HATAY: Vakıflı Köyü (Վաքըֆ Vak'ëf), The Only Remaining Armenian Village in Turkey

Описание: Vakıflı Köyü is the only remaining Armenian village in Turkey. Located on the slopes of Musa Dagh in the Samandağ district of Hatay Province, the village overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and is within eyesight of the Syrian border. It is home to a community of about 130 Turkish-Armenians.

The residents of Vakıflı are the descendants of those Armenians who resisted the Armenian genocide of 1915 on Musa Dagh. For 53 days they repelled attacks by Turkish troops until French sailors sighted a banner that the Armenians had tied to a tree on the mountain emblazoned with the words "Christians in Distress: Rescue". After being transported to Port Said by the French, the inhabitants of seven Armenian villages returned to their homes while Hatay was under French occupation starting from 1918. Following an agreement between France and Turkey and a controversial referendum, the district reverted to Turkey on June 29, 1939. After this move the populations of the other six Armenian villages emigrated out of Hatay settling in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, especially Anjar, while the residents of Vakıflı chose to stay.

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