Documenting the Genocide experience
of the largest Armenian family in Prapert
WELCOME
Based on oral histories and written memoirs, this site is designed to memorialize the lives of the Melikian/Merigian family in Prapert before the Genocide, and to document each member's experience between 1915 and 1918.
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Before the massacres began, the Melikian clan included 15 families living together on a communal farm. 135 individuals were killed in the Genocide.
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RUINED CHURCH IN PRAPERT
Every Family Has a Story
What was life like in Prapert before the Genocide? Who was warned about the massacres before they occurred? Who brought weapons to Prapert and where were they hidden? How did the 135 family members die, and how did the survivors escape?
Many of the younger members of the family took to the hills to live in caves as guerrilla fighters. Where did they hide, what route were they forced to walk when they were captured and what route did they take when they escaped?
Dating back to 1750, who were the family members, and which ones survived? Where did the survivors eventually settle?
See photos of the items the various family members brought with them when they fled the old country, including jewelry, coins and money, and even weapons.
Who were all these people? Find their photos and bring their stories to life.