How an Islamized Armenian found his relatives. A story of one photo

February 7 2015

I have taken this photo on September 19, 2010, on the opening day of
the Holy Cross Church on Akdamar Island, Turkey. Invited by “Hrant
Dink” Foundation, we attended the event with a group of journalists.
Islamized Armenians also visited Akdamar to take part in the opening
ceremony of the Church. They were talking in Turkish or Kurdish and
our Istanbul- Armenians compatriots were translating into Armenian.
For example, this old man by the name Farzanda from the village
Shenik, knowing that I am from Armenia, came close to me and said that
he is looking for his relative in Yerevan, who, according to him, was
born in Turin, his name is Vardan Vardanyan and is lecturing at one of
the universities in Yerevan. At that time, Farzanda grandfather was 70
years old. He was a secret Armenian who accepted Islam. Farzandan told
that his father’s name was Ulikhan and last name – Gyulbadagh(yan).
Farzanday’s Kurdish groom named Bashir left even his phone number so
that his relatives in Yerevan would contact him. Later, we learned
from a Turkish Armenian residing in Armenia that on reading Bashir’s
phone number in “Aravot” newspaper and seeing Farzanda Gyulbudagh’s
photo, the relatives in Yerevan have called him, found him and met
with him.

Gohar HAKOBYAN