Dersim Travelogue

The book of ethnographer Antranik (Yeritsyan), who traveled throughout Dersim in 1888 and 1895, published in Armenian in Tbilisi in 1900, is presented to the reader in a renewed edition after its first Turkish translation in 2012.

Antranik, who reveals the entire geography of Dersim, from its natural location to its climate, waters, vegetation, animals, birds, mines and thermal springs of the region, where a unique life has prevailed throughout its history, also details the Dersim life of one hundred and thirty years ago, village by village, number of households and population. It also provides statistics. The emotional world and struggle for life of the people of Dersim, who live in a harsh nature surrounded by steep mountains and dense forests, are presented through the mouths of folk historians and Seyyids, accompanied by the author's observations. The book, which contains important information about tribal life, inter-tribal relations, the Armenian Mirakyan tribe and the Kızılbaş, also bears witness to history with its last chapter, which includes the Dersim-Ottoman relationship, the attitude towards the central authority, and the military operations against Dersim in the 19th century and their consequences.

In addition to the author's notes, the book also includes explanations specially prepared for the Turkish edition, a comparative list of old and new names of settlements, and an alphabetical index.