Ara Sarafian, London-based director of the Gomidas Institute, will speak on the newly published "Armenians in Ottoman Turkey, 1914: A Geographic and Demographic Gazetteer" at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018, in the Alice Peters Auditorium (Room 191) at the University Business Center.

The presentation is co-sponsored by the Armenian Film Foundation and is part of the Fall Lecture Series of the Armenian Studies Program.

"Armenians in Ottoman Turkey, 1914," written by Dr. Sarkis Karayan, is a monumental, 674-page work, which painstakingly lists over 4,000 Armenian inhabited towns and villages in modern Turkey prior to the destruction of 1915. His presentation of data and analysis is meticulous and allows readers to see the full extent of the Armenian presence in these lands. Karayan identifies each location by its old and new names, maps and geographical coordinates, population figures, and other vital references. His work puts Armenians back onto the map of Turkey.

This is the first English language book dealing with the demographic profile of Ottoman Armenians on such a massive scale. It is the result of several decades of probing Armenian, Turkish, German and French books, maps and archival sources.

Sarafian will discuss the significance of this work and why it is a milestone in serious scholarship on the Ottoman Empire. It is also an invaluable resource for Armenians, Turks, and Kurds wishing to know more about their ancestral lands.

"Armenians in Ottoman Turkey, 1914" will be on sale at the lecture. The event is free and open to the public. Parking is available in lots P6 and P5, near the University Business Center. A free parking code can be obtained by contacting the Armenian Studies Program.

For more information, contact the Armenian Studies Program at 559.278.2669, visit the website at www.fresnostate.edu/armenianstudies or visit the Armenian Studies Facebook page.