The first photo was found in manuscripts stored in the National Archives of Armenia. It depicts a concentration camp of deported Armenians in the Syrian desert of Ras al-Ayn. It dates to 1915 or 1916. Judging by the angle, it was most likely taken in secret — the person who took the picture wanted to go unnoticed.
The photo clearly shows the tents and property of Armenians in Ras al-Ayn. On the lower part of the photo is the following inscription: “The caravan of Armenian refugees at Ras al-Ayn.”
The tragic fate of Ras al-Ayn refugees is well known. They were almost completely exterminated in 1916, which made Ras al-Ayn along with Deir ez-Zor, Maskanah, and Raqqa one of the largest slaughterhouses of northern Syria.
The next photo shows a scene from the Armenian refugee camp in Raqqa. On the reverse side of the photo, there is a typewritten text in German, reading “Armenian camp of Raqqa.” Apparently, this photo was taken by a German soldier who was in the territory of the Ottoman Empire.
The third photo is a unique stereoscopic photographic publication which depicts Armenian refugees who had ended up in Mesopotamia.
These photos are among the most valuable testimonies of the Genocide against the Armenian people.
by genocide-museum.am
