Çemişgezek
Çemişgezek (Kurdish: Melkişî,[1] Armenian: Չմշկածագ Čmškacag),[2] Ottoman Turkish: چمشکزک, Medieval Greek: Chosomachon) is a small Turkish city and its surrounding district in Tunceli Province of Turkey. The city has a population of 2,819, while whole district has a population of 7,929. The mayor is Ahmet Şadan Ersoy (CHP).
The name Çemişgezek (in Armenian Չմշկածագ = ուր որ Չմշկիկը ծագեցաւ, where Tzimiskes was born) is related to the Armenian general of the Eastern Roman forces John Tzimiskes, who defeated the Arabs in Mesopotamia, returned to Constantinople and usurped the imperial throne, reigning as emperor from December 11, 969, to January 10, 976.
History
Before 1915, Çemişgezek had a large Armenian population, who were deported by order of the Ottoman government and later massacred in the Armenian Genocide.[3]
References
- adem Avcıkıran (2009). Kürtçe Anamnez Anamneza bi Kurmancî (PDF) (in Turkish and Kurdish). p. 55. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- http://www.nisanyanmap.com/?y=&t=Çemişgezek&u=1&ua=0
- Ravished Armenia: The Story of Aurora Mardiganian, the Christian Girl Who Lived Through the Great Massacres, New York: Kingfield Press, 1918