Before 1915, more than 42,000 Armenians lived in the villages near the ancient city of Urfa (Urha, Orfa, or Edessa). This Armenian community had 10 churches, one monastery, and about 20 Armenian schools.
One of these Armenian-populated villages was the village of Jipin. During the Armenian Genocide in 1915, the forced emigration of Armenians began – most Armenians were driven into the desert. Some Armenians were able to emigrate to Syria, various European countries, and America, while a small group of Armenians remained in Urfa. However, this group would be forcibly exiled as well.
During the period of forced emigration, Jipin Armenians would attempt not to take little girls and older daughters with them in order to protect them from the danger of the deadly exile path into the desert. They left them under the care and control of their trusted Turkish neighbors, who they were friends with.
Thus, during the period of exile, about 30 Armenian girls from the village of Jipin remained here. Many of them would marry Turks and build families, and some converted to Islam. As a result of this process, Armenian women became the mothers of many residents of the village of Jipin.
Today, many of them may be of venerable age, or they may have already died. Nonetheless, it is known that their grandchildren today live mainly in Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Many of them have Turkish names and have forgotten their native language, but they remember their ancestors, who belong to the Armenian people, and their Armenian names.
Sargis Atam akunq.net Translation Art-A-Tsolum
