Jerusalem square named after Armenian Genocide survivor

PanARMENIAN.Net - Municipal authorities in Jerusalem have named a city square in honor of Armenian photographer Elia (Yeghia) Kahvedjian. The announcement was shared on X by Gegham Balyan, a member of the Armenian community in Jerusalem.

A plaque at the site reads: “Elia Kahvedjian Square – Armenian Genocide survivor, lover of Jerusalem.”

Born in Urfa, Kahvedjian witnessed the Armenian resistance against the Turkish army in 1915 at the age of five, following news of mass killings. His father and one brother were killed. Along with other Armenian survivors, including women and children, he was forced to cross the Deir ez-Zor desert. In an effort to save him, his mother entrusted him to a Kurdish stranger, who later sold him for two gold coins to a blacksmith.

After World War I, Kahvedjian ended up in an orphanage run by the American Near East Relief Committee in Nazareth. There, an Armenian staff member introduced him to photography, which became his lifelong passion. Upon leaving the orphanage, he settled in Jerusalem and established his own photo studio.

His photographic legacy lives on through his grandson, who continues to operate “Elia Photo Service” in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Israel has not officially recognized the Armenian Genocide to date.