Players of the Araks football club

In 1906, at one of the tournaments in Constantinople, the first Armenian football club, Baltaliman, defeated the Turkish club Galatasaray 5:0. It was the first match in history between Armenian and Turkish football teams. In 1908 Baltaliman was reorganised and split into two clubs, Araks and Tork.

The photograph shows the players of the Araks club. Thirteen men stand and sit; most wear sports shirts and stockings, two are in suits. The man seated in the centre holds a ball. The banner hanging behind them reads “ARAKS F. CLUB 1908” in Armenian.