The Conquest of Armenia by the Ottoman and Safavid Empires

A fateful event occurred in the Christendom in 1453. Under the onslaught of the Turks fell Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which marked a new era for the Ottoman Empire.

On the other hand, the Safavid Empire also strengthened its positions. Both Empires began to view Armenia as their new target. In long invasive wars, Armenia suffered the most, having been in between the two fires.

Turkish historian İbrahim Peçevi, who took part in many military campaigns, proudly described the barbarism and the cruelty of the Turkish army. As an example, describing the Turkish invasion of Shoragyal (Shirak), Peçevi wrote that the Turkish army had “destroyed and devastated settlements, destroyed and razed structures.”

In Yerevan, “gardens and vineyards were set ablaze and razed. On the 27th day, the troops reached the Nakhichevan plateau. In fear of the victorious army, houses and whole settlements have been abandoned, ruined, and turned into an abode of ravens and owls to such a degree that any witness would get terrified. All villages that used to lie on the 4-5-day route, all fields and structures had been plundered so much that there was no single sign of life left.”

The Persians have also approached Armenians with brutality. By the order of the shah, many villages and cities of Armenia have been ruined and their inhabitants have been forcibly moved to Persia in 1604.

In 1639, the Empires signed a peace treaty, in accordance to which Armenia was divided in half once again. Western Armenia, which constituted the most of Greater Armenia, was passed to Turkey, while Persia took over Eastern Armenia.