Secret Nation: The Hidden Armenians of Turkey

After the 1915 massacres, it was believed that all Armenians had been removed from eastern Turkey. However, some Armenians survived and managed to conceal their origins, adopting Turkish identities. In recent years, a growing number of "secret Armenians" have emerged, inspired by the desire for freedom of speech and soul-searching. This book explores the hidden communities of Armenians who have preserved their unique heritage and identity, despite living in a region deemed unsafe.

Format: Hardback
Length: 592 pages
Publication date: 24 April 2018
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

It has long been assumed that no Armenian presence remained in eastern Turkey after the 1915 massacres. As a result of what has come to be called the Armenian Genocide, those who survived in Anatolia were assimilated as Muslims, with most losing all traces of their Christian identity. In fact, some did survive and, together with their children, managed during the last century to conceal their origins. Many of these survivors were orphans, adopted by Turks, only discovering their true identity late into their adult lives. Outwardly, they are Turks or Kurds, and while some are practicing Muslims, others continue to uphold Christian and Armenian traditions behind closed doors. In recent years, a growing number of "secret Armenians" have begun to emerge from the shadows. Spurred by the bold voices of journalists like Hrant Dink, the Armenian newspaper editor murdered in Istanbul in 2007, the pull towards freedom of speech and soul-searching is taking hold across the region. Avedis Hadjian has traveled to the towns and villages once densely populated by Armenians, recording stories of survival and discovery from those who remain in a region that is deemed unsafe for the people who once lived there. This book takes the reader to the heart of these hidden communities for the first time, unearthing their unique heritage and identity. Revealing the lives of a people that have been trapped in a history of denial for more than a century, Secret Nation is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide in the very places where the events occurred.

Weight: 1136g
Dimension: 165 x 241 x 51 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781788311991