The Assyrians of Urmi

marena Teklat Palasar muyyile nashe muttile gu-Urmi. b-danet kat iranaye bitayena e kmayutet aturaye har-tama pyashela, e-danet Kuresh bitayele e-danet ani bitayena. varena shenne lele vayan khabra menne.

They say that Tiglath Pileser brought people and settled them in Urmi. At the time that the Persians come, that group of Assyrians is still remaining, at the time that Cyrus comes, at that time they come. Years pass and we do not have any information about them.

adi atakh b-danet mshikhayuta. marena mghushaye tilun tpeklun b-mshikha. marena tre-menne iva men-Urmi kha-menne iva men-Maragha. e-dana etva aturaye tama u-marena ani iva aturaye. bas mabyunela kat gu-Urmi hala danet mshikha etva aturaye pyasha.

Now let us come to the time of Christianity. They say that the Magi came and met Christ. They say that two of them were from Urmi. One of them was from Maraga. At that time there were Assyrians there and they say that they were Assyrians. It seems that there were still Assyrians remaining in Urmi at the time of Christ.

kharta bitayevakh b-danet mshikhayuta kat-ila garvuse. Mar Tuma iman bitayele al-Urhey, men-tama bitayele al-Urmi. bitayele al-Mushava. bitayele gu-yamet Urmi. ki-karile shelkhet yamate. Mar Tuma en tiyyele al-Urmi li yarva ativa ka zardushtaye makrezva. duzila mshikha merre khushun makrezzun ina en aturaye la-aviva gu-Urmi, akhchi aviva iranaye garek av ativa averva gu … zardushtaye makrezva but-mshikha. bas bekhzayekh raba bitayele Urmi u-kulle nashe kabuluna b-shena. bas ant kubluna b-shena iva aturaye. bas ayya makhzuyela kat etva aturaye b-danet mshikha gu-Iran gu-Urmi. sab-Mar Tuma bne Urhey et-mabyune etvalun khabra men-dan-aturaye kat katu marena khush gu-Urmi etlan nashe. la-zdi. khush gu-dani makrez.

Then we come to the time when Christianity is growing. St. Thomas, when he comes to Edessa, from there he comes to Urmi. He comes to +Mušava. He comes to the lake of Urmi. They call it the ‘swarm of the seas.’ If St. Thomas came to Urmi, he would not have dared to come to preach to the Zoroastrians. It is true that Christ said ‘Go and preach,’ but if there were not Assyrians in Urmi and there were only Iranians, he would have had to come and enter among the Zoroastrians to preach about Christ. But we see that he comes to Urmi and everybody welcomes him. Now those who welcomed him were Assyrians. This shows that there were Assyrians at the time of Christ in Iran, in Urmi. This is because St. Thomas—the people of Edessa, who seemed to have knowledge about the Assyrians and say to him ‘Go to Urmi, we have people (there). Do not fear. Go and preach among them.’

u-an aturayet Urmi umret Mat Maryam gu-Urmi iva kha dana … duktet zghattet zardushtaye, beshkalona vadona umra. ila kha men-dan-umrane atiket mshikhayuta. ka-mu umra matrusena tama? ka-mu lena matruse gu-kha … matet Supurghan yan gu-kha-mata? men-sabab etvalun kha takhmanta kat e duktet umra gari oya raba tammez, b-shennet shenne kha tala la-ave khisha shekhta vida allo, kha kenyana la-ave mita tama kat umra matti sab bet-alahele.

The Assyrians of Urmi—the church of St. Mary in Urmi was a place of worship of the Zoroastrians and they take it and make it into a church. It is one of the oldest churches of Christianity. Why do they build a church there? Why do they not build one in a … in the village of +Spurġān or in a village? Because they had a belief that the place of the church had to be clean, that for many years a fox should not have left its filth on it or that cattle must not have died there, so they could establish a church, because it is the house of God.

but dayya tiyyena mirena bas anne zardushtaye kat a beta ki-zaghdivale, men-kam diyyan, doret men-kam diyyan, balket khamshamma eshtamma shenne, lakhkha a … dukta etten ka-zghattet et-zardushtaye. adi zardushtaye duna ruppe khishe m-akhkha. aha beddayekh bush tammezila men-dan-dukane khine, bas-umran mattakhle lakhkha. duz al-de duktet zghattet zardushtaye umret Mat-Maryam o-kamaya gu-Iran kat-pyashele benya iva o-umret Mat Maryam kat etten gavu bet-kuravate raba atike. bas ayyaze kha sabettuta vayela kat gu-Urmi etva nashe b-danet mshikhayuta.

So, they came and said ‘The Zoroastrians who used to worship (in) this house before us, in the age before us—perhaps for five hundred, six hundred years there was a place for the worship of the Zoroastrians. Now the Zoroastrians have abandoned it and gone from here. We know that this is cleaner than other places, so let us establish our church here.’ Right on that place of worship of the Zoroastrians, the church of St. Mary—the first to be built in Iran was the church of St. Mary, in which there are very ancient graves. This also is a proof that there were people in Urmi at the time of (the rise of) Christianity.

bitayekh alpa-shenne l-a-yba khina. bekhzayekh gu-Supurghan gu-khakma men-matvate etten alpo emma-shenne kipet bet-kuravate. u-gu-khakma umrane bekhzayekh kipa beddayuna, beddayena kat-aha b-pellan dana pishele zurza. bas gu-alpo emma-shenne men-bar mshikha alpa echchamma-shenne men-bar mshikha bekhzayekh etten nishanket … gu-Urmi kat-etva mshikhaye aturaye.

We come (to the period) a thousand years later. We see that in +Spurġān, in some of the villages, there are tombstones one thousand one hundred years old. In some churches we see that they know the stone, they know that it was erected at such-and-such a time. So one thousand and one hundred years after Christ, a thousand or nine hundred years after Christ we see that there is an indication that there were Assyrian Christians in Urmi.

vadena mshikhaye, men-zardushtayeze maddurena. ina bekhzayekh al-dan-umrane nishanket ktevtet aturaye. lela ktevtet zardushtaye pahlavi. bas en ila et-aturaye bas aturaya ktivole, ktevta atekta. bas bekhzayekh kullanait a aturaya viyyele gu-Urmi hal danet EOttoman Empire.

They make (people) Christians, they convert them from (being) Zoroastrians. But we see on those churches a sign of the script of the Assyrians. It is not the script of the Zoroastrians, Pahlavi. So, if it is that of the Assyrians, then an Assyrian wrote it, an ancient script. So we see in general that the Assyrian was in Urmi down to the time of the Ottoman Empire.

EOttoman EmpireE khina khela vayola al-Urmi u-berrekhshela hal-Mesren. kulle beshkalola hakumola. bitayela lela beshvaka anne khsiruyate hamzemmi lishanet gane, matti shemmanet gane. bushayutet yakubaye shemmanet turkaye etlun. bushayutet yakubaye la shveklun hamzemmiva lishana aturaya yan o lezzet tanakh suryoyo. humzemlun b-turket. up gu-Iran ka-aturaye la shveklun. shemma-neva matvate shemmane kulle shukhleplun.

The Ottoman Empire gains control over Urmi and extends as far as Egypt. It takes possession of everything and takes control of it. It comes and does not allow the minorities to speak their own language or give their own names (to their children). The majority of Jacobites have Turkish names. They did not allow the majority of Jacobites to speak the Assyrian language, or the dialect we call suryoyo. They spoke in Turkish. Also in Iran they did not allow the Assyrians (to use their language). With regard to names, they changed the names of all their villages.

lishana raba la-msilun hamzem-miva. gu-khlulane la-msilun b-lishanet ganan, b-lishana aturaya zamriva. bushayutet zmaryatet m-khlulane vilun b-turket. bas a kar bitayele. zlumya bush raba viyyele b-danet EOttoman Empire. kha dana zlumya ka aturaye viyyele gu … samet EPersia b-danet malkavatet kamta Shapur tre u-khachchada la-yba. kharta zlumya kelyele. sab gu-danet Harun ar-Rashid u-brunu kat iva men … kha men-bakhtatu iva men Iran. akhnan gu … beta malkayet Harune, anne khulafaye, hakkime viyyanile, nashe lipe viyyanile. yane etvalan kha-yessura raba kurba.

They could not speak in their language much. In their weddings they could not sing in their own language, in the Assyrian language. The majority of the wedding songs were in Turkish. So, this has a (great) effect (on their lives). The oppression (of the Assyrians) took place mostly at the time of the Ottoman Empire. During a certain period there was oppression of the Assyrians in the region of Persia, at the time of the early kings, Shapur the Second and a little later. Then the oppression stopped, because in the time of Harun al-Rashid and his son who was from … one of his wives was from Iran. In the royal household of Harunids, the caliphs, we had doctors, we had learned men. That is, we had a very close relationship.

b-danet Shapure viyyele zlumya, kha-khta b-danet EOttoman EmpireE viyyele zlumya. ina gu-de pi-palga, shavvamma tmanyamma echchamma shenne, viyyevakh raba rahat gu-Iran khiyye. khiyyevakh am-zardushtaye ina akh-mshikhaye, ina la har-zardushtaye khina tila Iran vila meshshelmanta. khiyyevakh raba spay.

At the time of the Shapur dynasty there was oppression and again at the time of the Ottoman Empire there was oppression. But in that interval, for seven hundred, eight hundred, nine hundred years, we lived very peacefully in Iran. We lived with the Zoroastrians, but as Christians, but not always Zoroastrians. Iran became Muslim. We lived very well.

bitayela plasha kamaya kat sharuyele, aturayet Urmi bezdayena. EGermany men-Turkiyya iva kha kat byayeva la shokava amrikaye fransaye urusnaye khela shakliva. bush raba bilun khela muttilun al-malket Iran, Reza-Shah, kat Iranze oyava menne kha ka-mu? kat la shokiva urusnaye amrikaye tama aviva bekhdara.

When the First World War begins, the Assyrians of Urmi are afraid. Germany was allied with Turkey for it wanted to prevent the Americans, the French and the Russians gaining power. They put great pressure on the king of Iran, Reza-shah, in order that Iran also would become allied with them. Why? So that they would not allow the Russians and the Americans to manoeuvre there.

anneze dilun, men-kam dana tilun khzilun Iran ila e-duktet kat garek la men-tama hayyarta matya ka-Rusya. tilun albal ida muttilun al-Iran shkilalun. Iranze ila e-duktet e geshra kat hayyarta bayyi mamti ka Rusya.

They knew, they came previously and saw that Iran was the place from which help must not reach Russia. They came and immediately seized Iran and captured it. Iran was the place of the bridge by which they wanted to convey help to Russia.

ita e daneva tilun huyyerrun ka-aturaye kat palshi. aturayeze dezhmenne vilun raba sabab iva mshikhaye u-marzanane kulle iva meshshelmane. imant Rusya derra iman engleznaye majbur vilun kat merrun akhnan preklan men-da duk-tet Iran khina-letlan shula, adiyya azakh, merrun azakh Turkiyya adi kat mukremla, kulle an-deshtet Nenve shule iva p-id-Turkiyya, merrun azakh e dukta tammezzakhla, la shokakh anne ashiratte kemi ka-gane, ashirattet arabaye.

So, it was at that time that they came and they helped the Assyrians fight. But the enemies of the Assyrians were numerous, because they were Christians, and around them all the people were Muslim. When Russia retreated, when the English were obliged to say ‘We have finished with this place, we have no business (here), now let’s go,’ they said ‘Let’s go, now that Turkey has lost’—All the plain of Nineveh etc. was in the hands of the Turks— they said ‘Let’s go and clean up that place. We shall not allow the tribes to revolt on their own, the Arab tribes.’

gu-de dana umtet diyyan shvikalun b-nosho. majbur vila umtet diyyanze rkhetla bar-engleznaye u-kheshla al-Hamadan. tama kha same peshlun, kha samaze gu-urkhe Kermanshah peshlun. u-etva engleznaye menne kat-merrun b-lablakhlokhun al-Bakuba. u-kha sama guraze verrun gu-Bakuba.

At that time they left our nation alone. Our nation was obliged to follow the English and it went to Hamadan. Some of them remained there. Some on the way remained at Kermanshah. There were English with them who said ‘We shall take you to Baquba,’ and a large proportion of them entered Baquba.

gu-da urkha kha menyana guret aturaye peshle khisha men-ara. e-danet mtayena gu-Irakze durasha vadena men-bart katkutena kha sama men-aturayet Hakkare le bayyi chakke yavvilun. kha sama men-aturayet Hak-kare vilun men … Faysal yane men-Irak men-do hukma khatet Irak tanakh shlemlun allo.

On this journey a large number of the Assyrians perished (before reaching their destination). When they arrive in Iraq they have an argument. After they disperse, a number of the Assyrians of Hakkari do not want to hand over their weapons. Some of the Assyrians of Hakkari were with (i.e. felt allegiance to) Faisal, that is with Iraq, with the new government of Iraq, let’s say they submitted to it.

aturayet Iran peshlun b-noshe. aturayet Iran merrun b-derakh. imant derrun tilun Urmi shurilun medre nikha nikha mammura. tilun Urmi mummerralun hal danatet kat … urusnaye, khina viyyena Ekommunist, tilun kha-danada kurbabet plashet tre, verrun gu-Iran. tama kha … jvuja vile tanakh et smuke, et urusnaye.

The Assyrians of Iran remained by themselves. The Assyrians of Iran said ‘We shall return.’ When they returned, they came to Urmi and began slowly to rebuild it. They came and rebuilt Urmi, until the time when the Russians, who had become communist, came, sometime around the Second World War, and entered Iran. There was a movement there, let’s say of the Reds, of the Russians.

almet Urmi, kat iva bush raba turkaya, ani merrun bas Turkiyya aha samet Azarbayjan, b-shaklakhle men-Iran. balketze kulle Iran shaklakhla. bilun palshiva am malket Iran. majbur vilun aturaye kat amme bekhkhayeva har-gu-deshtet Urmi vilun amma amme.

The population of Urmi, which was mainly Turkish, said ‘(It belongs to) Turkey. We shall take this part of Azerbaijan from Iran. Perhaps we shall take all of Iran.’ They wanted to fight with the king of Iran. The Assyrians, who were living with them in the plain of Urmi, were forced to ally with them.

iman a-mendize la muntile m-sabab amrikaye huyyerrun ka-malket Iran, urusnayeze la huyyerrun ka-dan turkayet Urmi, medre aturaye peshlun khut zlumye. ka-mu? m-sabab meshshelmane bush gane muddiyyalun merrun akhnan hi viyyekhva men-urusnaye, ina khlitekhva. albal shukhleplun vilun m-malka kha. aturaya peshle zlima. ita nikha b-nikha khina men-Urmi shurilun plata, sabab khele bserre.

When this also did not succeed, because the Americans helped the king of Iran and the Russians did not help the Turks of Urmi, the Assyrians again became subject to oppressions. Why? Because the Muslims portrayed themselves better and said ‘Yes, we were with the Russians, but we were mistaken.’ They immediately changed sides and became allied with the king. The Assyrian was oppressed. So, slowly they (the Assyrians) began to leave Urmi, because their strength diminished.

aturayaze mayele akhchi tre bnune. khina la shurilun maya eshta, shavva tmanya kat hayyerrivalun gu-akkaruta, gu-zruta. meshshelmana begvareva tla arpa bakhtate, kha-b-kha gu-metkhet esra shenne meshshelmana bezyadeva. bas aturaya la msile, gu-da, bi menyanu zadva u-pashva gu-Urmi natervala Urmi. majbur vile paletva sab letva gu-Urmi shulane. pletle men-tama. nikha b-nikha, bakhta peshla b-nosho, meshshelmaneze marzanane rabena. gora shurile nigaran va. ka-bakhta ktevle talakh gu-mdita. men-bar hada hal talakh kesli gu-Kermansha yan talakh gu-Abadan yan talakh gu-Teran. nikha a mellat har kulle nikha nikha kheshla. kha al-do-khina gushsheklun kheshlun. ayyeva kat pletlun, aturaye pletlun men-Urmi.

An Assyrian only has two children. They started not to have six, seven, eight to help them with farming, with cultivation. A Muslim used to marry three or four wives, and suddenly in a period of ten years, (the family of) a Muslim used to increase. But the Assyrians could not increase in number in this way and remain in Urmi, and keep (residence in) Urmi. They were forced to leave, because there were no jobs in Urmi. They left there. Gradually the wife was left alone and the Muslims in the surrounding area were many. The husband began to become worried. He wrote to the wife ‘Come to the town.’ Afterwards (this situation developed) until (they said) ‘Come to Kermanshah’ or ‘Come to Abadan’ or ‘Come to Tehran.’ Gradually the community all left. They looked at each other and left. This is why they left, why the Assyrians left Urmi.

adiyya kamta, kli Urmi pashkenna kat yattakh dukto dakhila. Urmi palluyela al-tla same. kha sama ila a-ybet Sulduz. yane ila taymena maervaya et-yamta, yamtet Urmi. kha-menne ila gano Urmi. e-khita ila garbiyya madenkheta tanakh yan madenkha garbiyyeta kat vayela Salamas. kha menyanet nashe gu Salamas khile, Salamas Gavilan, kha menyanet nashe khile gu-Urmi. kha menyanet nashe khile gu-Sulduz.

Now, first, let me describe Urmi, so we know what the place is like. Urmi is divided into three parts. One part is this side of Sulduz, that is south-west of the lake, the lake of Urmi. One of them is Urmi itself. The other is the eastern north side, let’s say, or the north-eastern, which is Salamas. A number of people lived in Salamas, Salamas and Gavilan, and a number lived in Urmi. A number of people lived in Sulduz.

ka-mu? m-sabab naravatet men-danne turane t-iva beslaya vareva gu-yamtet Urmi, almet diyyan, m-sabab iva akkare marzananet danne naravate matvate muttilun u-khilun tama. etva naravate men-da-ybet Sulduz. men-danne turanet Mahabad bes-layeva gu-yamta. etva naravate men turanet Turkiyya beslayena gu-yamta. etten naravatet kat men-turanet khachcha pesha Ural, anet Jilu, beslayeva gu-yamta kat iva o samet Salamas.

Why? Because the rivers that descended from the mountains and entered the lake of Urmi—our people, since they were farmers, established villages around these rivers and lived there. There were rivers on this side of Sulduz. They came down from the mountains of Mahabad into the lake. There were rivers from the mountains of Turkey which descended into the lake. There are rivers from the mountains almost of the Ural range, those of Jilu, which descended into the lake, in the region of Salamas.

gu-deshtet Urmi akhchi etvalan b-danet kat … danet plasha, alpo echchammo tmanessar, akhnan etvalan shavvi tre matvate aturaye. men-kam dana viyyanile bush matvate raba, akhchi ani-khina viyyena surtenne, tiyyena m-sabab meshshelmanuta marzanane zettela, ani zedyena tiyyena gu-matvategure khiyyena. yane viyyena matvate sure sure marzanane raba. balket etten gu … gu-danne kharite matvatet Urmi mtayena al-emmo tlay, emmo arpi matvate. ina gu-alpo echchamma u-tmanessar pyashena shavvi tre matvate.

On the plain of Urmi at the time of the war, in 1918, we only had seventy-two Assyrian villages. Before we had more villages, but these had become small and (the Assyrians) came—because Islam increased around them, they were afraid, and came and lived in large villages. That is, there were many very small villages around, perhaps on the maps the villages of Urmi amount to one hundred and thirty or one hundred and forty villages. But in 1918 seventy-two villages remained.

ki-khayyiva akhchi al-akkaruta. u-samet garbiyya kat-bekhkhayeva gu-turane ki-khayyiva b-erbe. up kenyane raba letvalun sab gu-tura kenyana raba lele msa khayyi. bushayute etvalun erbe, kat men-danne erbe b-khalviva, men-amret erbe b-zabniva, karra gupta atkha mendyane bet-khayyiva. ina samet kat iva gu-deshta etvalun kenyane, etvalun zruta. bush rabe etvalun karmane, karmanet anve, karmanet khabushe. b-keta tanakh anne tunyate bush kamta kat iva mta iva meshmeshshe. meshmeshshe mabrezzivalun, b-zabnivalun, sab meshmeshsha hasanay mabruzona.

They subsisted only on farming. In the northern region, where they lived in the mountains, they made a livelihood from sheep. They did not have many cattle, since cattle cannot live easily. Most of them had sheep and lived by milking the sheep and selling the wool of the sheep, butter, cheese and such things. But the group who were on the plain had cattle and had crops. Most of them had orchards, vineyards and apple orchards. In summer, we may say that the fruit that ripened first was apricots. They would dry the apricots and sell them, because one can easily dry an apricot.

b-kharta men-danne khabushe, kamutre, en lazem oyava, en aviva snike, b-zabniva. en la, b-khamivalun ka-gane. anize ki-mabrezzivalun kat ka-setve peshiva, kakhe ki-karivalun, kakhe. yane, katkettivale khabusha, mabrez-zivale kam-shemsha, b-khamivale ka-setva. adi etvalun anve. anve pt-odiva keshmishe, pt-odiva savza, t-odiva nipukhta, t-odiva khamra u-pt-odiva tluvve medre ka-setva. tluvve etvalun, yane anve b-khamivalun gu-kha … hava khachcha karira nimana. hal setva bet-peshiva. la nimana ina baruza hal setva bet-peshiva. khayyute b-da mendi mavurova.

After these (apricots), they would sell apples and pears, if it was necessary, if they needed to. If not, they kept them for themselves. They dried these also so they would keep for their winter—they called them +k̭axə. They would cut up the apple, dry it in the sun and keep it for the winter. Now, they had grapes. They used to make grapes into raisins, they made them into blanched grapes, they made them into syrup, they made them into wine and they made hanging preserved grapes, again for winter. They had hanging grapes—that is they would conserve them in air that was slightly cool and moist. They would keep until winter. Not moist but dry, and they would keep until winter. They passed their life in this way.

senjiyyeva, gozeva, keshmisheva, anneze b-khamiva. bush raba yane pulkhane iva gu-keta. khamsha-yarkhe, eshta-yarkhe gu-keta bet-zarriva men-kertope, men-busle, men-selka. kul kha-mendi … et-snikeva, lazemiva jammivale ka-setva. up ka-kenyane jammiva gella, jam-miva tuyna, men-dan khettet khazdivalun. katkettivalun, khette ka-gane, tuyne ka-kenyane.

There were jujube fruits, walnuts, raisins. They preserved these. Their work was mainly in the summer. For five months, six months in the summer they would cultivate potatoes, onions, beetroot. Everything that they needed, that was necessary, they would gather for winter. Also for their cattle they would gather grass, they would gather hay, from the wheat that they harvested. They cut them up and (kept) the wheat for themselves and its hay for the cattle.

av ile tuyna shemmu. av khamivale men-gella m-uydale bet-makhivale gu … gu-mulavate. b-natrivale ka-setva kat-yavviva ka-kenyane. sabab kenyane jarbiva khamivalun hal khamsha yarkhe balketze eshta yarkhe gu-deshta, ita anne eshta-yarkhe khine bet-peshiva gu-paga kat avivalun mikhulta kate.

That is called ‘hay.’ They preserved it and together with grass they put it in barns. They kept it for winter to give to the cattle. Because they tried to keep the cattle for five months, perhaps six months, on the plain, then the other six months they would stay in the stable, so they would have food for them.

alma aturaya gu-Urmi men-kam plasha raba shenne albatta men-kam plasha, bi alpo tmanyammo tlay kulle iva itet madenkha. yane kulle iva kha umra. iva umret, itet madenkha. men-alpo tmanyammo tlay kha, tlay tre Perkins o meshshiner kamaya bitayele nikha b-nikha meshshinere khine bitayena. bekhzayena kat etten krestyane tama, mshikhaye tama. mattuyena madrase ka-danne mshikhaye. u-nikha b-nikha almet diyyan bekrayele gu-dan-madrase, mantuyele, halt kharta o-plasha kamaya vayele ka-dan madrase parpusena.

The Assyrian people in Urmi before the war, indeed many years before the war, in 1830, were all Church of the East. That is they were all one church. They were the church of, the Church of the East. (Starting) from 1831 or 32, Perkins, the first missionary, comes and gradually other missionaries come. They see that there are Christians there, Christians there. They establish schools for these Christians. Gradually our people (start) to study in the schools and they are successful, until later when the First World War takes place, they abolish the schools.

anne meshshinere men-dukane prishe bitayena. men-Fransa bitayena, men-EEnglandE bitayena, men-EAmerikaE bitayena, men Rusiyya bitayena, men Italya bitayena, men-ERome. kul kha kenyanu makruzele bi de … takhman-tet ganu bayye men-danne mshikhaye kane ka-gane.

The missionaries come from different places. They come from France, they come from England, they come from America, they come from Russia, they come from Italy, from Rome. Each one preaches to his flock, wishing to gain for themselves some of these Christians with his own particular beliefs.

tama kha prashta vila gu-alma shotaputa atureta kat men-snikuta giba kheshlun al-idate prishe, yane umrane vilun prishe men-udale. gu-da dana etva durasha bilet EkommunityE et-aturaye kha men-do-khina. durashe bush-raba jarubeva bi urkhet ktevta odivalun. etva arpa khamsha mghalyate. yane mghalta plateva gu-deshtet Urmi. tveta etva. atvate etva. ita vilun bedrasha, gu-danne mghaly-ate vilun men-udale bedrasha. bush raba anne durashe greshlun yane tila sneta vila bel udale. la shurilun maghghube udale. ayen balket kha sabab vila o khelet aturaye-khina bserre.

There a division took place in the people, in the Assyrian community, who according to need went over to different churches, that is the churches became different from one another. At that time there was an argument within the Assyrian community, between one another. They attempted to conduct their argument mainly through writing. There were four or five magazines. A magazine was published in the plain of Urmi. There was printing. There were fonts. So they argued, they argued with each other in those magazines. The more their argument continued, hatred developed among one another. They began not to like one another. Perhaps this was a cause for the fact that the strength of the Assyrians diminished.

ay vila kha men dan-sababet kat marzananet diyye an-meshshelmane khina shurilun bekhza kat-a mellat zabbunila, lela raba khelanta. kamta ki-zadiva menno ina adi khina shurilun la bezda menno. gu-zvanta zabantaze raba kar muttila kate. kha samet meshshelmane en iva men-katulikaye kha, bush-raba mendit katulikaye bezvaneva. kha sama men-meshshelmane kat iva men-amrikaye kha bush-raba men-umranet ivangalaye yan an-nashet kat iva men-presbetraye men-ivangalaye sabza bezvaneva, khette bezvaneva, kul-kha mendi bezvaneva. a sama akhchi lele bedvaka men do mendit bukerrukh. pakhletli raba. akhchi bili ayya maddenvala akh … bush-raba kar muttila kat khina o yessuret khuyada yessuret kat m-udale palkhiva ktile. khayyute shurila nikha nikha bekhrava.

This was one of the reasons that the Muslims around them began to see that this community was weak, was not very strong. Before they would fear it, but now they began not to fear it. They had an influence on them in commerce. If some of the Muslims were allied to the Catholics, they purchased mainly the goods of the Catholics. A group of Muslims who were allied with the Americans, they bought vegetables, they bought wheat, they bought everything mainly from the evangelical churches, or the people who were from among the Presbyterians or Evangelicals. But this section does not relate to what you asked. I beg your pardon. But I wanted to make this known, because it mainly had the effect that the bond of unity, the bond of working together was broken. Their life gradually began to deteriorate.

gu-mdita b-danet kat meshshinere etva nashet diyyan kat etvalun yulpana khachcha raba menne bitayeva l-EAmerikaE bekrayeva. bedyareva, hakkime vayeva, spayiva. yane ka-do metkha zuyze … sunkane palutuva b-do yulpane. etvalan madrashyate. gu-dan-madrashyate rabiyyet yan rabiyyatet etva ki-makriva.

In the town, in the period that there were missionaries, many of our people who had some education used to go to America to study. They would return and become doctors, they were well-off. That is during that period they were making money, their livelihood through their education. We had schools. In those schools male teachers and female teachers that were there used to teach.

gu shuka yane tanakh en dukkana oyava ka-kha zabanta, zvanta zabanta bush-raba parcha ki-zabniva, aturayet diyyan, yan khyuta k-odiva. gu-danne shulanet prezla raba lena viyye. etva nashet kat b-tarsiva tanuyre yan tarsiva margelyate, hajatte ka-bashalta ani bush raba meshshelmane pt-odivalun.

In the market, let’s say, if there was a shop for selling, buying and selling, they would mainly sell textiles, our Assyrians, or would make sewn work. There were not many in jobs involving iron. There were people who made ovens, cooking pots, tools for cooking, but these (jobs) were done by Muslims.

almet diyyan nashet diyyan bush-raba viyyena yan viyyena darziyye, khayyate, khyuta videna, yan viyyena rabiyye, yan viyyena parcha zabune. kha menyana raba sura viyyanile kat zubnele kese, zubnele sabza. ani hamzumen akhchi ant mdita. u-kha menyanaze raba sura viyyele kat viyyele viyyena zabune gupta, chay, kand. dukkana viyyele, kha dukkana surta, a shula viduna. raba khachcha nashe viyyanile kat-avilun Erestaurant, yane duk-tet makhalta. raba khachcha nashe viyyanile kat avilun duktet mashreta, yane Ehotels. lele viyyan raba, sab e dana gu-Urmi letva letva nashe aziva peshiva kha lele, tre lelavate kat oyava kha dukta.

Our community, our people were mainly either tailors, tailors, doing tailoring, or were teachers, or sold textiles. We had a very small number who sold wood or sold vegetables. I am talking about only those of the town. There was also a very small number who sold cheese, tea, sugar. They had a shop, a small shop, and they used to do this job. We had very few people who had a restaurant, that is a place for serving food. We had very few people who had a lodging place, that is hotels. We did not have many since at that time in Urmi there were not many people who went and stayed for a night or two nights, for there to be a need for there to be a place (to stay).

etva khakma dukkane ki-karivalun musafer khana ayen iva akhchi kha duktet kat ka-khakma saatte e atnabel yan pt-atyava e Ebus yan pt-atyava peshava al-bar khakma saatte t-azava, yan al-do-yumu khina pt-azava. o nasha bet-pashva gu-de musafer khana. yan men-kam EbusesE kat ativa etva yalenke, etva arabane ka but-dayya letva raba EhotelE-e. gu-danne musafer khane turseva otaghe raba gure. kulle nashe gashketva shavvi ganate dmikhena gu-kha-otagh, gora, bakhta, sava, sota.

There were a few places they called a travellers’ lodge. This was a place where for a few hours a car or a bus would come, it would come and remain until after a few hours it would leave, or until it left the next day. A person would stay in the travellers’ lodge. Before buses came out, there were carriages, there were coaches. On account of this there were not many hotels. In these travellers’ lodges they built very large rooms. You would see everybody (together, as many as) seventy people asleep in one room, husband, wife, an old man, an old woman.

ita ka-but-dayya nashet diyyan la mughghebbalun kat avivalun musafer khane sab la redyalun o pesla lakhma kneta. bush raba vilun gu parcha zabanta yan khachcha etvalan gu-shulanet dava. bush-raba huydaye iva gu-shulanet dava. u-iva rabiyye. u khakma menne etvalun dukkanane yan darziyye. lakhme b-da mendi beknayuva, o almet gu-mdita. almet matvate ay kessattu preshtela.

For this reason our people did not want to have a travellers’ lodge because they did not like this way of earning a living. They were mainly in (the trade) of selling textiles, or we had a few in the gold business. Mostly (it was) the Jews (who) were in the gold business. They (the Assyrians) were teachers, some of them had shops, or (they were) tailors. They earned their living in this way, (that is) the people in the town. The account of the people of the villages is different.

mditet Urmi lela raba gurta. en hamzumevakh bas de dana yane atike an-shennet kamta mditet Urmi lela gurta. en bayyet b-akla azet men-kha-gibo al-do-gibo khina balket maset gu gu-esri dakike palget saat matet al-do-gibo khina, em zulet doketle gu-Urmi, mditet Urmi.

The town of Urmi is not very big. If we are talking about that time, that is in earlier years, the town of Urmi is not big. If you want to go by foot from one side of it to the other side, perhaps you could reach the other side in twenty minutes or half an hour, whatever route you take in Urmi, the town of the Urmi.

ina aturayet diyyan bush-raba viyyena gu gu-garbiyyet Urmi u-kha sama sura viyyena gu lap o-gibet madenkha kat berrekhshela la-matvate yane o-samet kat e- urkha e-jadet kat berrekhshela la-matvatet …. tre naravate ina al-gibet madenkhet mditet Urmi. al-dan naravate etten raba matvate.

Our Assyrians were mainly in the northern part of Urmi, and a small number were right on the east side, which leads to the villages, that is the part, the way, the road that leads to the villages. Two rivers are on the east side of the town of Urmi. On those rivers there are many villages.

e urkhet berrekhsheva l-a-gibet madenkha l-a-gibet Torez u-l-a-gibet dan matvate kha samet nasheze aturaye etvalan tama, sab bush kurbeva al-dan musafer khanet ana hamzumen base. sab musafer khana tama kurbeva bi yelenka yan bi arabana yan bi Ebuses, t-ativa kurba tama. ita khezmaneze al-dan gibane shkileva batvate.

The road that leads to the east side, towards Tabriz and towards those villages— we had some Assyrian people there, because they were closer to the travellers’ lodges that I am talking about, because a travellers’ lodge was close there and they (the villagers) would come close by there with a carriage, with a coach or with buses. So their relatives bought houses in those areas.

ina o-sama khina iva bush raba al garbiyyet mditet Urmi bekhkhaya. ayen iva bush shaperta yane duktet maret davelteva. an-nashet bush ellayet Urmi tama ki-khayyiva. kharta o sama khina kat maren hamzumeven base madenkha nikha b-nikha avze prekle. yane kulle kvechlun al-samet garbiyya. bushayutet aturaye kha dukta ki-khayyiva.

But the other group was living mainly on the northern side of the town of Urmi. This was more beautiful, that is it was the area of rich people. The upper class people of Urmi used to live there. Later, the other group, about whom I am talking, in the east, gradually stopped (living there), that is they moved to the northern area. The majority of Assyrians used to live in one place.

batvate har akh kulle batvatet kat … gu-Urmi shurilun matruse bi lebne yane karpech bshelta. batvate iva b-karpech bshelta. darate iva gure. etvalun hammam. e dana hala anne hammamet yurupnaye leva tiyye. hammam etvalun makh meshshelmane, ina sabab aturaye men-meshshinere lipeva bete iva bush shapire men-batvatet … men-batvatet meshshelmane. etvalun kha-hammam raba shaperta al-do rishet darta muttova. up en iva makh det khine, meshshelmane, ina iva raba bush shaperta. men-sabab lipeva dakh-merri, lipeva men-meshshinere.

Their houses, like all the houses in Urmi, began to be built with bricks, that is baked brick. The houses were (built) with baked brick. Their courtyards were big. They had a bathroom. At that time the European type of bathrooms had not yet come (to Urmi). They had a bathroom like (that of) the Muslims. But since the Assyrians had learnt from the missionaries, their houses were more beautiful than the houses of the Muslims. They had a very beautiful bathroom, which they put on the other side of the courtyard. Although it was like that of the others, the Muslims, it was much more beautiful, since they had learnt, as I said, they had learnt from the missionaries.

bush batvate shapireva. etvalun otaghet dmakhyate. etvalun bukhariyye ka-setva, tre bukhariyye, en bete gureva tre bukhariyye. kese b-jammiva. etvalun ambar, kha ambar ka-kese. kese men-mata bet-mayyivalun. tluvve men-mata bet-mayyiva. sab-gu-mata kulle anne nashet bekhkhayeva gu-mdita yan gu-mata etvalun karmane yan etvalun khezmane. goze, keshmishe, khertmane, kul kha-mendi bet-mayyiva gu-mdita. u-bet-khayyiva raba ellaye. lveshte k-oyava raba shaperta. yale gu-madrase kat iva bekra k-aviva raba zerrak yane an-kamaye tanakh ka-emma echchi tmanya echchi khamsha gu do kyula kamaya iva aturaye gu-mdita.

Their houses were more beautiful. They had bedrooms. They had stoves for winter, two stoves, if their house was big, two stoves. They would gather wood. They had a storeroom, a storeroom for wood. They would bring wood from the village. They would bring hanging preserved grapes from the village. (This was) because in the village—all the people who lived in the town, either had orchards in the village or had relatives there. They brought to the town walnuts, raisins, chickpeas, everything. They used to live as high-class people. Their clothing was very beautiful. Their children who were studying in the schools were very intelligent, that is the Assyrians in the town were the foremost (members of the population), let’s say ninety-eight or ninetyfive out of a hundred, the first level.