Armenian Appreciation Day

Armenians whose language is Armenian, plural Hayq or Hayk, usually live in Northeastern Turkey and the Republic of Armenia. More than three million Armenians still live in Turkey. Other large numbers also live in Georgia, the Caucasus and the Middle East. Until the late 1980s, there was a large number of people who lived in Azerbaijan. Due to ethnic violence and conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, most Armenians got out of the country. Apart from the sizable population in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, very few Armenians remain in Azerbaijan. Many Armenians have moved to Europe and North America.

The Armenians are descendants of the Indo-Europeans. The ancient Greek historians Herodotus and Eudoxus of Rhodes sought out the kingdoms of the Armenians and the Phrygians (who had come to Asia Minor from Thrace and with the ancient peoples) over which the Phrygians had imposed their rule, their language and values. The Persians called it Armina and Armenioi was what the Greeks called it. Hayq was name that Armenians call themselves and Hayastan was name of their country. Moreover, Hayk was a folk hero who they looked back to honor.

Ancient Armenian culture is represented in architecture, painting and sculpture. Periods of artistic activity are completely consistent with periods of national independence or semi-independence. After that, Armenian literature continued to develop sharply and saw a strong resurgence during the 19th century against Turkish and Russian domination. Armenian writers have done much to awaken the national consciousness of Armenians, who have grown increasingly impatient with foreign rule. The development of nationalism by some Armenians sparked massacres by the Turks and the confiscation of property by the Russians. During World War I, there was Armenian Genocide, which was considered as the largest disaster. In 1915, the Ottoman government, considering the Armenians a dangerous foreign element, decided to expel all Armenians east of Anatolia to Syria and Mesopotamia. It was estimated that the total number of Armenians killed along the way by the army and police or being hunger and disease, was from 600,000 to 1,500,000. The Turkish government denies describing these events as genocide, arguing that although some atrocities have taken place, there is no policy of extermination.