The
Sarrafian Brothers - >
The profile in French
Born
in a family of Armenian Protestants, the three Sarrafian brothers,
Abraham born in 1873, Boghos born in 1876 and Samuel born in 1884,
came from Dikranagered.
After being pupils in the Armenian national primary school, Abraham
and Boghos Sarrafian pursued their junior high school studies at
the American High School at Mardin in Turkey. At the age of fourteen,
Abraham studied science, Arabic and English and obtained his diploma
at the end of four years. As for Boghos, he pursued his junior high
studies in English and Arabic.
While still only eighteen years old, Abraham Sarrafian was sent
to teach at the American School at Mediet. One year later he returned
to his home town of Dikranagered to open a photographic laboratory
there together with his brother Boghos, also spending a year in
Berlin to gain more advanced experience.
In their enthusiasm for taking photographs, in 1894 the two brothers
undertook an eight-month expedition in Mesopotamia, going as far
as Mosul, where they took shots of the city’s ancient ruins. The
vantage points chosen during their travels reflect their ability
to adapt themselves to the discoveries made where they found themselves.
Following the advice of their father, on their return they opened
a shop selling antiques. The father Sarrafian, a banker by profession,
was also a carpet merchant and was well-known as an antiquarian
and numismatist.
Three months after their return to Dikranagered there occurred the
tragic events of 1895 which were to mark the course of their respective
lives. Saved in extremis during the massacres and pogroms, in 1897
the Sarrafian brothers decided to leave their country. They reached
Beirut with the intention of carrying on to Europe. As they knew
Arabic very well, certain Lebanese and Protestant missionaries urged
Abraham and Boghos to settle in Beirut and bring their families.
In 1896, Abraham Sarrafian had married Yeranig Garabedian, daughter
of the head of the Armenian Episcopal Church in Dikranagered, educated
first in the English School of Jaffa and then at the school in Mardin.
The youngest brother, Samuel, was thus enabled to enter the American
University and obtain a diploma in Business Administration.
Thanks to their honesty, intelligence and ability and the energy
they put into their work, they enjoyed considerable success. In
the early twentieth century, photography was an art which allowed
reality at last to be shown without the changes and whims to be
revealed in paintings. Crisscrossing the Near and the Middle East,
they took photographs of various archeological sites and famous
monuments in Lebanon and Syria and little by little made themselves
known in the region. In 1895 they set up their studio in the Bab
Idriss sector of Beirut, a studio which remained active long after
the decease of the Sarrafian brothers, in fact up to 1975, the beginning
of the Lebanese War.
As founders of the company Sarrafian Brothers, their main activity
was photography and production of postcards. They soon enlarged
their business, opening new branches in towns in Syria and even
in Palestine. The fame of their establishments and of their work
went from strength to strength down the years. In this way the Sarrafian
brothers rapidly became known as the main publishers of postcards
in the Near East, and after becoming official photographer of the
Syrian Protestant College (future American University of Beirut),
Abraham Sarrafian in 1925 won the first prize of photography at
Dhour es-Shweir. Samuel Sarrafian was charged in the company with
the sale of the postcards and objects of art.
In its unceasing efforts to understand and reveal the traditional
Lebanese culture and way of life, the company Sarrafian Bros. has
with great fidelity photographed and passed on the traditions of
the villages with their customs and costumes. Its output of postcards
has been immense and these photographs are now a source of reference
for historians and anthropologies wishing to study the period.
The First World War brought down on Lebanon a whole series of disasters;
first of all there was the blockade imposed by the Ottoman authorities,
which reduced the population by a third, due to famine, the plague
and an invasion of locusts. During this time the Armenians were
victims of harsh persecutions, a large number of them being sent
out into the deserts of Deir ez-Zor, Madn and Kirkuk to be tortured
and massacred there. The Sarrafian brothers set an example of action
and devotion in bringing help not only to their compatriots but
also to other victims of this time of drama marking the history
of the region.
Abraham Sarrafian became the father of five children, two boys Tigran
and Levan, and three daughters Araxie, Armine and Any. He was episcopal
councilor and first representative of the Evangelical community.
From 1920, with the large-scale arrival in Beirut of Armenians who
could speak only Turkish, the sermons previously delivered in Turkish
were henceforth given in Armenian thanks to the efforts of Abraham
Sarrafian. As Beirut was a major port, many survivors from the deserts
arrived in a state of destitution, half-naked, hungry and exhausted.
So Abraham Sarrafian put aside his work and his family affairs in
order to come wholeheartedly to the aid of his compatriots. The
more his people suffered, the more he showed his sympathy for them,
laboring and devoting himself. He did much to help the thousands
of individuals pouring in from Cilicia and Syria especially into
Beirut and he was helped in this by other open-hearted Armenians
such as Doctor Melkonian. His position as President of the National
Union, of the General Union of Armenian Charities and of the Administrative
Council of the Aintab Orphanage, as well as of Administrator of
the Kaledjian Orphanage enabled him do mor. With his wise advice
he also helped the Secours du Proche-Orient and by his good relations
with the members of the government he was able to achieve much.
Boghos Sarafian married Anna Tufekjian, became father of a daughter
Toukhie and of two sons, George and Yervant and was an eminent nationalist.
Thanks to his friendships and contacts with the press, he was able
to send large quantities of wheat and flour to the Armenian monastery
of Bzommar, where the desperate monks sheltered many refugees, who
were thus saved from certain death. Most notably, he came to the
aid of three who were condemned to death, Osken Bedrossian and two
Muslim Arabs, who had fled from having to do military service. They
were freed thanks to the intervention of Boghos Sarrafian. His wife
Anne also was a true Armenian patriot, taking part alongside her
husband in his national activity.
Like his two brothers, Samuel Sarrafian proved to be a person free
from personal interest, tirelessly devoted to his motherland. He
married Zabel Agemian, having a son Karnig and three daughters Satenig,
Anahid and Sona. Among other patriotic activities, Samuel Sarrafian
helped Catholicos Sahag to set up the Holy See of Cilicia in Antelias.
With this in view, Samuel with the help of his brothers sought free
possession of some land belonging to Secours du Proche-Orient at
Antelias. Their efforts were rewarded and Antelias is now the seat
of the Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia.
Abraham Sarrafian died of a heart attack on 16th June, 1926 when
he was 56 years old. A number of Armenian and other local publications
paid him tribute. The Headmaster of Broumana High School, Mr. M.N.
Fox, wrote: “... persona grata among men of different culture. This
deeply religious man preached in both English and Armenian. As an
antiquarian he possessed articles of great value, knowing the history
of every one and loving to bring his friends to examine the precious
stones, the National Museum or even the archeological sites. As
a philanthropist he helped his people beyond his means, sharing
their anguish and their suffering.” Boghos Sarrafian died on 11th
August,1934 and was buried with great pomp. Samuel Sarrafian died
in Beirut in 1941, As well as their contribution in the field of
art, the brothers Abraham, Boghos and Samuel Sarrafian played a
major role within the Armenian community in Lebanon, helping many
Armenians during the course of the First World War.
The shots that the Sarrafian brothers took over a more than thirty
years remain still a unique record of Beirut, of its history and
of its population. But the activity of the Sarrafian brothers was
not limited to Lebanon. They crisscrossed the Near and Middle East.
Today their descendants are scattered around the world, but in Lebanon,
while we find here Buhairys, Kurbans, Tahans, Faddouls, Nouns, Papazians,
Nehmehs, Tcheblakians, Ogden-Smiths and Tabets, there are no more
Sarrafians among the rising generations!
Mont Liban - Mount Lebanon, Vallée d'Ain Sofar - Ain Sofar
Valley
Mont Liban - Mount Lebanon, Aley Boulevard
Mont Liban - Mount Lebanon, Aley La Gare
Baking in Lebanon - Préparation du Pain
Extract
of the Book "Sarrafian - Liban 1900 - 1930"
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