The Red Rugs of Tarsus: A Woman's Record of the Armenian Massacre of 1909

by Helen Davenport Gibbons, Paul Stenhouse (Introduction)

With an introduction by Paul Stenhouse MSC, editor of Annals Australia. Around 1915, 1.5 million Armenian Christians were killed, with many more deported, by the Ottoman Empire. This slaughter has become known as the 'Armenian Genocide'. Earlier, in 1909, Helen Davenport Gibbons, a lecturer, found herself in Tarsus at the invitation of the President of the St Paul's Institute. It was from here, in a series of letters which comprise this volume, that she made known to many the facts of the massacres she witnessed in Tarsus and Adana. It was these which led ultimately to the genocide of 1915. First published in 1917, this first-hand account, highlights one of the major atrocities of our modern age. With a new introduction and annotations, this volume is an essential reading for anyone who believes in learning from history.

130 pages, Paperback

First published June 4, 2009

Reviews

[Hripsime Melkumyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read! I just finished Diana Abgar's section "Betrayed Armenia". The sad part is that 100+ years later Armenians are going through the same hell, fighting for survival and dealing with the same bloodthirsty monster. Every part was relatable, the moral poverty, the silence and the indifference of great powers:

"... and the civilized world does not care, for Armenian Massacres come and go, and the civilized world is getting used to them." Diana Abgar

[Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another important source on Armenian genocide.