20.12.2024


In December 2024, the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute received a valuable donation: a carpet woven by Armenian orphan girls from the orphanage in Ghazir (Lebanon) during the 1920s. The donor is Dr. Vahram Shemmassian, a professor of philology and lecturer at California State University, Northridge (USA). He acquired the carpet through an online auction.

The carpet features a floral composition framed by five borders, incorporating decorative elements rooted in the traditions of the Isfahan school. It was woven in 1923 at a carpet-weaving factory established within the American orphanage in the Near East. Over a six-year period (1923–1929), this factory produced more than 3,200 carpets. The initiative to create the factory was led by Swiss missionary Jakob Küntzler, the director of the Ghazir Girls’ Orphanage, who was honored with the title “Father of Armenian Orphans” for his dedication to the Armenian cause. The orphan girls affectionately called him “Papa”. The factory’s operations were overseen by Hovhannes Tashdjian, originally from Urfa.

It is noteworthy that exactly 99 years ago, on December 4, 1925, a similar carpet woven by Armenian orphan girls in Ghazir was donated to U.S. President Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929). On the reverse side of the carpet, the following inscription was written: “Made by Armenian girls in the Ghazir, Syria, orphanage of the Near East Relief and presented as Golden Rule token of appreciation to President Coolidge”.

Since its establishment, the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute has also included in its collection other museum artifacts related to the orphan girls of the Ghazir orphanage, donated by individuals from various countries.

Examples include a similar carpet woven by orphan girls, donated by Lebanese-Armenian doctor Hrayer-Mkrtich Srapyan in 2017; the bath belt of Verjin Akojian from the Ghazir orphanage, donated by Arshak Davityan in 2013; and the weaving certificate of Noyemzar Jivelekian, donated by Bruno Tadevosyan.