Chapter  7

 

THE POPULATION OF PERKENIK

 

(Armenian Manuscript Pages 24 and 25)

 

 

 

[This is an Abridged Translation of the Chapter's Contents  J.T. ]

 

 

         We have no reliable info on the size of the original settlement when it arrived from Greater Armenia in 1021.[1]

 

         The earliest document is an inscription dating back to 1237 A.D (It was uncovered from the foundation walls of St. Sarkis Church when the church was being rebuilt in 1837).  It states that prior to that year there were two churches in Perkenik:

 

                  1. Church of the Mother of God

                  2. Church of St. Sarkis

 

         We can surmise that the population had to be considerable to require the building of two churches.

 

         An unknown part of the populace was massacred in 1403 when the barbaric hordes from the east under Leng Timur pillaged the entire Sebastia region .

 

         Various sources quote different estimates in 1700-10, 1786, 1806, 1842, 1843, 1858, 1864, 1876, 1886, 1893 ranging from 100 to 400 houses, "all Armenian Catholic"  (roughly 100 to 4000 individuals).  Bishop Nazlian says that in 1914 Perkenik had nearly 5000 people.