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Aintab Focus of Two New Publications | |
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LONDON—Gomidas Institue Books kicked off its new academic
season with the launch of Shepard of Aintab by
Alice Shepard Riggs. The event was held at the Centre for Armenian Information and Advice
in London. The launch was accompanied by a modest photo-exhibition of new photographs
covering Dr. Shepard's life and service as a medical missionary in Aintab. Both the talk
and the exhibition were very well received. The city of Aintab had a sizeable Armenian population until the genocide of 1915. Armenians lived alongside other groups and were well-to-do in trade, commerce, and agriculture. Aintab was a major educational center with several Armenian schools of good repute; the city also had an impressive cathedral (St. Asdvadzadzin).
American missionaries were particularly active in this region and left a lasting imprint. Aintab was part of the Central Turkey Mission of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. They founded the Azariah Smith Hospital and several schools, including an American College for Girls. "It is remarkable that so many Americans left their homes in the United States to live and work amongst Armenians" said Ara Sarafian, who introduced Shepard of Aintab. "So many Americans would leave their comfortable homes in the United States, friends, and families, without knowing if they would ever return." Many missionaries actually died at young age while on service abroad. Dr. Shepard was one such American. He lived and worked most of his life in Aintab and died there in 1915. Many Ainatabtsies today still remember him fondly, and the wonderful medical service he rendered to everyone. Shepard of Aintab was originally written as a Sunday School book to reflect the best in the Protestant missionary spirit. The book covers the life of an American idealist, and how he worked amongst ordinary Armenians, Turks, Kurds, Arabs, and Assyrians. It reflects on daily life in Aintab and the social relations which underpinned this world. It is quite an unusual book. Following the publication of Shepard of Aintab, the Gomidas Institute has another book also on Aintab. Efronia: An Armenian Love Story, which was originally published by Northeastern University Press, will be rereleased by Gomidas Institute Books and released in September. For more information about Shepard of Aintab or the Aintab photo exhibition, please contact the Gomidas Institute on <info@gomidas.org>. |
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