"Armenische Frau aus Konstantinopel" (An Armenian woman of Constantinople)

In the villages woman's work included carrying the wood and water.

"Armenian costumes. Men from Sebastia"

While this young woman had her picture taken in Constantinople she dressed in a traditional style.

This young woman also choose to dressed in a traditional style.

Marash, a city not far from Aleppo, had a large Armenian population.

Turkish Carriage, Outlook October 4, 1902

"The Armenian national dance is not such a thrilling affair as the fox trot, neither does it have the stately grace of a Virginia reel. It reminds one more of arrhythmic "Ring around the Rosey"

Jane Dieulafoy traveled to the East with her husband three times between 1881 and 1886. While there she took numerous notes and photographs which were published in the review Le Tour du Monde .

Armeniens — Dessin de A. De Neuville, d'apres une photographie, page 176.

Les curieux (voy p. 414 &mdash Dessin de Ronjat, d'apres une photographie [the curious]

L'abdar — Dessin de Tofani, d'apres une photographie de Mme Dieulafoy

Caravane d'anes — Dessin d'A Paris d'apres une photographie [Caravan of donkeys]

Anes porteurs d'eau — Dessin d'A Paris d'apres une photographie Donkeys carrying water

Horses, buffalo, cows, donkeys, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, and chickens were kept by the Armenian peasant.

Shepherds

Pirkinik 1855: "We found the brother of the Archbishop who was himself grazing innumerable flocks that are their only form of wealth."

Men tended the sheep and other live stock. They also did the shearing and weaving of cloth. Woman milked the sheep and livestock, made the butter and cheese and wove carpets.

Armenian shepherds wore a very distinctively shaped cape.

Wheat, millet, barley and rye were cultivated. Vegetables included: potatoes, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, turnips, peas and beans. Honey was a staple.

Yogurt! Pilaf!

"Bastourma is a traditionally dry-cured and air-dried prime cut beef topside. After completion of the initial drying process, the product is coated with a specially prepared paste of oriental spices mixed with a generous amount of garlic. Bastourma has its origin in Turkey and Armenia and has become known and well appreciated in all Muslim countries."

If you would like to buy some on line go to B-B Products, Bastourma

This bread is called Lahvosh. If you would like to try some you can buy it on line at Valley Lahvosh

A traditional Armenian dish is stuffed vegetables, called dolma. The following recipe is from Tom's mother, Alice Azarian Blanck.

Tomatoes, remove pulp and use top as lid
Sweet peppers, remove seeds and use top as lid
Zucchini, scoop out center and add pulp to stuffing mixture
Cabbage leaves, precook slightly in boiling water to soften leaves

Filling:

1 lb. ground beef or lamb
1/4 cup rice, washed thoroughly
2 medium onions, chopped
A few sprigs of Italian parsley
1/4 cup tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients together thoroughly in bowl. Fill each vegetable lightly with the mixture and place side by side in a deep pan. Put lids on vegetables that have them. Others can be placed in pan with ends together to keep stuffing in. When all the vegetables are in the pan cover them with a heavy plate. Add water up to plate level. You can substitute some tomato sauce for some of the water. Bring to boil and simmer for about 1 hour or until rice is cooked. Serve hot.

An 1879 description of the village of Pirkinik states "the inhabitants are farmers or muleteers". An article from 1888 says the "men are muleteers and traverse Asia Minor in all directions."

See more muleteer images under Le Tour du Monde above.

MOUNTAIN ROAD IN ARMENIA

..on applying directly to the Pasha we exchanged our Armenian muleteers, whom we knew of old to be very quarrelsome fellows, for a good-natured set of Kuzulbashes... "

Travels in Little-Known Parts of Asia Minor 1870, By Henry John Van-Lennep

By Bueh revivals as these, travelling becomes almost a work of supererogation. Here, safe from the matchlock of the Turcoman and the bullet of the Kurd, we may see the facsimiles of Persepolis and Nineveh. Here are the ruins past which the Armenian muleteer, bringing the riches of Astracan to barter for the silks of Ispahan, spurs faster lest he be hailed by the Ghouls who (may the Prophet curse them!) harbour in such places.

The athenaeum, Part 1, 1854

Even the Armenian muleteer so far overcame his fear of the Kurdish robbers as to indulge in one of his accustomed funeral dirges; but it stopped short, never to go again, when we came in sight of the Kurdish encampment. The poor fellow instinctively grabbedhisdonkeys about their necks, as though they were about to plunge over a precipice. The zaptiehs dashed ahead with the mutessarif's letter to the Kurdish chief. We followed slowly on foot, while the Armenian and his two pets kept at a respectful distance in the rear.

The century illustrated monthly magazine Across Asia by Biycle, Volume 48, 1894

Ancient historic trade routes, know as the Silk Road, brought silks and spices from the China, through Asia Minor, to the west. There was not just one "road", but many routes. Sivas was a major cross road for traffic going east and west and north and south.

Camel caravans and mule caravans traveled about 30 or 40 kilometers a day taking an average of 8 to 10 hours. Caravanserais (also called khan or han) were built a appropriate distances to accommodate the travelers.

Smyrne Chameaux Lutteurs

Peuples de l'Asie Mineure. Anatolie. Paysans a la gare. [People of Asia Minor. Anatolia. Peasants at the train station]

With time railroad lines were built reducing the numbers of animal caravans.

A PUBLIC KHAN

See Sivas for images of the remains of hans in that city.