Hrant Dink Foundation documents and preserves the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Turkey’s diverse communities and works to make this heritage visible. As part of these efforts, since 2022, the Foundation has been carrying out a long-term project to preserve, organize and digitize the archives of Armenian foundations in Istanbul.

Armenian foundations have historically served not only as religious or educational institutions, but also as memory spaces that ensure the cultural continuity of their communities. Their archives contain rich materials that offer valuable insights into the social, economic, and cultural life of Istanbul during both the Ottoman and Republican periods.

The project involves the physical preservation and organization of archival documents, the digitization and cataloguing of materials, and the sustainable storage of these collections. It also includes the creation of a digital archive designed to support researchers and contribute to collective memory studies.

Through this work, the educational and cultural heritage of Istanbul’s Armenian community is made more visible, while enabling further research, documentation, and memory-focused initiatives.

We express our gratitude to the Gerda Henkel Foundation for making this project possible, to SALT for their equipment support during the digitization process, and to all volunteers who contributed to this effort.