In Pictures
Stories through the world of images
Photo credit: Norayr Kasper, "I Will Talk to You About Time." Fotoistanbul 2015.Join our community and receive regular updates!
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Peaceful in Kars: A photo story
Unlike the snow-covered, gloomy provincial town where the murders of Orhan Pamuk’s imagination took place, the Kars that welcomed my friend and me on our short trip to Western Armenia was warm, lively, and hospitable; enough to set my soul at ease, after a tumultuous arrival in the country.
'Akh, Tamar!': A photo story
Every night, a beautiful Armenian maiden named Tamar would wave a light from Akhtamar Island’s shore in the direction of her lover, who would then swim to her from the mainland to reunite in silence. But Tamar was a princess and the boy, a commoner. When her father found out about their secret meetings, his anger got the best of him. As Tamar was lighting her lover’s way, her father approached her and blew out the light. Without a glow to guide him across Lake Van, the boy drowned in the darkness of the night, wailing, “Akh, Tamar!” (“Oh, Tamar!”).
From this side
During his first visit to Western Armenia in Oct. 2013, Canadian-Armenian poet Rupen Khajag wrote the poem «Այս կողմից» ("Ays koghmits," "From This Side") at the base of Mount Ararat. H-Pem presents our translation of the poem accompanied by photographs taken by the author. You can find the original Armenian version of the poem following the translation.
Navasard: 11 facts about the Armenian New Year you never knew about!
We Armenians love our pagan festivals: From Vardavar to Trndez to Boon Barekendan, even the most pious Christians will celebrate these “Christianized” holidays with glee. Yet, the most important date for our ancestors in the pre-Christian era is notably missing from our calendars today. Read on to learn about the ancient Armenian holiday of Navasard!
Trndez/Tiarnundaraj: 9 things you didn't know about the age-old Armenian tradition
Have you ever witnessed the age-old Armenian tradition of jumping over a ceremonial bonfire in February? Perhaps you’ve participated the longstanding custom, but never understood the story behind it. The ritual has many names: Trndez, Tiarnundaraj, Derendez—but whatever you call it, it’s definitely one of the most fascinating—and potentially dangerous—Armenian traditions, still carried on today.
From duduks to dragons: Armenian references in 'Game of Thrones'
If you’ve ever watched a show or film and thought, “wow, that costume looks like taraz (traditional Armenian attire)” or “this soundtrack sounds super Armenian,” you’re not alone. There are many examples throughout Hollywood of Armenian references, characters, music, and even language. The wildly popular television series, Game of Thrones (GoT), takes place in a fantasy world, but derives many inspirations from real life places, icons, events, and people. As we gear up for the gripping season finale this Sunday, we thought we’d break down the show’s several subtle (and not-so-subtle) Armenian references. Whether fact or fiction, it’s all in good fun!
Beware of spoilers below!
Hye Kin: The untold story of Armenian women’s resistance
Once important figures aside historic fedayis (guerrilla fighters), Armenian women are often left out of our stories of resistance. Delving into this history, we can see that they had major roles as writers, political activists, and revolutionaries, and that Armenian women continue in this tradition of resistance today. In Armenia’s regions under direct military threat, they are the backbone of a non-violent resistance movement supporting military action and forging new paths to Armenian strength and unity.
A millennial’s guide to Western Armenia
Many lists float around the Interweb for everything from the "Top 10 Reasons to Recycle" to the "11 Best Pizza Toppings, Ranked." Though environmental conservation and delicious pizza are no doubt important, there also exist a range of topics that have not yet been explored, uncovered, or synthesized on the web. To date, no such user-friendly resource exists for visiting the western half of our historic homeland, which we commonly refer to as Western Armenia, but is located today within the confines of the Republic of Turkey. A land that, for over two millennia, teemed with Armenian culture has been all but relegated to our dreams, with few Armenians ever having visited the towns and villages of their ancestors in the past century. We hope to change that with this guide...and with your help!
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From 2018 to 1918: Traversing through time in Tiflis
For centuries, Georgia (the country, not the U.S state) held a special place in the hearts of many Armenians. Her capital, Tbilisi (or “Tiflis” as it’s known to Armenians), was, not too long ago, a major center of Armenian cosmopolitan life, where Eastern Armenian culture, literature, and political life flourished. This summer, my family and I decided to check out what’s left of her Armenian past. In just a day and a half, we too fell in this love with this enchanting city, and realized that she still has so much more to offer.