Alex Krikorian’s Hishadag Everek-Feneseyi (Memory of Everek-Fenese) covers a wide timespan and various topics. This book is an invaluable source on the history of modern day Develi district of Kayseri. The thousand-page volume was published in Paris in 1963, by the Rupinian-Mesrobyan Compatriot Union founded by Everek and Fenese natives in the diaspora. We used this source to understand the 19th century schools in Everek and Fenese. The photographs used in this article are also taken from the same book.
In Everek, up until the 1840’s teachers used to give classes in small schools and rooms in the church premises. In 1864 the idea of having a school building was already developed. For the construction of the building, the Tbrotsaser Association raises 30 thousand kurush. In 1870, the Everek Armenian craftsmen in Istanbul’s Chatal Han, send a young teacher with the name of Vramshabuh, from Istanbul to Everek. Although Vramshabuh’s task period remained short, it was a turning point in the education history of Everek.
In the 1872-1873 educational year, one boys’ and one girls’, two schools were in operation in Everek, with total of 300 students. The annual budget of 540 kurush was being financed by the Tbrotsaser Association. A native of Everek, Parsegh Vartukyan, who had went abroad for his education, comes back to his hometown and starts teaching. A graduate from the Oxford University, Vartukyan was advocating modern education, but the elite in Everek was conservative. This disagreement was so deep that was shaking Everek in whole, which had not so fortunate ending for the education history of Everek. After two years Vartukyan leaves Everek, and elite’s candidate Garabet Lachikian becomes the principle of the school.
To improve the deteriorated condition of the schools under Garabet Lachikian, Everek Armenians call upon Mergeryos Atamyan to come from Talas in 1879. After Atamyan, Sarkis Melegyan arrives in Everek, his hometime. Melegyan was going to stay in Everek, taking up several positions for 35 years, by that bringing stability to the Everek educational life.
By early 1880’s, when education was undergoing modernization, Chatal Han’s Everek Armenian craftsmen appeal the Istanbul Armenian Patriarchate for a teacher to be sent to Everek. With the advice of the Patriarchate, Yervant Yergatyan Efendi is sent to Everek in 1883.
Everek Armenians construct the Surp Toros Church of Everek between 1894 and 1897 (Fatih Mosque today). After one year a building in front of the church is allocated for the schools. Garabet Kalaydjyan becomes the principle of the schools in 1898. Garabet Hodja takes upon uniting students coming from different classes under one roof.
Although the higher income families are not very welcoming to this approach, Garabet Hodja is a person of character and is able to overcome the challenges. In 1901, in the Everek schools 290 boys and 150 girls were enrolled. With 9 teachers, the annual budget was 1000 kurush, of which 550 was financed by Mesropyan Association founded by Everek Armenians living in Istanbul, the remaining being financed locally. Because of their connection with the Mesropyan Association, the schools in Everek were collectively called the Mesropyan School of Everek.
Other than the Mesropyan, an Armenian Protestant girls’ school also operated in Everek, with 60 students.
In Fenese, in 1885, a building was built next to the Surp Hagop Chapel to serve as a kindergarten. Facing the Surp Toros Church of Fenese, the institution later on grew and united with the boys’ and girls’ schools of Fenese. This united institution was supported by the Rupinian Association of Fenese Armenians in Istanbul. In 1901, the Rupinian School, as it became to be known, had 7 teachers, 290 boy students and 130 girl students. The 1000 kurush budget’s financing was split by half between the Fenese Surp Toros Church and the Rupinian Association.
Overall, there were 61 Armenian and 48 Greek schools in Kayseri.
