Bardizag and its People

Bardizag and its People is an amazing and extremely detailed book on the history of an Ottoman Armenian community south of the Bay of Izmid (Nicomedia) - in north-western Turkey. It was written in a loving and straightforward manner by one of Bardizag's native sons, Krikor Mkhalian (1866-1937), who was intimately involved with the village's life and well placed to write such a book. However, he also benefitted early in writing this work by the notes of Garabed Kahana Mkhalian.

Though not a work of art, this encyclopedic and straightforward work consists of 11 chapters and 154 detailed entries that cover many aspects of the history of Bardizag from agricultural and industrial production and commerce to religious, secular, administrative and cultural life. Mkhalian does not necessarily paint a rosy picture of village life and discusses some of the disagreements, squabbles and strife that took place in the village. His work thus presents a remarkable social history of an Ottoman Armenian village from the years of its original settlement to 1915. Today, very little remains of Bardizag, where all of its churches, monasteries, schools, communal buildings and factories have been destroyed - much like other Armenian settlements in Turkey. The village name has also been changed to Bahcecik. Mkbalian's work is now a lasting legacy of that remarkable Armenian village.

Bardizag and its People has been painstakingly translated by Ara Stepan Melkonian with the addition of 700 notes and annotations, as well as an introduction.