Mousa Ler Monument Ground-Breaking at Ararat Cemetery

Careen Derkalousdian
Staff Writer

On Saturday, April 29, 2023, the Armenian community of Fresno gathered at the Massis Ararat Cemetery to witness the groundbreaking of the Mousa Ler [mountain] monument. The event was planned by the Mousa Ler Association of Fresno and consisted of several guest speakers and a religious service. A reception took place after the groundbreaking at First Armenian Presbyterian Church.

The monument is being constructed in honor of the eighteen martyrs who gave their lives in the 1915 defense of Mousa Ler from the Ottoman Turks during the Armenian Genocide. The battle at Mousa Ler was a significant effort of resistance as 600 Armenian fighters and 4,000 civilians were able to fend off 19,000 Turkish troops. The leaders of the resistance were Movses Derkalousdian, Reverend Dikran Antreassian, Yesayi Yakhubian, Nerses Kazandjian, and Yesayi Aprahamian. Although small in numbers, the villagers of Mousa Ler successfully resisted the Ottoman Turks for 53 days. They were eventually rescued in 1915 by the French navy and delivered to safety at Port Said in Egypt.

In 1918, the province came under French control, and the Armenian villagers returned to the Mousa Ler region. However, in 1939, the province was given to the Republic of Turkey, and most of the villagers fled to Anjar, Lebanon. Anjar is a small town that is today divided into six districts commemorating each of the villages of Mousa Ler.

The groundbreaking event began with opening remarks by Nshan Derkalousdian, Chairman of the Mousa Ler Association, who highlighted the significance of the monument and expressed his gratitude to the individuals who made its construction a reality. He then invited the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia, Berj Apkarian, who shared his pride in the unity and hard work of the Armenian community. The chairman of the Ararat Armenian Cemetery Association, Dr. Mark Topoozian, also expressed his appreciation. “Mousa Ler became a symbol of the Armenian will to survive, and this monument will definitely attest to this,” said Dr. Topoozian.

Before the groundbreaking, a religious service was held by the local clergy, with participation of Senior Pastor Nerses Balabanian, Very Rev. Father Ashod Khachadourian, and Rev. Father Yesai Bedros. A highlight of the service was the reading of a passage from Chapter 8 of the book of Romans: “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Fr. Khachadourian then blessed the foundation of the monument. The clergy and members of the Mousa Ler Association gathered to bury the remains of one of the martyrs under the foundation before saying a prayer.

“It’s been a dream of all of ours for years and years, and it’s finally coming true,” said Ara Karkazian, treasurer of the Mousa Ler Association. He shared with the audience that his father was one of the men who built the original monument in Mousa Ler and that his dream is finally being realized. He expressed how Armenians build wherever they go and improve their surroundings. Chairman Derkalousdian gave concluding remarks.

The monument is located at the Massis Ararat Cemetery in Fresno near the monument dedicated to Soghomon Tehlirian. A model of the structure and plans were created by architect Garbis Kataroian and structural engineer George Kiledjian. The structure is an exact replica of the monument built in Mousa Ler in 1932. Half of the structure represents an altar with two crosses and the other half depicts a ship representing the French fleet that rescued the villagers and delivered them to safety in Egypt. The original structure built in Mousa Ler was later destroyed by Turkish civilians.

Building this monument is not only a legacy to future generations, but it also represents the victory of Armenians over repression and their unwavering perseverance. The monument is a testament to the fact that Armenians build wherever they go and that God always delivers the Armenians from the hands of their enemies.