Armenian Culture Study Notes

Armenian Culture Overview

Geography

  • The culture is influenced by geographical location and history.

Religion

  • The Armenian Apostolic Church is one of the oldest Christian communities in the world.

Language

  • Official Language: Armenian

  • Language Family: Indo-European

  • Standardized Versions:

    • Western Armenian: Based on the dialect spoken in Istanbul during the 19th century, primarily used in the Diaspora.

    • Eastern Armenian: Derived from the dialect spoken in Yerevan, mostly used in ex-Soviet countries and Iran.

Food

  • Staple Foods:

    • Salt

    • Bread

  • Main Spice: Chaimen (mixture of allspice, cayenne pepper, fenugreek, cumin, paprika, cinnamon)

  • Main Meat: Lamb

  • National Fruit: Pomegranate

  • Typical Meals: Comprise a variety of vegetables, fruits, and grains.

Music

  • Rich tradition with influences from church music, folk, and contemporary genres.

Art

  • Reflects the history and struggles of the Armenian people with themes connected to religion, identity, and history.

Genocidal Art

  • Art that memorializes the victims of the Armenian Genocide and expresses the community's trauma.

Genocide Context

  • Historical accounts indicate a total of 1.5 million Armenians were killed during the genocide.

    • The Turkish government initially convicted the architects of the genocide in 1919 for "crimes against humanity" but later began denying these facts under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s regime from 1924 onwards.

  • House of Ataturk Narrative: Post-war narratives in Turkey have evolved, including:

    1. Denial of the massacre.

    2. Justification of actions during conflicts.

    3. Mutual blame between Turks and Armenians during wartime.

    4. Acknowledgement of genocide by some authorities while others still deny it.

Political Dynamics and Denial

  • Numerous political and social movements, such as TASC (Turkish American National Steering Committee), propagate denial narratives about the genocide and influence international opinion.

  • The July 4, 1915 Telegram: An Ottoman communication that included questions about the liquidation of Armenian deportees, revealing institutionalized genocide policies during that era.

Propaganda

  • Some narratives falsely attribute the genocide to Jewish conspiracies or other groups to divert attention from Turkish responsibility.

Geography of the Genocide

  • Geographic mapping of the Armenian population before and during the genocide, showing deportation routes and areas of resistance. Key locations include:

    • Major cities involved in deportations: Adana, Aleppo, Istanbul.

    • Locations of resistance, concentration camps, and reported massacres.

Conclusion

  • The interplay of culture, religion, language, food, and historical events shapes Armenian identity today. The acknowledgment and remembrance of the Armenian Genocide continue to be contentious issues in Turkish-Armenian relations and broader geopolitics.