We are the Habousetzies

Threshing grain in Habousi EnlargeThreshing grain in Habousi
Habousi was once a thriving, tightly-knit Armenian village in eastern Turkey. Destroyed during the Genocide of 1915, the survivors scattered throughout the world. Many settled in New England. We are their descendants. This website is our collective memory.

Map of Habousi village EnlargeVillage map
Habousi was an agricultural town with nearly 400 households and 3000 inhabitants. All were killed, forcibly removed, or fled as Ottoman Turkey conducted the twentieth century's first campaign of racial extermination against its Armenian citizens. Once destroyed, the Turkish government purged all references to Habousi, and its existence was officially forgotten.

In 1966, the Turkish government began construction of Keban Dam on the Euphrates River. When completed in 1974, the dam created a lake with depths over 600 feet and a surface area of 261 miles. The remnants of Habousi are forever submerged under its waters.

This is where the village once stood:
Waters of Keban Dam

James Kachadorian photo