E UNENAL EV APRELL AYNTEX VORTEX NRANQ APRUMM…CHE VOR NRANQ AYDQAN DJVARUTYUNNERI MIJOV EN ANCELL!!!!!!
December 27th, 2009 at 05:17
heriq e mekt myusin qnnadateq , duq vortex eq aprum gitem vor voch hayreniqum , nranq heros en vor itenc tshnamu tann aprum en u chen vaxenum , vaxecir hayreniqit turqeric ,gone mi vat ban anen ,astvac chani ,gites vor turq en , bayc qo erkrum turqic veran turqer kan , irencic ayn koxm vochinch chen tesnum ,bnakan e bolor azgeri mej el kan ,bayc es uzum em im azgin misht vortex el linen lav oric cheq bolort hayreniqic heracel ete mekn kasi voch lav er ,yrish patchar ka chem havata,lav linen ,misht lavn lsenq uraxananq ,hayic lavn ashxaris vra chka ,havataceq
December 27th, 2009 at 19:26
Children…please listen….we are a lost nation …we’re a ship without harbor or anchor…we’re the universe’s orphans….that nobody wants to feed…
how do we change this…let me hear from you…..
December 30th, 2009 at 21:09
Read first this:
Rhonda Byrne: “The Secret”.
January 1st, 2010 at 14:39
you find a good captain for your ship, that’s how.
January 3rd, 2010 at 07:19
one day will come and there will be no Armenian will stay in Armenia , wait and see boarder opening . everyone will rush to Turkey !! and the Turks know about this , this is another way to get read of our nation .
thank to our Gov , we are lousing lot of brave intelligent kids and mens to other nations like Gurken , one day Gurken will not look back anymore to Armenia .
January 3rd, 2010 at 07:21
we can not , our nation have no resource and no sea port , how you can do , need miracle !
January 19th, 2010 at 17:48
Hamozvatc em,vor Turkiayum hayastancineri gagxut@ dzevavorum en ,ayd erkri hatuk tcarayutyunner@!Ev “negx orerin”,amboxi hakahay tramadrutyunneri zayrut@,stanalu en(tchashakelu en)arden nrank,ayl voch te bnik polsahay gaxut@, kam patriarkaran@.Ev petk che herosapatel ,ayd orinak@,kani vor @ntaniki hayr@,chi gitakcum vor nrank, govazd ev patand en ,tshnamu dzerkum,mi ktor haci hamar.
January 22nd, 2010 at 12:06
I don’t understand this family. They seem to be proud to live in Turkey. They are betrayers who live in the country who has killed 1.5 of their compatroiots.
I live in Armenia, moreover I don’t live in Yerevan, but in another town and I just want to say that I adooooore Armenia. I have lived abroad but the love I have for my country has called me back. We are the future of Armenia and if we leave this country who is going to protect it from the enemies which we have all around. We must prosper Armenia and show the world that together we can do everything! This is my personal opinion, no offense to anybody