MANAZKERT (Malazkert, Melazgerd) is a town in Mush in Bitlis province of the Western Armenia, in the valley of Aratsani (Eastern Euphrates (Murad)] river.  It was the part of Turuberan province. The Centre is Manazkert. Ottoman Turks invasions, Kurdish tribes, religious and social oppression, repetitive tribal conflicts caused many losses to the native Armenian population. Manazkert was completely ravaged and hundreds of Armenian villages were destroyed because of the Kurdish invasions in the 18th century. Thousands of Armenians migrated and semi-nomadic Kurds settled in Manazkert, thus,  significantly changing its ethnic image. The Turkish government at the end of 1870s inhabited some villages of Manazkert with Northen Caucasian highlanders (Cherkess). For artificially increasing the number of Muslims the Kurdish Karayazi “Kharayazi” region was joined to Manazkert at the end of the 19th century. 

However, up to the First World War a large number of Armenians lived in Manazkert. According to Mush Primacy, in 1915, there were 11166 Armenians (1351 families) in this town. 

The following villages were mainly populated by Armenians: Derik (722), Dyugnuk (Dignuk, 438), Khasmik (643), Kharakhayan (Karakaya , 725), Khotanlu (400), Manazkert (Berd, 945), Noradin (1742), Rustamgyaduk (Rstamgeduk, 1411):

The main occupation of the Armenians was agriculture. 

Armenians of Manazkert survived the massacres by the help of the Russian Army on May, 1915.  Massacres occurred only in the villages populated by Kurds (Banzden, Avtona, Kyzl-Yusuf, Hyse, Marmus etc). Later, during the retreat of the Russian Army Armenians migrated to the Eastern Armenia. 

G. Badalyan

 
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