Armenian men of Karin around a table, 1912

The photograph was taken in 1912. It shows Armenian men of Karin (Erzurum), 9 in all, gathered around a small table with wine bottles and food. The man standing on the left plays a string instrument. The men wear European suits, some of them overcoats and hats.

The Armenians of Karin had a developed urban life, education, crafts, music and an intellectual milieu. A few years later the Armenian community of the city was destroyed in the genocide. The photograph remains as a memory of that life and of these people.