Kaza Eleşkirt / Ալաշկերտ – Alashkert

Population

The kaza’s population consisted mainly of Armenians and Kurds. The population engaged in cattle breeding and agriculture. They mainly cultivated grain crops, most of which were sold to the residents of Bitlis and Van.

According to the census of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople, there lived 9,914 Armenians in 12 localities of the kaza of Eleşkirt on the eve of WW1. They maintained 13 churches, one monastery (Surb Hovhannes; Trk.: Üçkilise), and eleven schools with an enrolment of 960 pupils.^[1] As of 1903, other sources mention 32 Armenian churches in the kaza.^[2]

Settlements with Armenian population

Ալաշկերտ (Թոփրակկալե, վարչական կենտրոն), Աբաս, Աբուզեթ, Ալեքսան, Ալի, Ամատ (Համամա), Աշխալա, Ատաղալեն, Արապադայի, Արղ, Բավ, Բլուր (Յահնիթեփե), Բյուլուկբաշի, Բյուրապատ, Դամուրսըղան, Դավոյի գեղ, Դավոն, Դարափի Վերին, Դարափի Ստորին, Եզտոյի, Ելիզայի, Եկմալ, Երանոս, Զատո (Զատոն), Զետկան, Զիրո, Թորգոմներ, Իրիցու գեղ (Սև Իրիցու գեղ), Խալբեկ, Խաչիթափ, Խաչլու, Խաստուր (Հացտուր), Խարաբա, Խըտըր (Խըտրի գեղ), Խլա, Խոշիան, Կարաքիլիսե, Կոբալ, Հաջի Սաֆար, Հասան փաշա, Ղազի Վերին, Ղազի Ստորին, Ղալենտեր, Ղայաբեկ, Ղարասու (Կարասու), Ճմիկան, Մազրա (Մսուրցիկ), Մուրուխան, Յազճուգեղ, Յամար, Յոնջալու, Նանաջան, Նավիկ, Մուրադխան Ստորին, Շահնազար, Շամիան, Չաթ, Չաղլու, Չամուռլու, Չլկահանի, Չուրուկ, Պեդր (Բեդիր), Պոզ Մեզին, Պոշեկ (Բոշիկ), Ջաջուռ (Ջաջուռ Իրիցու գեղ), Ռեմկան (Համոկան), Սևիկ, Վարանցիկ (Ֆերան), Տաշճին, Տոմա, Տոտիկան, Տոտոյի (Տոտո), Տումարսալ, Տրմրլու, Փոխանցիկ (Փոխան), Քարձոր, Քարսիփան (Կարսիփան), Քյոլու (Կոլա), Քյուփղրան, Քյուփղրան Վերին։

Alashkert (Toprakkale, administrative center), Abas, Abuzet, Alexan, Ali, Amat (Hamama), Ashkhala, Ashkhala, Araghalen, Apapadeli, Argh, Bav, Blur (Yenitepe), Byulukbashi (Bülükbaşı), Byurapat, Damursigrhan, Davo’s village, Davon, Lower Darap’, Darap’i Storin, Eztoyi, Eliza, Ekmal, Yeranos, Zato (Zaton), Zetkan, Ziro, T’orgomner, Iritsu gegh (Sev Iritsu gegh), Khalbek, Khachit’ap’, Khachlu, Khastur (Haztur), Kharaba, Khetre (Khtri gegh), Khla, Khoshian, Karak’ilise (Karakılıse), Kobal, Haji (Haci) Safar, Hasan P’asha, Ghazi Verin, Ghazi Lower, Ghalenter, Ghayabek, Gharasu (Karasu), Jmika, Mazra (Msurtsik), Murukhan, Yazjugegh, Yamar, Yoncalu, Nanajan, Navik, Muradkhan Storin, Shahnazar, Shamian, Chat’, Chaghlu, Chamurlu, Chlkahani, Churuk, Pedr (Bedir), Poz Mezin, Poshek (Boshik), Jajur (Jajur Iritsu gegh), Remkan (Hamokan), Sevik, Varantsik (Feran), Tashdzin, Toma, Totikan, Totoyi (Toto), Tumarsal, Trmrlu, Pokhantsik (Pokhan), K’ardzor, K’arsip’an (Karsip’an), K’yolu (Kola), K’yup’eran, K’yup’eran Verin.^[3]

History

The Urartian king Menua erected a stele in Yazılıtaş that tells of his victory over Diaueḫe. After the Urartians lost control of this area, the Medes conquered it. The Medes were followed by the Persians, Macedonians, Romans, and Byzantines. In the Middle Ages Alashkert/Eleşkirt was part of several Turkic and Mongolian empires and principalities. Among them were the Saltukids, the Ahlatshahs (Shah-Armens), the Ilkhans, the Timurids, the Ak Koyunlu, the Kara Koyunlu, the Safavids and the Ottomans.

Emigration and flight

The Russian-Ottoman peace treaties of Turkmanchay (Turkmenchay; 22 February 1828) and Adrianople (2 September 1829) gave the Armenian population of northern Iran and of the Ottoman Empire territories occupied by Russia until 1830 the opportunity to move to Russian territory. Between 1828 and 1830, 50,000 Armenians from Iran and about 90,000 Armenians from the plains of Erzurum and Alashkert made use of this option. When the Treaty of Berlin of 1878 again forced the Tsarist Empire to withdraw from large parts of its conquests in Western Armenia, another 25,000 Armenians joined the Russian divisions in their retreat. The exodus of Ottoman Armenians was also fueled by cruel acts of vengeance against the Armenians of Van, Alashkert, Mush and Bitlis. After the Russian withdrawal, Ottoman irregulars and Kurdish tribes from Van and Bayezıt took revenge for the fact that Armenians in the Russian dominion had provided the Tsarist army with carts, beasts of burden, provisions, and numerous volunteers in 1877, thus supporting the Russian advance into the Ottoman Empire.

The massacres of Armenians in 1894-1896 triggered another wave of flight to the Russian-ruled South Caucasus.

Town of Eleşkirt / Alashkert / Toprakkale

Toponym

In Urartian cuneiform inscriptions the settlement is mentioned as Anasht or Alasha, later it became known as Vagharshakert, then Alashkert. Since the 15th century Turks called it Toprakkale (‘earth fortress’).

Population

In the Middle Ages, Alashkert, like other rural towns, had up to 10,000 inhabitants. According to the records, at the end of the 18th century Alashkert had 1,300 houses or 6,500-7,000 inhabitants. In 1877-1878 it had a population of 1,869, about half of whom were Armenians and the other half Kurds and Turks. At the beginning of the 20th century, its population reached about two thousand people.

The population was engaged in agriculture, cattle-breeding, handicrafts and trade. Among the crafts in Alashkert were copper, tin, and blacksmithing, shoemaking, pottery, painting, armament, tailoring, etc. In modern times, the Erzurum-Maku road passed through here. The city had three markets, restaurants, four pubs, and cafes.

History

Existing since Urartian times (8th century B.C.), Alashkert is one of the ancient settlements of Armenia. In the 8th-7th centuries B.C. it was a fortress city of an Urartian garrison.

According to Armenian sources, Alashkert was founded at the end of the 2nd century A.D. by King Vagharsh I (Vologases III) and was named Vagharshakert after him. Together with the region of the same name, Vagharshakert-Alashkert belonged to the Catholicos of the House of the Enlightener (Grigor Lusavorich) until 439. Alashkert also played a significant role as a care center when Catholicos Nerses III (Shinogh – ‘the Builder’) built the Church of the Holy Mother of God (Surb Astvatsatsin) in Alashkert in the 7th century, which became the episcopal see of the united Diocese of Bagravand (Bagrevand) and Arsarunik for several centuries. At the beginning of the 20th century, the domed church was still preserved, as well as the ruins of the Surb Kirakos monastery.

After the death of the last representative of the House of Grigor Lusavorich, Catholicos Sahak Partev, along with other territories belonging to them, Vagharshakert passed into the hands of the Mamikonians. In the 7th century it was conquered by the Arabs. At the beginning of the 10th century, Alashkert resisted the invading Arabs and allied with Gagik Artsruni’s troops. According to the Armenian Catholicos Hovhannes Draskhanakerttsi, the enemy “fought against the fortress for many days and could not harm it in any way.” In the 9th-11th centuries it was part of the Bagratuni kingdom. In the 11th and 12th centuries it was ruled by the Seljuks, in the 13th century it was conquered by the Mongols. In the 14th – 15th centuries it fell to Turkmen tribes, and then to the Ottoman Turks.^[4]

In modern times, Alashkert was occupied several times by the Russians (1828, 1877-1878, 1914), but each time only for a very brief time, before it came under Turkish rule again.