Çemişgezek

Çemişgezek (Armenian: Չմշկածագ Čmškacag), Ottoman Turkish: چمشکزک‎, Kurdish: (Melkişî) is a small Turkish city and its surrounding district in Tunceli Province of Turkey. The city has a population of 2,819, while whole district has a population of 7,929. The mayor is Ahmet Şadan Ersoy (CHP).

Çemişgezek owes its name (in Armenian Չմշկածագ = ուր որ Չմշկիգը ծագեցաւ, where Tzimiskes was born) to the Armenian general of the Byzantine forces John Tzimiskes, who defeated the Arabs in Mesopotamia, returned to Constantinople and usurped the imperial throne, reigning as emperor from December 11, 969 to January 10, 976.

Surrounding villages

For a list of the Armenian villages in the area, see here :Tchimichgadzak.

History

Before 1915, Çemişgezek had a large Armenian population, who were deported and murdered by order of the Turkish government.

File:Boghos Zenneyan.jpg

Boghos Zenneyan, director of Cemisgezek Armenian school, executed during the 1915 Genocide