SEARCH SYSTEM OF THE ARMENIAN HIGHLAND MONUMENTS

Ayan 4 Monuments

Iran (Country) / Western Atrpatakan (Province) / Salmast (District) / Ayan (Village)

Location

Ayan is situated 6.8 km north-west of Salmast City, at the south-eastern foot of a mountain, at an altitude of 1,510 to 1,520 metres.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 110.

The available demographical records show that from at least the late 19th century, the Armenian-inhabited village of Ayan also had a population of Iranian Turks (constituting 13 houses in 1896). The latter’s number sharply grew during the subsequent decade (in 1905 they formed over 100 houses), while the Armenian population of the village kept decreasing with every passing year due to the repeated Kurdish invasions.

Պալունի, Վիճակագրական տեղեկութիւն Սալմաստ գաւառի հայ ազգաբնակութեան [Palouny, “Statistical Data Regarding the Armenian Population in Salmast District”], «Նոր-Դար» [Nor-Dar], no. 216, 10 December 1896, p. 3. Աթայեան Ա., Սալմաստ [A. Atayan, Salmast] (New Jugha, 1906), p. 50. According to another researcher, the Muslim inhabitants of the village were Kurds (Գորոյեանց Ն., Պարսկաստանի հայերը [N. Goroyants, The Armenians of Persia] (Tehran, 1968), p. 184). Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 110.

Population

It is noteworthy that the Armenians of Ayan did not have their separate quarter, as in other villages with mixed populations: they lived intermingled among the Iranian Turks.

Աթայեան Ա., Սալմաստ [A. Atayan, Salmast] (New Jugha, 1906), pp. 50-51, and insert. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 110.

The earthquake of 6 May 1930 reduced half of the village to ruins, 12 of its 270 inhabitants being killed or injured.

Tchalenko J., Berberian M., “The Salmas (Iran) Earthquake of May 6th, 1930,” Annals of Geophysics, vol. 27, nos. 1-2 (1974), p. 156.

In 2011 the population of Ayan was composed of 80 houses of Iranian Turks.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 110.

Name Origin

As translated from Persian, the word ayan means someone who hears well; well-known, and well-aware, while according to the locals, it derives from the word ayran meaning buttermilk.

Աթայեան Ա., Սալմաստ [A. Atayan, Salmast] (New Jugha, 1906), p. 50. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 110.

Economic Life

In the early 20th century, the lands of the village belonged to the local beys, who were given one-third of the harvest as a tribute. Only two of the local Armenian families were engaged in farming as they did not have any gardens.

Աթայեան Ա., Սալմաստ [A. Atayan, Salmast] (New Jugha, 1906), p. 51. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, pp. 110-111.

For irrigation, the locals used the water of a ravine called Derale and that of 2 kahrezes: at night-time their course was obstructed for the water to be accumulated for use in the morning. There was a swampy lake called Zakoyi Gol (Zako’s Lake) near the road leading to Savra, but in summer-time it entirely dried up so that it was of no use to the inhabitants of Ayan.

Աթայեան Ա., Սալմաստ [A. Atayan, Salmast] (New Jugha, 1906), p. 51. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 111.

A Kurdish raid made on 10 or 11 April 1906 was particularly disastrous for the economy of the village. The following excerpts from letters dated 20 and 22 April of the same year provide details regarding it: “Several days ago, Ayan Village (with a mixed population of Armenians and Turks) of Salmast was robbed of its cattle.” “The villagers started chasing them [the Kurds], hoping to return the stolen stock, but the bandits seized some of their rifles.... The Kurdish agha Ismayil, the frontier guard appointed by the Persian Government who resided in Tjara, did not come to rescue [the villagers] in time allegedly because he had received the news very late.”

Հայկակ, Թրքօ-պարսկական սահմանագլուխ [Haykak, “The Turkish-Persian Borderline”], «Ռազմիկ» [Razmik], no. 57, 17 May 1906, p. 2. Hovh., “A Letter from Persia,” Mshak, no. 97, 7 May 1906, p. 3. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 111.

Education

Due to the small number of its Armenian population, Ayan did not ever have an Armenian school. It was for this reason that in 1905 no literate people were registered among the local Armenians.

Աթայեան Ա., Սալմաստ [A. Atayan, Salmast] (New Jugha, 1906), p. 51. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 111.

Direction From the east
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Date 2011 y․

Below follow the available statistical records relating to the Armenians of Ayan:

Dates	Armenian Houses	Armenians (Male)	Armenians (Female)	Total (Armenians)	Notes	Source
1860	8	36	23	59		Մխիթարեանց Ա., Ցուցակ որքանութեան ազգի հայոց ի վիճակին Ատրպատականի ի Պարսկաստան, ըստ տանց նոցին, ըստ արական և իգական սեռից յիւրաքանչիւր գաւառս [A. Mkhitariants, “A Statistical List of Armenians in the Prelacy of Atrpatakan, Persia, as per Houses, Males and Females in Every District”], «Համբաւաբեր Ռուսիոյ» [Hambavaber Rusio], no. 30, 20 September 1862, p. 1. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 110.
1875	7	32	22	54		Ararat, no. 3 (1876), p. 110. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 110.
1890	5					Գորոյեանց Ն., Պարսկաստանի հայերը [N. Goroyants, The Armenians of Persia] (Tehran, 1968), p. 183. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 110.
1893	15					Ughevor, “Salmast,” Armenia, no. 31, 3 January 1894, p. 1. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 110.
1895	22	74	67	141		Ararat, no. 2 (1896), p. 94. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 110.
1896	22	87	54	141	The village also had 13 houses of Iranian Turks.	Պալունի, Վիճակագրական տեղեկութիւն Սալմաստ գաւառի հայ ազգաբնակութեան [Palouny, “Statistical Data Regarding the Armenian Population in Salmast District”], «Նոր-Դար» [Nor-Dar], no. 216, 10 December 1896, p. 3. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 110.
1898	22	87	54	141		Ararat, nos. 11-12 (1898), p. 505. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 110.
1905	21	59	56	115	According to another work, the Armenians of Ayan constituted 21 houses with 115 (60 males and 55 females) people, including 28 migrant workers. The village also had some Turkish inhabitants (Materials for the History of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Party, vol. 4, p. 267).	G. Hovsepian’s Archives, folder 91, document 14, p. 11. Also see Աթայեան Ա., Սալմաստ [A. Atayan, Salmast] (New Jugha, 1906), pp. 50-51, and insert. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 110.