In exactly three weeks I will be in Istanbul, Turkey! I can’t wait!! This trip has been in my heart and mind for many years, but the concept became a reality this past winter. The story actually begins with my Armenian grandparents. They were born and raised in distant villages in Eastern Turkey, in the region still known as Anatolia. They were survivors of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, and their meeting in the United States was the result of the deportation of one million Armenians from Turkey. Because of the mass deportation, there are Armenian people currently living in many countries of the world. My grandparents’ siblings found safety in France where they settled, and joined burgeoning Armenian communities, and became French citizens. The very strong sense of “family” and of Armenian identity was exhibited by my grandparents and their extended families who maintained communication with each other over thousands of miles with little hope of ever seeing each other again.
In this century, my extended family has continued for five generations and today, I have almost two hundred cousins on both sides of the Atlantic. The connection with our “French Family” has endured time and distance and I am in contact with many of my “French Cousins” on a regular basis. The modern technological advances of telephones and email have made communication much easier and faster!
Recently, I learned that several of my cousins share the same dream I have to visit the villages of our grandparents in Anatolia! An American uncle and aunt made the trip to Eastern Turkey with their French cousins about 15 years ago. The group of four flew from Istanbul to Sivas and rented a car on their own. The intrepid travelers drove out of the city to the rural areas, found their parents’ villages, and spoke to local people. The single great advantage they had, besides courage and desire, was that one of the French cousins spoke fluent Turkish. Originally, all the Armenians who lived in Turkey spoke Turkish as well as Armenian, and some people also spoke Farsi and Arabic.
Last winter, I sent a general email to all the family members in my contact list regarding a trip to Eastern Turkey. I received many replies: several positives and many regrets. If nothing else, I thought, I set the wheels in motion. Timing was a major issue because several of my cousins are teachers. Spring and summer are the best seasons to visit that part of the world because it is very hot and humid in summer and icy cold in winter. It was decided that summer vacation was the best time for most of the cousins for this trip.
Two of my French cousins, my grandmother’s nieces, who live in Lyon, had previously traveled with a group led by a guide who lives in California. Claudine and Astrig sent his email address to me and I wrote to him. Armen Aroyan has been leading groups of people of the Armenian diaspora on tours to Turkey, Armenia, Jerusalem, Syria, and Jordan for the past 19 years! The groups visit historical and current Armenian churches, villages of Armenian ancestors, and other Armenian sights. Armen said he would guide our group of 12 cousins to the villages of our grandparents and to other important historical places in Anatolia. He will hire an air conditioned van with driver and we will stay at hotels in larger cities in Eastern Turkey. Armen said he would be able to conduct our tour beginning on August 11th in Istanbul!