By Ani Aslanian
Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia and the seat of
the African Union. Taking a stroll through the capital today, you may be
entirely unaware of the extensive Armenian presence in the city during the
modernization period of Ethiopia. Although Armenians and Ethiopians share a
long history as members of the same branch of Orthodox Christianity, there is a
lesser-known story regarding the contributions of Armenians in Addis Ababa and
how they transformed a newly born agricultural town into a thriving capital of
culture and commerce.
During the early 1900s, under the rule of Emperor Menelik
II, there were approximately 50 Armenians in Addis Ababa. But the size of the
community would soon grow tremendously and flourish with the turn of the
century under Haile Selassie’s rule. Known by his official name, Tafari
Makonnen Woldemikael, Haile Selassie was Ethiopia’s head of state from 1916 to
1930 and Emperor from 1930 to 1974. His life and legacy carry a fundamental
role in African and Ethiopian history as well as in the Rastafari movement. In
the case of the latter, he is considered a messianic and holy figure. In fact,
the African-Jamaican spiritual ideology known as Rastafari gets its name from
the imperial title of “Ras,” and Tafari — Selassie’s first name.
After becoming the regent and de facto ruler of Ethiopia
in 1916, Selassie began to gradually modernize Ethiopia, beginning with the
capital, Addis Ababa. He started by having Ethiopia admitted to the League of
Nations in 1923 and his diplomatic trips in the following years aimed to
solidify stable connections outside of Ethiopia. The first of these diplomatic
visits was in 1924, when Selassie went on a trip to Europe and the Middle East
in the hopes of establishing allies in Europe. But it was in the heart of the Middle
East — in Jerusalem — that Selassie would soon become acquainted with the 40
Armenian orphans who would ultimately become the forerunners in the
modernization of mainstream music in Ethiopia.
As Selassie toured Jerusalem, he visited the Armenian Quarter
and marveled at the St. James Armenian Apostolic Church (Surb Hakobyants
Vank.’) Selassie himself was a devout member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church
and he noted the striking similarities between the two churches, as well as the
likeness in written script.
More significantly, however, it was on this day, as he
was walking through the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem, that Selassie observed a
marching band composed of 40 young Armenian men; he was deeply moved by the
band’s musical talent. After concluding his tour of the Armenian Church and
district, Selassie had a conversation with Patriarch Turyan and learned that
these 40 talented young musicians were orphans of the Armenian Genocide. He
also learned of the terrible financial strain that came with raising these
orphans. In response, Selassie offered to adopt and bring the marching band
back with him to Addis Ababa.
The 40 Armenian orphans arrived to the capital on
September 6, 1924, accompanied by Father Hovhannes Simonian, and officially
became known as the Arba Lijoch (“forty children” in Amharic, the official
language in Ethiopia.)
arba-lijochThe Arba Lijoch, photographed by Haigaz
Boyajian, royal photographer of Ethiopia.
The Arba Lijoch formed the royal imperial brass band of
Ethiopia and each of the children were allocated a monthly stipend, provided
with housing and trained by their musical director, Kevork Nalbandian.
Nalbandian was an Armenian orphan himself, originally from Aintab (modern-day
Gaziantep) in the southeastern region of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. It was
Nalbandian who led the Arba Lijoch with his musical compositions and Selassie
was so impressed with the band’s compilations, he asked Nalbandian to compose
the music for Ethiopia’s national anthem. In 1926, Nalbandian composed the
Ethiopian Imperial National Anthem titled, “Teferi Marsh, Ethiopia Hoy,” which
translates to “Ethiopia, be happy” and it was performed by the 40 orphans for
the first time in public during Haile Selassie’s official crowning as Emperor
on November 2, 1930 in Addis Ababa.
A recent project by Silva Sevlian, which was conducted
during her time at the University of Southern California, documents the
experience of the Armenian community in Addis Ababa at that time. Included in
these documents is an oral account of an Armenian who witnessed one of the
anniversaries of the coronation in the late 1950s.
Araxi Aslanian recalls the memory: “During [the
anniversary of the]coronation, the emperor passed through the piazza and
stopped in front of the Armenian Church. And the Armenian community was there
to greet him. The heads of the community would salute him, and it so happened that
I was eight years old. I gave flowers to the Emperor when I approached him, and
he gave me his hand. Later, we were invited to the palace the following day,
and when we went to the palace, I finally had the chance to see where the
emperor that I had seen all my life lived!”
Aslanian wasn’t the only Armenian that Selassie had made
an impact on. In fact, Selassie’s initial coronation on November 2, 1930 set a
defining tone for the Arba Lijoch and the Armenian community in Ethiopia. The
Arba Lijoch began performing for nearly every imperial event of the state, and
later trained Ethiopia’s army and imperial bodyguard bands. These 40 orphans
who were once deprived of their most earnest childhood memories due to genocide
and dispossession had now found their beacon of hope through music. While not
much is recorded about the personal lives of the 40 orphans, Mesfin Kebede, a
native Ethiopian resident of Addis Ababa, possesses some documents that provide
a look into the lives of the orphans, including their names, ages and
hometowns.
Arba Lijoch names
Kebede recounts that the majority of the orphans were
originally from various Armenian towns and that most of the orphans came from
Vaspurakan (Van), Karin, Zeytun, and Sis. Kebede described the Arba Lijoch as
“diligent, abstemious, and honest,” virtues that, according to him, “are
qualities of the race to which they belong.”
While Selassie gave these orphans the opportunity for a
new life, the Arba Lijoch gave Ethiopia the opportunity to modernize its music.
Through their brass instruments and widespread musical instruction, the 40
orphans forever changed the framework of mainstream music in Ethiopia. Though
it’s undeniable that select brass instruments were eminent in intimate circles
of musicians in Addis Ababa since the early 1900s, it’s widely agreed by
Ethiopian and non-Ethiopian musicians and scholars that the Arba Lijoch was
both directly and indirectly responsible for modernizing popular music in
Ethiopia.
Prior to the Arba Lijoch and Kevork Nalbandian, the
prominent musical instruments in Ethiopia were mostly made of wood and string.
For example, traditional Ethiopian folkloric music utilized ethnic instruments
such as the ney and washint; similar to what the tsiranapogh (commonly known as
duduk) instrument is to Armenian folk music. The replacement of wood and string
instruments with brass instruments among popular music earned Arba Lijoch the
prevalent recognition of being the pioneers of musical modernization in
Ethiopia.
This musical development in Ethiopia took place in two
phases. First, the imperial brass band trained and lent support to the
development of other modern music ensembles such as the army, police, and
imperial bodyguard bands. Secondly, as the Arba Lijoch began performing among
crowds during national events throughout the years, musicians began to prefer
new brass instruments as opposed to the more traditional wood and string.
Musician Vahe Tilbian, a fourth generation
Armenian-Ethiopian who currently lives in Addis Ababa expands on the influence
of the Nalbandians: “A good friend of mine and virtuoso of Ethio-jazz is Samuel
Yirga who has taken the world by storm with his compositions and his piano
skills. We often discuss music and it is never a doubt that musicians are
grateful for Nerses Nalbandian’s work, which is highly commended and respected.
Orchestras like the Either/Orchestra based in Boston have come all the way to
Ethiopia to perform Nerses Nalbandian’s compositions.”
Currently, one of the most respected musical institutions
in Ethiopia is the Yared School of Music at the Addis Ababa University, which
Kevork Nalbandian, along with his Greek and Ethiopian colleagues, founded in
1954. The Yared School of Music’s periodical of 1973 reads: “Two Armenians
Kevork (1924-1949) and Nersès Nalbandian (1930s-1977) were major forces in
developing and nurturing modern Ethiopian band and orchestral music. Over the
next 50 years, countless Ethiopian bands followed their same line-up and forged
a stately brand of jazz-funk.”
The particular jazz-funk that the Yared periodical and
Tilbian referenced was the emergence of a unique musical genre known as
Ethiopian jazz (or, Ethio-jazz) that developed sometime in the mid-1950s and
reached its peak in the late 1960s. During the initial years of Ethio-jazz, the
first recording studio in Ethiopia was opened in 1952, by an Armenian musician
named Garbis Haygazian. Haygazian, in collaboration with Kevork Nalbandian’s
nephew, Nerses Nalbandian, would continue the tradition of Armenians in
contemporary Ethiopian music by becoming founding fathers of this genre. Nerses
carried Kevork’s musical legacy by becoming the musical director of the Haile
Selassie National Theater in the 1950s, later composing the anthem for the
African Union and, most importantly, influencing and training popular Ethiopian
artists such as Mulatu Astatke. Among Ethiopian society today, Astatke is
widely regarded as being the father of Ethio-jazz and evolving the orchestral
brass band sounds of the Nalbandians to encompass jazz and funk tunes. His
musical style incorporates a unique mix of Ethiopian melodic tunes through the
medium of brass instruments.
A story passed down to Tilbian by one of the last
remaining members of the Arba Lijoch, tells us that it was customary for the
Arba Lijoch to play the national anthem for visiting diplomats. One year,
Selassie’s interior had summoned the orphans to learn the anthem of Turkey in
preparation of the visit of Turkish delegates. All 40 orphans, in protest,
refused to learn the anthem, saying “We will not learn the anthem of a country
that killed our parents.” After much pleading from the Ethiopian interior, the Arba
Lijoch eventually learned the anthem. But when the time came to perform it to
the visiting delegates, the orphans performed an ethnic Armenian song instead.
The plight of the Armenian orphans and residents of Addis
Ababa was also well known to Selassie himself, for he lent special treatment to
the Armenian community and believed in their good intentions towards Ethiopian
society. Not only were the Armenians granted asylum, but they also had a
special role within Ethiopia, which explains why the Armenians were the only
ethnicity besides Ethiopians who were allowed to arrive to and depart from
Ethiopia freely. In contrast, both Emperors Menelik II and Selassie often had
doubts regarding their relations to other ethnicities and were generally weary
of the possibility that the other ethnicities may attempt to colonize Ethiopia.
Thus, the other ethnic minorities were forbidden to travel.
In a varying viewpoint to the popular theories of
Ethiopian modernization, Ethiopian scholar Milkias Paulos suggests that prior
to the 1900s, association with business was looked down upon by Ethiopian
society at large. Paulos thus postulates that this is the reason why most of
Ethiopia’s early businessmen, musicians and other professionals were mostly
composed of professionals who were ethnically Greek and Armenian. In his book
Haile Selassie, Western Education and Political Revolution in Ethiopia, Paulos
provides a demographic of the ethnic minorities in Ethiopia that highlights the
Armenian community at its peak in 1935 with a population of 2,800, slightly
under the Greeks and Arabs. Though the numbers of the Ethiopian Armenians were
marginal in comparison to other ethnic minorities, it’s undeniable that the
influence of the Armenian community at times surpassed that of other
communities. Even when the Armenian community numbered less than two hundred in
1909, an Italian map printed during the same year made a specific note to
highlight the Armenian quarter just north of the Ras Makonnen Bridge.
The Armenian influence in Addis Ababa wasn’t just limited
to the Arba Lijoch, but also encompassed various professional roles within a
given society. While the Armenian orphans led the wave of musical modernization
in Ethiopia, the Armenian community in Addis Ababa also governed the pharmaceutical
and medical institutions at the turn of the 20th century.
Dr. Richard Pankhurst, a highly-renowned scholar of
Ethiopian history, highlights figures such as the Devletian and Latifian
families. He notes that Hovhanes Devletian was a native of the Van region and
became Selassie’s personal physician, while the Latifians owned and managed the
imperial pharmacy in Addis Ababa. This tradition of Armenian physicians and
dentists is also present today: according to Kebede, one of the sons of the Arba
Lijoch, Mesrop Sarkisian, is one of the most renowned dentists of Addis Ababa.
In modern times, when scholars and historians research
and engage in the historiography of modern Ethiopia, they often utilize the
primary visual sources that are largely indebted to the work of Bedros
Boyadjian. Boyadjian, born in Tigranakert (modern-day Diyarbakir), in the
Ottoman Empire, became the first royal photographer of Ethiopia. Initially, he
was the photographer of Menelik II, and later became the photographer for Selassie’s
imperial court. Boyadjian was widely acclaimed for developing a talent for
photography that was different from the norm at the time. Almost defiantly, he
incorporated female and male subjects in one sitting frame and habitually
cropped and montaged photographs to depict his royal subjects in the most
optimal way possible — a practice that was almost non-existent in Ethiopian
royal photography prior to Boyadjian.
SelassieQueen Menen and Emperor Haile Selassie,
photographed by Haigaz Boyadjian.
Engineering and city planning were also industries that
Armenians in Ethiopia thrived in, with the most notable contributors being
Krikor Howyan and Minas Kherbekian. Howyan was born in Constantinople,
graduated from the prestigious Ecole Nationale University in Paris with a
degree in mathematics, and later published many scientific studies. Most
notably, however, he was the chief engineer of Addis Ababa and built many
bridges throughout the capital, as well as one of Addis Ababa’s most well-known
historic hotels: the Itegue.
Even before Haile Selassie assumed the position of
emperor, Howyan had already established the first modern astronomical
observatory in Addis Ababa in the imperial palace of Menelik. He also assumed
an official position in the Astronomical Society of France (Société
Astronomique de France) through the assistance of established networks
throughout Europe. Howyan studied the constellations, meteors, and planets as
seen from Addis Ababa and communicated his discoveries with the Astronomical Society
of France on behalf of Ethiopia. When he wasn’t serving the Ethiopian royalty,
he focused his attention on the small but thriving Armenian community in Addis
Ababa. For example, Howyan constructed the first Armenian school in the
country’s capital, in which Amharic, Armenian, English, and French languages
were taught. The state-of-the-art school also included a gymnasium and a sports
club named “Arax” after the Araxes River of the historic Armenian Highlands.
And in 1943, a second sporting branch was opened, called the “Ararat Sporting
Association.” A couple years prior to his death, Howyan split his will three
ways: partly to his immediate family, partly to the Armenian community in Addis
Ababa and partly to the newly established Armenian Republic.
Working under the patronage of Howyan was Minas
Kherbekian, or better known by his nickname in Amharic, Betafras Minas, which
translates to “Minas the house-crusher.” Kherbekian became to Addis Ababa what
Haussmann was to Paris. According to accounts of the time, Kherbekian would
walk around the city with a pointing stick and single out the structures in
Addis Ababa that he deemed necessary for renovation or demolition. In their
place, Kherbekian built new houses and institutions that incorporated traditional
aesthetic motifs of Armenian, Arab, Italian and Ethiopian architecture to
create unique structures.
Despite being frequently met with opposition and
skepticism, Kherbekian remained devoted to his plans of modernization and a
vision of an urban capital that was suitable for the 20th century. Most of
Kherbekian’s constructions can still be seen in the capital today and are
currently being renovated as part of an effort to preserve old Addis Ababa.
Additionally, one of the buildings that Kherbekian had designed and built is
one of Addis Ababa’s most well-known tourist attractions called the Mohammedaly
house. During Kherbekian’s time, the Mohammedaly institution was the largest
importing and exporting trade firm, and he was commissioned to construct the central
headquarters. Today, the Armenian influence of Kherbekian’s distinguished
design of the Mohammedaly house is most prominently evident in the pillared
staircases with triangular designs. On the other hand, the residential
structures of Kherbekian include intricately detailed balconies, which encircle
the upper floors of his buildings. These two styles of infrastructure carry
exemplary designs of architecture that can be traced to cities with
long-standing Armenian cultural and historical backgrounds, such as Gyumri or
Shushi.
While Howyan translated the visual poetry of the heavens
into scientific studies and Kherbekian focused on infrastructure, their
countryman Haig Patapan occupied himself with the intellectual realm. The
extensive historiography of Armenian-Ethiopian relations is widely documented,
thanks to Patapan’s 400-page text that was published in 1930 on the Armenian
island of San Lazzaro in Venice, Italy. When he wasn’t translating the
philosophical works of Friedrich Nietzsche into Armenian and Amharic, Patapan
focused his attention on compiling encyclopedia-like texts about Ethiopian
history.
One account of Ethio-Armenian relations tells us a story
of Kherbekian. Patapan documented that shortly prior to Selassie’s crowning,
Kherbekian concluded the construction of one of the most advanced bridges in
Addis Ababa. Society at large, including Emperor Menelik II, doubted the modern
design of the bridge and determined that it would not be secure enough for
heavy traffic. The Emperor asked the crowd, “What fool would cross this
bridge?” Confidently, Kherbekian replied, “I will be that fool.” He quickly
called upon his friend and industrialist Sarkis Terzian to bring his latest
invention, the steamroller, which was the heaviest machinery in Addis Ababa at
the time, to test the bridge. Kherbekian successfully maneuvered the
steamroller across the bridge while the diverse communities of Addis Ababa
watched at the other end with their breath held in anticipation. When
Kherbekian reached the other side of the bridge, Emperor Menelik II made his
way to Kherbekian with a grin and bowed to him out of respect.
A notable Ethiopian historian, Bahru Zewde, addressed the
influence of Terzian’s innovations in his book titled, A history of Modern
Ethiopia: “The Armenians, also Orthodox Christians, like the Greeks, were
welcomed to Ethiopia at a time when they were suffering persecution in their
homeland. They were to attain the highest level of integration into Ethiopian
society and they thrived mainly as craftsmen catering to the upper class. But
one of their pioneers, Sarkis Terzian, made his fortune as an arms trader and
his fame by introducing the steamroller (aptly named Sarkis ‘babur,’ the steam
engine of Sarkis) into the country.”
By the year 1935, the Armenian population in Addis Ababa
was roughly estimated at a little over 2,000. The extensive labor and love that
the Armenians of Addis Ababa put out in the years prior had already solidified
their reputation in Ethiopian society and in the eyes of Haile Selassie.
Additionally, it seemed that Selassie had Armenian acquaintances outside of
Ethiopia as well. For example, while Ethio-jazz was booming in the country’s
capital in the 1950s, Selassie took a tour of the United States and had several
meetings in San Francisco, California. Armenian entrepreneur and philanthropist
George Mardikian frequented Selassie during his stay in the Bay Area with boxes
of Armenian halva (a sunflower-seed-based candy).
When Selassie returned home to Addis Ababa, he continued
his rule for many years to come until his death in 1975, under mysterious
circumstances. According to Tilbian, this political strife took a toll on
Ethiopia as a whole, but also on the Armenian community specifically.
Reflecting on the dwindling numbers of the Armenians left in Addis Ababa today,
Tilbian states “Most Armenians left when the Derg communist regime nationalized
homes and businesses and currently more will leave for post secondary education.”
Indeed, today, there are about 100 Armenians remaining in
Addis Ababa who stay interconnected largely in thanks to the Kevorkoff Armenian
school and the St. George Apostolic Church, which continues to operate, thanks
to Simon Hagopian, the son of one of the 40 orphans, and Archdeacon Vartkes
Nalbandian. Equally imperative, Vahe Tilbian is producing music in English,
Amharic and Armenian, while performing to various audiences in Ethiopia. When
asked about music, and the Armenian community’s future prospects, the Armenian
native of Addis Ababa had this to say:
“The older generation is more aware of the Armenian
presence in Ethiopia while the younger generations who have gone to music
school or are involved with music know of the Armenian contributions. I also
meet strangers who, once they hear I am of Armenian descent, tell me stories of
how their father was a friend with an Armenian family or they had Armenian
neighbors back in the day. I would say, on the most part, Ethiopians view
Armenians very positively. Armenians who came to Ethiopia during the Armenian
Genocide and in the aftermath were given citizenship, allowed to live and work
here, and were given land to build homes. It really is a great story of
acceptance and finding a safe haven.”
Today’s global citizens are finding innovative ways to
bring this vibrant community’s story to life through the medium of film.
Filmmaker Aramazt Kalayjian is working on a documentary about the Armenian
Ethiopians entitled, “TEZETA: The Ethiopian Armenians.” When asked about what
he hopes to achieve through the film, Kalayjian says:
“It’s a story which documents the rare cultural
co-creation that has existed between Armenians and Ethiopians that has
developed so much in Ethiopia… I want to
share this inspiring story in the most fun, musical, and entertaining way so
that our story as Armenians starts to diverge from the melancholic narrative we
often find ourselves attached to, with regards to Genocide and past traumas
that no longer need to serve as our driving force. There are aims and goals
that we can set our minds and efforts to work towards that are higher than
waiting for recognition or retribution. As prospering citizens of the world we
have a chance to take hold of our future, this film aims to inspire that
feeling.”
For the Arba Lijoch, Ethiopia not only became an asylum
from genocide, but a place to thrive artistically and professionally, in the
mold of Howyan and Kherbekian before them. As thanks for the opportunity, these
“diligent, abstemious, and honest” Armenians left their enduring mark on the
history of Ethiopia and its rich culture.
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ABOUT AUTHOR
Ani Aslanian
ANI ASLANIAN
Ani Aslanian is a graduate of the University of
California, Irvine, where she double majored in Philosophy and European
Studies, with a minor in Humanities & Law.
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67 COMMENTS
EMANUEL TERZIAN on OCT 7, 2014 10:20 AM
I thought Ani had written this article with the most
precious touch of grace … what a talent. I had a classmate by that same name
and spelling, in Addis, and I wonder if the two Anis are related in any way.
Rather than praising this masterpiece at no end, I want to express the warmest
gratitude to Ani, for reviving such an epic episode in our community’s history,
that seemed to be doomed to oblivion … thank you my dear, shad abris!
REPLY
CRISTINATATEOSIAN on OCT 7, 2014 1:26 PM
Leí con mucho detenimiento esta historia, increíblemente
hermosa y fantástica, que nos hace creer en la bondad del ser humano y en tener
fe, porque a pesar de todos los males siempre hay una esperanza en la vida.
REPLY
ALAN ALEMIAN on OCT 22, 2014 2:53 PM
Hello Emanuel, from the note you wrote to Ani, I am of
the impression that you live in Ethiopia, making me wonder if you are by any
chance a descendent of Sarkis Terzian? I had the great honor of meeting him one
Saturday morning in 1986 when, as an American member of a relief and
development assistance organization visiting Ethiopia, as I stepped out of
Harambe Hotel, glanced across the street, and saw two men in focused
conversation whom I immediately believed to be Armenian. So, I walked in their
direction until I was close enough to hear them speaking our tongue. They were
Sarkis Terzian, the elder of the Armenian community in Ethiopia, and Vartkes
Bilemdjian. In our conversation, they pointed to the Armenian quarter on the
left just down the street , where stood the paired houses that, as they said,
were constructed for the orphans when they were to leave the palace and have
houses of their own. Later, I met Hermine Nalbandian at Nalbandian Pharmacy,
and her through her at the Church on Piazza, I met her brother Vartkes. My last
visit to Ethiopia was in 2002. I share your appreciation to Ani, how nice it is
for her to put this history together for the world to read. Alan
REPLY
EMANUEL TERZIAN on OCT 22, 2014 3:11 PM
Well hello Alan, and how nice of you to have sought for
what could have been your own roots, being dispersed from the great tragedies
into the four corners of the world map. We actually had 3 unrelated Terzian
families in Addis, originally from totally different parts of modern Turkey,
and the elder you met was probably Avedis Terzian, who regretfully passed away
soon after your last visit. As for me, I currently live in Sweden since 2007,
although I was in Addis between 2002 and 2006, after 30 years that I hadn’t set
foot in my native country, due to the revolution that made most of us seek a
different “home”. Too bad we didn’t meet then, but I am delighted to meet you
here in cyberspace!
REPLY
SARKIS KHUZKIAN on MAR 1, 2015 3:08 PM
Very interesting article which brings me to my question.
i am seeking info from anyone who has been living in ethiopia or has a deep
history of the armenian ethiopian community in the late 60s and 70s . i am
looking for my fathers Godfather, his name was AVEDIS ADJEMIAN and the only
address we have of him is BP 502 – ADIS ABABA who had migrated from marseille
france to adis ababa sometime in the late 1960s. i was told he was sort of a
hermit type and lived in the moutains of adis ababa. was a professor of some
sort, and very intellectual. i have tried contacting the ethiopian embassy but
they have never responded. I will go to ethiopia 1 day to find out what had
happened to him. Obviously he would be deceased now as he would be over 115
years old. If anyone could shed light on his journeys or knows a way to get
more info please feel free to contact me. thank you very much for your time in
this matter. Sarkis
REPLY
HAMPARTSUM GHAZAROSSIAN on MAY 15, 2015 8:26 AM
There was a certain Arsen Adjemian who came to Ethiopia,
via Marseille, in the 1950s. He was initially Director of the Kevorkoff
Armenian School in Addis Ababa. He later stayed on as a teacher at the same
institution for many years. He retired and stayed on in Addis Ababa till he
died. He was an ardent Armenian – he instilled that sense of being Armenian in
his young students through his lessons of Armenian history and literature. He
was a batchelor and kept to himself. He read extensively. He was a poet. His
poems were published in three volumes in the 1960s. Some of the information and
dates you are giving about “Avedis” Adjemian seem to be similar or close to
those of Arsen Adjemian. Do you have the correct first name?
YOHANNES on FEB 25, 2015 7:14 PM
Great historic article Ani. Many many thanks to you from
the young generation Ethiopian. Thanks for connecting us in history and my
hat’s off to the great Armenian people who gave much to Ethiopian in many ways.
Hope to read more and pass the historic reality to generation next.
REPLY
JONAH on JUN 27, 2016 9:11 AM
I am in agreement. It was well written and thoughtful and
considerate to all people mentioned.
REPLY
KRISTINA on OCT 7, 2014 3:53 PM
I’ve always looked at the Amharic alphabet and noticed
that many of the letters look nearly identical to the Armenian alphabet. That
made me assume that the connection between Armenians and Ethiopians dated much
further back than the 20th century. Do you have any information about the
linguistic and alphabet similarities between the 2 languages?
REPLY
YERVANT KOTCHOUNIAN on OCT 16, 2014 10:42 PM
Lebanese-Armenian philologist Armenak Yeghiayan has
written a volume regarding the Ethiopian origins of the Armenian alphabet,
Mesropian tareru akunqnere (The Sources of the Mesropian Letters), Antelias
(Lebanon), 2005.
REPLY
ASBED POGARIAN on OCT 17, 2014 11:00 AM
Thanks for this valuable information, Yervant. I didn’t
know.
REPLY
A. MOURADIAN on OCT 8, 2014 12:23 AM
There are many historical mistakes in this article, wrong
dates, wrong names. for example The Yared Music School was a gift to the
Ethiopian people by the Goverment of Bugaria. The first music proff. were
Nersess Nalbandian, Azad Topalian, Ashken Mouradian. The Ethiopian Armenian
History is very old, rich and long. before the Arba orphans. Armenians were
already in Ethiopia during the crusaders, so it takes a real hitorian to do the
homwork for many years with research and interviews with Ethio Armenians who
live now outside of Ethiopia, plus check archives if there are any!!!
REPLY
A. PIRJANIAN on OCT 8, 2014 10:01 AM
As a layperson and not a “real historian”, I can’t speak
to the historical inaccuracies that you mention re the gifting of the school
and its first professors. I can however note the importance of recognizing the
limitations, both spatial and rhetorical, of this particular forum. The
audience is not a cabal of historians niggling over the authenticity of
individual facts. That’s not to say accuracy isn’t important or indeed desired,
but at this stage a perfect account is far from the main objective. It’s clear
that the author was diligent in her research and interviews and, moreover,
successful in the primary task of piquing a general interest and lifting the
topic out of the mire of the esoteric, where it seems you would have it
consigned. The condescension you employ (see again: “real historian”) is
unnecessarily combative and unscholarly and undermines any productive criticism
you may have had.
A further technical point, if you take a second gander at
the introduction, you’ll see the author pretty clearly limits her scope to the
period in question and makes no claims that Armenian-Ethiopian relations are a
recent phenomenon. Quite the contrary, she expressly limits her topic to “the
Armenian presence in the city during the modernization period of Ethiopia.”
REPLY
GARBIS KORAJIAN on OCT 8, 2014 9:30 AM
Although some important facts and personalities are not
covered in this article, overall, Ani has done a good job bringing to life the
history of the Armenian Community in Ethiopia. . Present and past members of
the Ethiopian-Armenian Community would welcome works such as Ani’s and
encourage others to write more on this small but somewhat historical Armenian
Diaspora. One additional remark, during the 1930’s the Armenian Community was
around 350 in number. At any given time, the number of Armenians in Ethiopia
dis not exceed 1200.
REPLY
LEVON on OCT 8, 2014 10:07 AM
This is a great article, thoroughly researched and truly
just a refreshing read!
REPLY
RICHARD ASADOORIAN on OCT 8, 2014 11:17 PM
I am so proud of my heritage. I wish that I knew of my
father’s side(he passed when I was 3 while living in Fresno, CA) as his parents
both died in Armenia at early ages.
God bless Ethiopia for its humanitarianism.
REPLY
ABRAHAM KEORHAGIAN on OCT 9, 2014 11:38 AM
Amazing job dear Ani , you make us proud of being
Armenians from Ethiopia with positive contributions and legacy. I have no doubt
that you are just only bringing out some of your tools and talent out of your
“toolbox” and your research , contribution and work eventually will yield in
furthering the scope of our knowledge and view about the details of the
community. If Ani is provided with many documents, pictures, books , letters,
notes and articles about this subject by all of us from Ethiopia, the
possibility of reading her beautifully composed articles would be limitless.
There were so many details that I did not know prior to reading her article .
Thanks you much.
love ,
Abraham Keorhagian
REPLY
ASBED POGARIAN on OCT 10, 2014 5:10 PM
Good job, Ani! You have written a great article. There
may be some inaccuracies, however that in no way diminishes the importance and
value of your work, as well as our gratitude to you. I am glad to see so many
of your generation, both Yetovbahyes and others, interested in the history of
our community. As we eagerly await Aramazt Kalayjian’s documentary “Tezeta,” we
are delighted to read your wonderful article. Thank you!
The relationship between Ethiopians and Armenians goes
way back. The first mention of this relationship is found in Movses
Khorenatsi’s “The History of the Armenian People,” written in the 5th century
AD. This is what Khorenatsi writes: “It is said about the Illiad Wars [Trojan
War, believed to have taken place around the 11th century BC] that during the
time of the Assyrian King Devdamos, our [prince] Zarmayr, who was a subject of
the Assyrians, helped Briamos [Trojan warrior] with his small Ethiopian
contingent, and was killed by the Hellenic fighters [the famous Achilles] …”
With the advent of Christianity, this relationship
strengthened and the similarity of our alphabets can be a result of that, since
there was a lot of contact between Ethiopian and Armenian clergymen, both in
Jerusalem and Egypt. In most likelihood, Mesrob Mashtots used the Ethiopian
alphabet to give shape to some of ours since the Ethiopian alphabet was in
existence before he was born.
I had written a research paper in 1985 about the
relationship of the Armenians and Ethiopians throughout history. If you are
interested to read it, please contact me and I will send it to you.
Asbed Pogarian
Lorani@aol.com
REPLY
TAMARAAT on OCT 14, 2014 12:18 PM
Great article..
REPLY
SELAM on OCT 17, 2014 2:13 PM
To all armenians , Selamta yederesachew meaning peace
upon to you all! Thanks for the author to have given the deserved recognition
of our regrettable KIng H.I.M. He was the best leader not only for Ethiopia,
for Africa but for the humanity as a whole. He was going to lead a great
movement of Pan Africanism when he was sent inside enemies that were trained in
USA , which later became the infamous president Mengistu Hailemariam who lead
our country brutally under Communism and killed nearly 3 millions of
Ethiopians. Since it has gone worse as we got a new pro albanian guy again
supported by UK and Arab countries (used a yemeni passport ) which has led
Ethiopia in the terrible situation of todays’: during King no ethiopians were
immigrant today look around you , they are dying taking ocean to reach Libya ,
Yemen where they get killed for being christians and abused! Since the loss of
the great King, the man who served his country and modernized it, we are today
at the mercy of a mafia party called TPLF who is violating all aspect of HR and
the 6% that support them as they are from one ethnic group are chanting growth.
It is a disaster what Ethiopia is going through . I am so grateful to this
author who is revealing the King’s true nature, a man of God , for which
Ethiopians are not taught today!! Your article is a tool to educate even our youth
and we shall distribute it around so they can pride in such a King. Today,
armenians have left in majority but as we are Orthodox our bond is strong and I
hope one day, once this regime is gone (Ethiopians are getting organized for it
watch ecadforum.com for news in English on Ethiopia ) we hope we will be able
to restaure that strong relation with Armenians and continue the King legacy.
Blessings from an Ethiopian and The King H.I.M rest in peace.
REPLY
EMANUEL TERZIAN on OCT 17, 2014 3:26 PM
Selamta dersonyal yene wondim, I feel your pain and
frustration, because I was born and I grew up in what was the best country in
the world for two millenniums … until our Emperor was deposed. Steal kill and
destroy is the devil’s work, and his medicine is only the Lord Jesus, who is
slow to anger and abounding in love, so keep your eyes on Him and Him alone
brother, and as surely as you live you will see “that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those
under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. When everything is said and done He will
be victorious, as always, especially since He defeated death by taking your
punishment and mine on that cross, and so rejoice in the Lord always, I’ll say
it again REJOICE (ijig tedeset) because the joy of the Lord is our strength,
and here is something to bring you joy and unspeakable love
http://youtu.be/pxtncNsjHG8
REPLY
SELAM on OCT 18, 2014 2:59 AM
God bless you Emanuel Terzian! My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me— We are
children of God, who give thanks to Saint-Mary for she not only gave us His
only begotten son but she saved him from the swords running in the desert as
God chose her to be the Mother of Humanity, and Her only begotten son, The
Saviour of the world. Peace upon the children of God and we shall not cease
praying and fasting for Ethiopia.
REPLY
HABTAMU on OCT 18, 2014 3:56 AM
Fascinating article! As an Ethiopian, I am very pleased
to read a short account of the history of the Armenian community in Ethiopia as
well as their contributions to the rich history and culture of our country.
After reading this article, I am now pretty much motivated to know more about
the longstanding Armenia-Ethiopia relations. Thank you!
REPLY
ITYOPYAWI on OCT 20, 2014 6:42 PM
God bless Armenia, Holy and Orthodox, forever and ever,
amen.
REPLY
RICH on OCT 21, 2014 2:45 AM
Example of God’s power over evil (Turks). Praise the lord
and strength to Ani, Armenians, and Etheopia. As to the armchair negative
critique of this superb article,… Seriously?
REPLY
MIMI on OCT 23, 2014 8:31 AM
Great read… I am Ethiopian and We have Ethiopian-
Armanian Familiy friends according to my friend the Ethiopian Armanian
community holds a yearly reunion around Glendale
REPLY
MIMI ZEWDIE- KEBEDE on OCT 23, 2014 8:33 AM
It would be nice if they share their history and
experience in a more rounded way than just music
REPLY
ARMENIAN on OCT 27, 2014 5:58 PM
great article and the feedback on this post is nice to
see. i was recently in DC and was also treated very kindly by Ethiopians, what
generous people.
REPLY
MESFIN on NOV 4, 2014 9:49 AM
I love the expressive presentation about Armenians so I
am free from the hearsay.
REPLY
NORIC DILANCHIAN on NOV 5, 2014 4:24 AM
Thank you Ani for your research for your article. It is a
credit to it that it has inspired so many comments!
In the third illustration for the article Antranik
Markarian is listed as a band member. I interviewed Mr Markarian in Sydney in
1993. He was a member of the Bodyguard Band until 1926. Subsequently, for the
Ararat literary journal published in New York, I wrote a five page article on
the Armenian-Ethiopian connection, with a focus on music. I’m happy to forward
it as a PDF to anyone interested. It contains two unique and great photos of
the Band from Mr Markarian personal album.
Finally I note the documentary film project in
development by Aramazt Kalayjian which while profiling the Armenian-Ethiopian
community focuses on the contributions made by Armenians to Ethiopian music in
the twentieth century – https://www.facebook.com/Armeniansofethiopia
– noricd @ dilanchian DOT com DOT au
REPLY
LEON TOMASYAN on DEC 3, 2014 8:49 AM
Thank you Ani for your article.
I was born in Ethiopia and my grandfather Harootuin Tovmassian
was one of the 40 orphans.
Sadly he passed away before I could document his first
hand story of his transit from Van to Jerusalem and then to Addis Ababa.
I have been trying without success to find a first hand
account of the journey that any of the 40 orphans endured.
Do you know of any such account.
Thank you for any assistance.
REPLY
LEON TOMASYAN on DEC 3, 2014 8:57 AM
Oops, I meant to say that Hartoouin Tovmassian was my
father.
I notice you graduated from UCI, I am also in Irvine.
REPLY
VICTOR ZAROUGIAN on JAN 20, 2015 8:03 AM
I remember going to Addis Ababa in 1973 to see my aunt
Sirvart Bablanian who was very active in the Armenian community. She was also
an arts teacher in the Emperor’s palace. We visited Nazaret, Dire Dawa, and
Harrar. Her husband, who had already passed away, was an officer who had come
to Ethiopia to train the Imperial army. Aunt Sirvart had married him and moved
from Cairo, Egypt to Ethiopia.
REPLY
LEON TOMASYAN on JAN 20, 2015 8:21 AM
I was born in Addis. In my youth I also traveled to Diri
Dawa and Harar.
I am trying to find first hand accounts of the orphans
march from the Lake Van area. Does anyone know of such accounts?
REPLY
SAMVEL on JAN 20, 2015 11:22 AM
Sirvard Bablanyan was my godmother and her husband Hmayak
BAblanyan my godfather. I have many photos of armenian school of Addis Ababa.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=600375253312884&set=a.327889010561511.99717.100000212442726&type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=290164767667269&set=a.290163854334027.90601.100000212442726&type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1016975881652817&set=a.290163854334027.90601.100000212442726&type=3&theater
REPLY
VICTOR ZAROUGIAN on JAN 21, 2015 10:59 AM
Thank you for sharing the photo of Aunt Sirvart. I never
had the opportunity to meet Uncle Hmayak. I would love to see more photos of
the school and church in Addis Ababa.
REPLY
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HAMISH CAMPBELL on MAR 9, 2015 12:52 AM
Congratulations on a great article Ani, it is wonderful
to have some more information on a piece of history that has always fascinated
me as a historian who has studied the Near East Christian Holocaust and as a
fan of Ethiopian music from the 1960s.
I am particularly interested in one interesting period
that is not mentioned here – the Italian Invasion and occupation of the 1930s.
What happened to the Arba Lijoch during that time?
Also one of the defenders against the Italians was a
Turkish General called Vehib (Wehib) Pasha, who had opposed the Genocide and
was part of the 1919 Military Commission to punish those responsible. Was there
any contact between Vehib and the Armenian citizens of Ethiopia at the time?
Finally, Noric Dilanchian – I would be very interested to
read your article and see and pictures from Mr Markarian.
Once again, thank you for a fascinating article.
REPLY
HAGOP NALBANDIAN on APR 2, 2015 11:56 PM
This is a beautifully written article. Thank you very
much for capturing the essence of my community of birth with such fidelity and
accuracy. Truly commendable. It’s been a while since I have read such a long
piece in one breath.
REPLY
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VARTENY on OCT 3, 2015 9:12 AM
Thank you so much, This article means a lot to my family,
as Luther Aghnoghian was my great grandfather.
REPLY
RACHEL WILSON on DEC 31, 2015 8:24 AM
Good read Ani. The Armenian culture is very rich. It’s
wells of history run deep. Teaching myself a little conversational Armenian. My
dance studio family being in a prominent community I affectionately call
Armenia USA. Truth is I feel a strong connection – kinship. Being a Jewish
convert I also see striking similarities between ancient Israeli and Armenian
history and culture. Hope to someday go to Armenia to explore my theory
further.
REPLY
KHERBEKIAN HAIGO on FEB 11, 2016 8:29 AM
Merci beaucoup .C’est un plaisir de lire cet article au
sujet de mon grand père.Bravo
REPLY
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SEVAN on MAR 14, 2016 12:49 PM
Random question: Does anybody know of any mixed marriages
between an Armenian person and an Ethiopian person? The two cultures seem so
similar that there wouldn’t seem to be the same stigma attached to other mixed
marriages….
REPLY
EMANUEL TERZIAN on MAR 14, 2016 3:05 PM
There were quite a few marriages like that Sevan jan, and
99% were almost book perfect successful. Ethiopians, in my opinion, have such a
warmth that it clearly exceeds that found in Armenians, so much so that I for
one don’t even see myself happily married unless I marry an Ethiopian … sooner
or later! I know that’s a strong statement, but it’s as sincerely as I can put
it. You’d have to be born as a guy, get close to know 20 Ethiopian girls fairly
well, to know I’m not the first nor the last one to think so 🙂
REPLY
SEVAN on MAR 14, 2016 3:11 PM
Thank you for your sincerity, Emanuel. That is good to
hear. Just out of curiosity: Were all of these couples living in Ethiopia, or
were any of them living in diaspora? As you know, both communities have vast
diaspora populations.
REPLY
EMANUEL TERZIAN on MAR 14, 2016 3:31 PM
Sad to say Sevan jan that after the 1974 revolution most
white indigenous left fled the turmoil and never came back. It’s worth
mentioning that Italians had even more mixed marriages than us, and they too
fled the country never to come back, and to this day they call it “il mal
s’Africa” to indicate that once you’re touched by their affection, it’s almost
like a disease that never leaves you! In answer to your question, you’ll find
most of them in the diaspora, spread all over the world, but you’ll still find
a dozen or so Armenians who are still in the Country as Ethiopians! I met one
of them here in Stockholm, as white as snow, with as typical an Armenian
first/last name as we come … who doesn’t speak one word of Armenian, Ethiopians
here view him as an Ethiopian, because he thinks 100% like an Ethiopian … he’s
an extreme, granted, but there you have it.
REPLY
SEVAN on MAR 14, 2016 3:47 PM
Thank you, Emanuel! Very interesting.
AMANDA LAM on MAR 28, 2016 5:00 AM
Or the future hasn’t happened yet
http://makeupartistbusinesscard.com/Card:240059358147320775 so the spiral is
actually being
REPLY
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EDUARDO KARSACLIAN on APR 4, 2016 6:33 PM
Miss Aslanian, have you ever think to give a resume of
Arba Lijoch story to Steven Zaillian? I remember read that he was looking for
an “armenian Schindler”. Please, think about it.
REPLY
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FEKADU B on MAY 27, 2016 11:57 AM
It was an amazing and well researched piece, Dear Ani!
I was born, educated and lived in Addis Ababa
My mom used to tell me of Armenians as honest,
intelligent and business minded. I believe their contribution was of paramount
importance to the my society as a whole.
Thanks to the emperor who happen to forge the two
nations’ historical relationship.
REPLY
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