Prof. Richard Hovannisian to Speak on “The Armenians of Gesaria”

FRESNO — Dr. Richard G. Hovannisian of UCLA will speak on “The Armenians of Gesaria” (From Evkere and Talas to Mount Arkeos, Chomakhlu, and Evereg) at 7:30 PM on Friday, April 25, 2014, in the Industrial Technology Building, Room 101 Auditorium, on the Fresno State campus (corner of Barstow and Campus Drive).

The presentation is part of the Spring Lecture Series of the Armenian Studies Program and is co-sponsored by the Armenian Students Organization as part of the activities commemorating the 99th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The Leon S. Peters Foundation has supported the Lecture Series for the 2013-2014 academic year.

By tradition, the Armenian presence in Cappadocia and Gesaria/Kesaria dates back to the times of Tigran the Great and Gregory the Illuminator. Down through the centuries Armenian communities in the area grew in number and in size.

Professor Hovannisian has visited Gesaria (now Kayseri) several times and will give a short overview of the region’s Armenian history and the significant roles played by Armenians, both in urban and rural Gesaria

Dr. Richard G. Hovannisian is past holder of the UCLA Armenian Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian History and Distinguished Chancellor’s Fellow at Chapman University, Orange County.

Hovannisian is the author of Armenia on the Road to Independence, the four-volume history The Republic of Armenia, and has edited and contributed to more than twenty-five books including The Armenian Genocide in Perspective; The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times; Remembrance and Denial; Looking Backward, Moving Forward; and The Armenian Genocide: Cultural and Ethical Legacies.

Copies of Armenian Gesaria as well as many other titles from the “Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces” series will be available for purchase and signing by Prof. Hovannisian.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Free parking, no permit necessary, is available in Lots P23, P24, or P20, adjacent to the Industrial Arts building.

For more information on the lecture please contact the Armenian Studies Program at 278-2669.