Memorial Turkiye
Joao Charlesbois
The Istanbul Armenian Genocide memorial, also known as Huşartsan, was a marble monument that became the first memorial dedicated to the victims of the Armenian genocide. It was erected in 1919 at a site now partly located within today's Gezi Park, near Taksim Square in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire. The monument was located on the premises of the former Pangaltı Armenian Cemetery. In 1922, during the Turkish National Movement, the monument was dismantled and subsequently lost under unknown circumstances.
The Armenian Genocide was the Ottoman government's systematic extermination of its minority Armenian subjects from their historic homeland within the territory constituting the present-day Republic of Turkey. The total number of people killed as a result has been estimated at between 1 and 1.5 million [citation needed]. In the aftermath of World War I, with the Ottoman Empire defeated, the Allied forces occupied various parts of the Ottoman Empire; the British seized control of Constantinople and the Bosphorus. During this period, the first commemoration of the Armenian Genocide was organized on 24 April (Rumi calendar: 11 April), the day that marked the beginning of the deportation of Armenian intellectuals. The commemoration, organized by a group of Armenian Genocide survivors, was held in Istanbul in 1919 at the local Holy Trinity Armenian church.[1] Many prominent figures in the Armenian community participated in the commemoration. Following its initial commemoration in 1919, the date became the annual day of remembrance for the Armenian Genocide.[1]
After the first commemoration, plans were implemented to build a monument dedicated to the victims of the genocide. A committee was formed to carry out the project. It was eventually erected in 1919 and was located on the premises of the Pangaltı Armenian Cemetery. The cemetery, which was to be later demolished and confiscated by the Turkish government in the 1930s, was located in today's Gezi Park near the Taksim Square in Istanbul.[2] The monument became the first memorial dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide.[3]
In 1922, during the resurgence of the Turkish National Movement, the monument was dismantled and subsequently lost under unknown circumstances.[2][4][5] According to historian Kevork Pamukuyan, the base of the monument was last seen in the gardens of the Harbiye Military Barracks (which now houses the Istanbul Military Museum).[6]
During the Gezi Park protests, various activists demanded that the memorial be rebuilt. Cengiz Algan, a leading member of a NGO called "Dur De" (Say Stop), expressed his support to having the monument rebuilt by saying:[7][8]
The Kemalists seized the land from the Armenians in the 1940s. The stairs of the Gezi Park were built from Armenian gravestones. The Armenians were killed. Yet tens of thousands have survived and they are trying to prove the tragedy of their ancestors on these lands. We intend to remind people about the Genocide, not to conceal the truth. We want to inform visitors of the Gezi Park that a monument to the Armenian Genocide victims stood here in 1919. And we hope that one day a new monument to the Genocide victims will be built in this place.
The idea of building a memorial church in Istanbul was first raised in 1856 and a competition held. Designs were submitted by the architect William Burges and he was declared the winner.[2] However, in-fighting on the approval committee, coupled with concerns regarding the supposed "un-English" style of Burges' design, led to his being removed as architect in 1863 and his replacement by George Edmund Street. The church was then constructed in Victorian Gothic style between 1864 and 1868.
Lack of a congregation led to the closure of the church in 1978. Much of the work to restore the building was carried out by a group of Sri Lankan refugees who fled to Istanbul at the time of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The church re-opened in September 1991.[3]
The organ was made in England in 1911 by W. Hill & Son, who also built organs for York Minster, Ely, Worcester, and Manchester cathedrals. The wrought iron staircase was also brought from London. The organ loft houses regimental flags from Crimean and Gallipoli campaigns and the flag from the battleship that took Mehmed VI, the last sultan, into exile. Its facade is decorated with colourful modern takes on Biblical stories by the artist, Erica Beard.
The wooden rood screen was erected in 1923 in memory of those who died at Gallipoli. Between 1995 and 2005 the Scottish artist Mungo McCosh adorned it with images of saints and others set against a backdrop of the İstanbul skyline. Figures associated with the congregation provided the models for the saints' faces. In another Turkish twist, the Christ child is shown holding a simit.
Since the church was reopened, the crypt has served as one of the main areas of the church's charitable work to help refugees and migrants who find themselves in Istanbul. The church has housed over 2000 homeless people in recent years and continues to provide assistance to displaced people, notably Christians who have fled Pakistan.
Memorial Day in The Woodlands pays tribute to all military service men and women who lost their lives while serving in the United States military. Keynote speaker, Brigadier General Brandi Peasley, United States Army Reserve, Commanding General of the 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command, will be featured along with the AUSA Houston Honor Your Hero Ceremony. This ceremony honors individuals who enter the United States Military to protect and provide for our beloved nation. Attendees will witness the swear-in and initiation ceremony as these young people begin a life of commitment and sacrifice.
"On behalf of The Woodlands Township Board of Directors, I am honored to extend a sincere invitation to all residents to join us for Memorial Day," said Chairman Dr. Ann K. Snyder. "This event holds profound significance as our community's heartfelt tribute to the brave individuals who sacrificed everything while serving in the United States military. Let us gather together on this day to remember and honor their courage and selflessness."
The event will also feature live music by Timeless HTX (80s & 90s Rock) and will conclude with a fireworks display, choreographed to a patriotic soundtrack, weather permitting. Attendees are encouraged to sign up for text alerts for important event updates by texting MEMORIALDAY24 to 877-949-3956.
An onsite care package drop-off booth will be available to accept donations of recommended items for current troops. The complete list of suggested items is available at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/memorialday.
Free parking, generously donated by Timberloch, Inc., will be available at the orange, yellow, blue and white lots at 2002 Timberloch Place (accessible parking is available in the green lot with valid placard or plate). Parking at Market Street is strictly prohibited. Please view additional parking information on the Township website.
Memorial Day in The Woodlands is produced by The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation Department and sponsored by The Howard Hughes Corporation and Shake Shine The Woodlands. For the most up-to-date information on the day of the event, including weather updates or postponement of any kind, please follow The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation Facebook page at www.facebook.com/townshipparksandrec, or sign up for text alerts by texting MEMORIALDAY24 to 877-949-3956.
The Woodlands Township is a special purpose district, providing fire protection, environmental services, parks and recreation, economic development, enhanced law enforcement services and more to over 120,000 residents and 2,000 businesses. Located 27 miles north of Houston, Texas, The Woodlands Township is committed to supporting the highest quality of life for its residents, businesses and visitors. Please visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov to learn more.
PHOTO: Pay tribute to the sacrifices of the U.S. military and their families at Memorial Day in The Woodlands on Sunday, May 26, 2024, in Town Green Park from 5 to 9 p.m. The Memorial Day event will conclude with a fireworks display, choreographed to a patriotic soundtrack, weather permitting.
The sites include the Kigali Genocide Memorial in the capital city, the Murambi Genocide Memorial Center in southern Rwanda, the Nyamata Genocide Memorial in eastern Rwanda and the Bisesero Genocide Memorial in western Rwanda, UNESCO said on the social media network X.
Philbert Gakwenzire, the head of Ibuka, an umbrella organization that connects the groups that aid survivors of the genocide, said the move would help enhance the preservation of the memorial sites and increase visits to the sites for people to understand the dangers of genocide.
In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly designated April 7 as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi ethnic group, which left about 1 million people dead, mostly Tutsi and moderate Hutus, within a span of 100 days.
If you make a memorial donation outside of a fund, you'll be given the option to notify someone via mail card or e-card. You will choose a design and provide personalization details and the address or email address of a recipient.
The easiest and quickest way is to set up a St. Jude memorial fund page. You have the option to personalize this page with a picture and information about or the obituary of the deceased, and the page can be shared with friends and family.
Donors often request memorial donation envelopes to keep on hand or to lay out at the funeral or memorial service of a loved one. You can request these by calling (800) 213-6584 or by emailing memo...@stjude.org.
"A gift has been made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in memory of (DECEASED NAME GOES HERE). This gift will continue to bring hope to the children of St. Jude today, tomorrow and beyond."
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