17.04.2018

Findijag village is located in Marash province of Mountainous Cilicia. Fndijag Armenians are famous for the heroic resistance organized against the prevailing forces of the enemy and for escaping Adana massacres in 1909.

As early as in spring of 1915 a group of fighting Zeitun Armenians, who had rebelled against the genocidal policy of Young Turks, found shelter in Fndijag. The news from neighbouring towns about the mass massacres made Findijag Armenians organize self-defense. Soon they were joined by the Armenians population of neighbouring Derekyoy and Keshifle villages (totally around 4000 Armenians). Military unit was established under the command of Vardevar Kehyan, Minas Golantchyan, Hovsep Zeituntsyan, Nazareth Kojoyan and others.

In mid-July the Turkish gendarme detachments met the grave resistance of Armenian population. A few days later a regular army consisting of 8000 Turks and Muslim mobs was drawn against Armenian forces (about 600 fighters, including women). On July 31 Turkish forces tried to initiate an offensive from south-east by cannonading Armenian positions, but soon retreated incurring considerable losses. On August 1 Turkish forces were replenished with new units and managed to break through the Armenian positions and enter the village. However, the self-devoted defenders fought until the very end of their lives. The fire from the cannonade destroyed the entire village. Those who survived were exiled to Mesopotamian deserts. Armenians incurred about 2100 losses, while Turks lost 2100 soldiers and a few thousand bashibazouks.