BAYSIDE, N.Y. — When we think of Dikranagerd the first name that comes to mind is Tigranes the Great who ruled as King of Armenia c.95 to c.56 BCE. King Tigranes’ (Dikran) empire stretched from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. He built his capital of Dikranagerd (Tigranocerta) which means built by Dikran, east of what is today the city of Diyarbakir. Prior to 1915, Armenians called this city Dikranagerd.
The Aradzani Dance Group will have a performance of songs and dances from the pre-1915 region of Dikranagerd on April 30, at 7:30 p.m. at the Armenian Church of The Holy Martyrs’ Kalustyan Hall, 209-15 Horace Harding Expressway. Musical accompaniment by the Tarpinian Ensemble with vocalists Yeretsgin Karine Malkhasyan and Lisa Tarpinian with John Tarpinian on Ud, Jerry Tarpinian on Dumbeg, Souren Baronian on clarinet and John Malool on Def and Dumbeg. Most of the songs and dances that will be presented are endangered.
In 1915 the Villayet of Diyarbakir or the region of Dikranagerd as Armenians call it was composed of the following Sanjaks or districts and their subregions or Kazas:
1) Sanjak of Diyarbakir: Diarbekir (Amid), Severek (Sev Averag), Direk, Beshiri (Chernig), Slivan (Nprgerd), Lije, Veran-Shehir
2) Sanjak of Arghana-Maden: Palu (Palahovid), Chermik (Chermoug), Arghana-Maden (Arghni)
3) Sanjak of Mardin: Nisibin (Mtspin), Mardin (Mardepert), Jezire (Mezabde), Midyat, Savur.
