Salmast :: ARMENIAN LOCATIONS

11 Monuments

Iran (Country) / Western Atrpatakan (Province) / Salmast (District) / Salmast (City)

Location

Salmast City, once a district capital, now an administrative centre, is situated between the cities Khoy and Urmia, 42.6 km south-west of the former (by straight line) and 76 km north-west of the latter; at an altitude of 1,370 to 1,400 metres: “A city on the western shores of Urmia Lake, in a plain: it is at the border of Iranian Azerbaijan Province, and is a 3-day distance from Tabriz...,” also: “The district capital of Salmast is Diliman. ...[it] is situated almost in the centre of the district and is surrounded by more than 70 large and small villages.”

Intjitjian, p. 249.
Մելիք-Բաբախանեան Ա., Պարսկական մի քաղաքի նկարագիրը [A. Melik-Babakhanian, “The Description of a Persian City”], «Մշակ» [Mshak], no. 80. 3 May 1900, p. 2.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 483.

Other Names

Salmast City was formerly known as Dilman, Dilmaghan, and Dilmaqan: names which took their origin from Dil-maqan, meaning the heart of the place or district, a centre.

Hayrapetian, “Salmast,” Alik, no. 210, 21 September 1969, p. 5.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 483.

The city has also been mentioned as Dilima, Diliman, Telman, Tilman, Tiliman, and Tilmagan (in Persian the name Dilman is met in these two ways: Dilmoghan and Dilmogan).

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 483.

Another variant of the name was Town: “This place is sometimes called Salamast, and sometimes Dilman, but in everyday speech it is rather known as Shehr (simply Town).”

Ainsworth, p. 300.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 483.

During the reign of Reza Shah (1925-1941), the city was renamed Shahpoor (it is translated as king’s son), then Salmas which is the present-day official name of the settlement.

Hayrapetian, “Salmast,” Alik, no. 212, 23 September 1969, p. 5.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 483.

Administrative Status

Salmast City, the central settlement of the district of the same name, had primary importance due to its favourable geographical position, perhaps, from time immemorial, but at least from the starting ages of Van Kingdom (9th to 6th centuries BC). Therefore, for many centuries, the district governors have settled down just in this city: “... [in the city] is also the residence of the governor, and the whole is enclosed like a fort.”

Ainsworth, ibid. Also: “The district capital of Salmast is Diliman...” (Averois, “My Travel Memories,” p. 22). Also: “...[it] is considered the central city of Salmast” (Frangian, p. 73). Dilman was “Salmast’s centre” (Patrikian, “A Letter from Persia,” Horizon, no. 98, 7 May 1913, p. 4).
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 483.

The city has never lost its significance as a district capital and administrative centre, even when affected by wars or heavily damaged by earthquakes. Neither the 27 December 1779 earthquake which turned Tabriz City (135 km away) into a clod of earth, seismic waves reaching up to Van City (“...27 December, Friday, a strong earthquake occurred in Tabriz and the whole city was destroyed and a large number of people died ... the villages Gunayi, Tasu, Salmast, Khoy, Yormi, and our city of Van also felt some tremors, but by God’s grace no damage happened”); nor, especially, the 6 May 1930 earthquake, after which the whole city was reconstructed by a quite new plan, were able to discredit the administrative-economic importance of Salmast City.

Documents Relating to Armenian History, vol. 10, p. 146.
Hayrapetian, “Salmast,” Alik, no. 212, 23 September 1969, p. 5.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 483.

Historical Introduction

Since the name of the district was transferred to the administrative city, it is very difficult to distinguish between the district and the city in the references available particularly in the Armenian medieval written sources. In other words, when a historic event that took place in Salmast-Saghamast is remembered, it very often remains uncertain whether that is about the administrative city or the district.

Taking into account the aforementioned, we have summarized all the indefinite references in the narrative concerning the district.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 483.

It is known that in the 16th-17th centuries Salmast was almost deserted, and this was the result of the Turkish-Persian wars and especially the result of the forced deportation of Armenians by Shah Abbas. The city was underpopulated to such an extent that during the reign of Nadir Shah only the name from it was left. After that the city was walled and again became a district capital.

Frangian, p. 132.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 483.

Salmast City, almost emptied of its Armenian population, in the 19th century was more known as Dilman especially out of the Armenian circles. The city suffered its last heavy blow after the Russian-Persian war of 1826-1828: in the aftermath of the war the last few Armenians of the city abandoned it and thus the historical town Saghamast has actually been known as a town populated almost only by Turks since 1828.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 483.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the settlement was remembered for a number of special cases. One of them was mentioned in an information dating back to 20 February 1906: “On the day of Ashoura, when the mosque of Diliman was full with several thousands of Turks (male and female), suddenly, a few Turks rushed in and cried, “Run away, Armenians are attacking, run away!” The prayers rushed to flee, many took weapons and went out but they saw that they were badly deceived. The government immediately arrested the trouble-makers and punished them.”

Վանօ, Սալմաստից [Vano, “From Salmast”], «Արշալոյս» [Arshaluys], no. 58, 16 March 1906, p. 4.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 484.

A correspondence of 7 January 1909 reads the following: “... Izetoullah-Salar bombed Dilman City twice but was defeated and retreated to Shekereazi Village, leaving a great number of killed and wounded soldiers in the battlefield. Part of his army ran away.”
On 23 May of the same year, “after the ferocious battle between the local constitutionalists, the Turkish regular army of seven thousand, and the ashiret Kurds, the central city of Salmast, Dilman, was captured by the Turkish army.”
Two days later there was a new information: “The unexpected gunfire that took place this night cast terror upon the people of Salmast.
“The morning revealed the following: usually, the gates of the walled city of Dilman (the district capital of Salmast) are closed at night under the supervision of the Persian guards and opened only for people knowing the “night password.” That sinister night, over 100 Turkish askeri [regular soldiers], who had camped in the citadel of Dilman, offered not to close the gates: as if they were waiting for new soldiers to come. The guards refused... At that moment, the shahbandar (the Turkish vice-consul who... had played a scheming role in the districts of Salmast and Khoy) wanted to enter the gates but he was stopped and told about that [the password] ... The shahbandar was the first to order the askeri to shoot. After the first shooting immediately a fighting started which resulted in 6 killed, 7 wounded, about 30 disarmed (one was found hiding in an underground passage) askeri, while only 3 Persian mujahideen [mujahid—one engaged in struggle] were killed. ... at dawn, Sayid-ul-Mamalik, the judge, disappeared from the citadel together with all his men. In fact, Salmast is in the hands of the Turks.
“Though, the shahbandar, dishonoured after the incident, declared to the people not to worry about the unpleasant “misunderstanding” that had taken place, the locals were very frightened and they thought there would be new attacks by the Kurds.”

Razmik, no. 314, 17 January 1909, p. 4.
Ֆարրուխ, Տաճկաց զօրքը Դիլիմանում «Լրաբեր» [Farroukh, “The Turkish Army in Diliman”], Lraber, no. 24, 14 June 1909, p. 3.
Ma., Ընդհարում տաճիկների և պարսիկների միջև, [“A Conflict between the Turks and the Persians”], «Գործ» [Gortz], no. 119, 7 June 1909, p. 2. About this incident see also Ազիզ, Լուրեր Սալմաստից, [Aziz, “News from Salmast”], «Գործ» [Gortz], no. 124, 13 June 1909, p. 2.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 484.

On 20 April 1914, “... at midnight, at the northern gates of the city, the guard of the Russian barracks noticed a few men approaching the entrance of the barracks. The guard called out, but they did not answer and coming a little closer shot at the guard, who fell down wounded. The other guard came out to help but they opened fire on him as well. This time the bullet missed the guard and he ran inside to call for help. The criminals took advantage of that moment, snatched the gun of the wounded guard and disappeared. A meeting took place the day after the incident, during which the famous Simko said: “Neither a Turk nor a Kurd would dare do such a thing, it is the job of the Armenian revolutionaries.” Fortunately, the wounded man had noticed that the perpetrators, who took away his gun, were 5: 2 Turks and 3 Kurds.”
Moreover, the wounded guard died a short time later, and “after that for several nights Turks were firing at the Russian army of Dilman. The army answered them the same way and they even used machine guns against the Turks.
“A number of searches started and went on for a while, and the Turks, terrified of those searches, as well as of the hail of bullets, voluntarily handed over about 200 guns (besides the ones taken during the searches).”

G. R., “From the Life of Salmast,” Gharadagh, no. 7, 15 May 1914, pp. 5-6.
Pshour, “Regarding the Situation in Salmast,” Gharadagh, no. 9, 15 June 1914, p. 2.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 484.

On 1 March 1915, the Russian troops occupied Dilman.
On 16 April of the same year, at the battle of Dilman “...the Turks were completely defeated and fled: 8-10,000 Russians and 17,000 Turks participated in the battle. The 12,000 soldiers of the Turkish army had been sent from Polis [Constantinople] 4 months earlier, via Aleppo-Mosul line: they were well armed and trained, having 8 cannons and 15 machine guns. The rest of the army, the 5,000, consisted of: the Kurds of Simko (armed with the best Russian guns); the Persians of Khantakht, Dilman and other villages; and the bands of robbers of Sherif Bey. The commander of the Turkish army was Khalil Bey, the cousin of Enver Pasha.”
After the battle, “Turks fled to Chiari-chay valley through Ounjalegh mountain pass: Chiari-chay valley is 15 km south-west of Dilman... On 2 May, the Russians, driving away the Turks from Dilman and providing the communications for themselves, occupied Khanasor pass, 35 km west of Dilman, in the direction of Van City.”

Hayastan, no. 4, 21 March 1915, p. 3.
Ibid., no. 17, 13 March 1915, p. 2.
Ibid., no. 18, 16 March 1915, p. 2.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 484.

Meeting the new changes, on 1 May 1917, they celebrated the day of workers in Dilman.
One of the correspondences of 16 December of the same year reported about the unlawful actions of the Russian troops that had become violent: “Tonight, at 11 o’clock, the barbarian Russian army burnt and plundered the whole market of Dilman, none of the shops stood whole after that. By order of the local committee of Dashnaktsutiun (Armenian Revolutionary Federation), no Armenian entered Dilman on that day to prevent misunderstandings. Armenians were also forbidden to buy any of the robbed goods. Simko, hearing this news, immediately moved his bands to the hills near to the Old- City. That became a second worrying thing for the district.
“The plundering and greedy army was going to pillage the Armenian villages as well. Being afraid of that, many villagers of Haftvan moved to Khosrova Village as a safe place because there were Assyrian armed units in Khosrova.”

Ayg, no. 19, 14 May 1917, p. 4.
Տեղացի, թղթ., [Teghatsi, “A Letter”], «Այգ» [Ayg], no. 50, 24 December 1917, p. 2 (by the way, the date was mentioned in the correspondence with an error—10 Dec.).
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, pp. 484-485.

1918—a year of great disturbances and of a large number of military operations. Yervand Vardanian from Van became an eye-witness of the last events of the end of March of that year: “We are standing before the earthen walls of Tiliman: at the folding door are standing two Assyrians in their rural rugs and pointed strange hats, with two cartridge belts tied disorderly on the waist, and having bayonet rifles in their hands. Behind them is a small room where can be seen 10-15 Assyrian soldiers dressed in the same way... Tiliman is besieged by Assyrians... The entry of an Iranian without any permission and examination is prohibited, and the exit is absolutely prohibited. The entry of refugees is banned as well, only men can come for shopping.”

Vardanian, pp. 79-80.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 485.

On the night of 7 April 1918, Turks occupied Dilman.

Vardanian, p. 91.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 483.

The 6 May 1930 earthquake completely destroyed Salmast City, casualties reaching 1,100.
The only consolation, perhaps, was comparatively the small number of those killed in the quake: “In Dilman Town were destroyed several houses and 14 people died under the ruins. The barracks in Dilman were also destroyed but the army survived due to their sleeping outside.”
On the night of 22 May 1936, a new earthquake shook the town, but fortunately, it was not a dangerous one.

Tchalenko, Berberian, “The Salmas (Iran) Earthquake,” p. 156. Three days after the earthquake, one of the correspondences reported: “... on Monday an earthquake occurred in Salmast. A great number of houses are damaged... The second, a stronger tremor, destroyed most of the buildings, killing a lot of people (the exact amount isn’t known) ...” (Hayrenik, no. 5480, 11 May 1930, p. 1). Also: According to the American consul in Tehran Henry Willart 2,000 people fell victim to the quake, and 5,000 became homeless. (ibid.). One of the correspondences of 11 May 1930 reported: “At 10 on 6 May morning started a strong quake and tens of houses were ruined. It was stronger in Haftvan (3 victims) and in Dilman (20 victims)” (Kirs, “The First Official Report,” Haraj, no. 1270, 23 May 1930, p. 1. See also Hayrenik, no. 5499, 4 June 1930, p. 1).
Հայկազեան Դ., Սալմաստի շարժին աւերները [D. Haykazian, “The Devastation Caused by the Earthquake of Salmast”], «Յառաջ» [Haraj], no. 1271, 24 May 1930, p. 3.
Alik, no. 201, 30 June 1936, p. 4.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 485.

Population

It is not easy to guess what the national composition ratio was in Salmast, for instance, in the 15th century, but if in Urmia more than half the population were Armenians, then here, undoubtedly, the percentage of them was much higher.

Չամչեան Մ., Պատմութիւն հայոց, հ. Գ, [M. Chamchian, History of Armenia, vol. 3] (Venice, 1784), p. 462 (“Skantar went and besieged the town of Vorm [Urmia] where more than half the population were Armenians”).
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 485.

The mass emigration of the Armenian population, that started after the Russian-Persian war, unprecedentedly reduced the number of Armenians not only in the villages of the district but also in the cities: “Upon that occasion, we were assured, 200 families left the town. Only 20 remained, and 40 have since joined them, so that their present number is 60.”
Apparently, the aforementioned 60 families left the town during the following decades, as already in the 1890s, it was stated: “The population of Dilman Town is entirely Muslim.”

Smith and Dwight, p. 358.
Averois, “My Travel Memories,” p. 22
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 485.

In 1900 the same situation was observed: “The population of the town is 4,000, absolutely consisting of Turks...,” and in 1905: “... about 1,000 houses with only Turkish inhabitants.”

Melik-Babakhanian, “The Description of a Persian City,” p. 2.
Frangian, p. 73.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 485.

It is known that the epidemic of cholera in the autumn of 1904-the winter of 1905 took the lives of 250-300 people in Dilman populated almost only by Turks.

Mkrtchiants, “Cholera in Salmast,” p. 226.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 485.

During World War I, there were various kinds of violence towards the few Christians (perhaps mostly towards Assyrians) in the town: “The Christians were stripped of the opportunity to move freely in Dilman Town and were forced to adopt Islam.”

Germany, Turkey and Armenia: A Selection of Documentary Evidence, p. 19.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 485.

In 1917, Salmast temporarily became a gathering place for Armenian refugees: on 1 April, there were 6,505 Armenian refugees there.

Horizon, no. 81, 22 April 1917, p. 3.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 485.

In 1930, the population was 18,000.

Tchalenko, Berberian, “The Salmas (Iran) Earthquake,” p. 156. Acc. to a 22 May 1930 correspondence: “... so far 2,000 dead bodies have been taken out of the ruins. The quake was the strongest in Samalst” (Hayrenik, no. 5491, 24 May 1930, pp. 1, 4).
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 485.

After the war and until 1946 no Armenians lived in Salmast, nevertheless, after the new and large-scale emigration of Armenians of the district (though strangely enough that emigration was called “Repatriation”), in Salmast came to live those Armenians, who had sold their real estates in the villages but didn’t emigrate to the Soviet Socialist Republic of Armenia, for some reasons. And again in Salmast started to appear though not a very strong but, anyway, an Armenian presence.

Hayrapetian, “Salmast,” Alik, no. 212, 23 September 1969, p. 5.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 485.

In 2011 only 5 Armenians were living in the city.

Taking the opportunity, on behalf of myself and our team, I express deep gratitude to Mr. Rouben Ter-Poghossian, who not only hosted our group but also, in spite of his age, led us to dozens of villages in the district for a number of days and pointed to the Armenian historical memories he knew.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 486.

As for the dominating spoken language, perhaps beginning from the 16th-17th centuries, “in this part of Persia people spoke Turkish, and only the representatives of the higher classes were fluent in Persian.”

Ainsworth, William. Travels and Researches in Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Chaldea, and Armenia. Vol. 2. London, 1842, p. 300.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 486.

Construction Activity

Following the old traditions, in this administrative city as well, besides the ruler’s palaces and religious structures, were concentrated the important state institutions: “... [it] is the central city where reside the haqim [administrator of the district] and the sarparast [judge]. Here are also: the post-office, the telegraph, the customs house, and the market.” It must be noted that in Salmast the market was an important place where the intra-trade was always carried out in parallel with the inter-regional trade: “... many villages had just one general market.”
The market functioned especially for two days in a week: “Every Saturday and Sunday there is a fair in Tilliman where people from all the neighbouring villages are doing trade with each other.”
In 1908, a correspondence made reference to this special event: “On Sundays, the centre of the district, Dilman, looked like a fair, and it was also the place of contact for Armenians of the villages. On that day, on the post office, villagers received letters and money from their relatives who were in emigration [to earn a living]. The city of Dilman also resembled an exhibition of nations: Persians, Kurds, Assyrians, and Jews hurried to Dilman to do shopping.”

M. Piran, “Salmast,” Arshaluys, no. 18, 26 January 1906, p. 3.
Frangian, pp. 73-74.
Ainsworth, William. Travels and Researches in Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Chaldea, and Armenia. Vol. 2. London, 1842, p. 300.
A. A., “With the Eagles,” Alik, no. 196, 3 September 1951, p. 2.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 486.

However, the city did not make a particularly well-built impression of general construction at least early in the 20th century: “There are heavy clay walls around the city which have become dilapidated because of the ravages of time... In the walls, in 4 places are entrances to the city: these are gates having some run-down buildings on both sides which served as watch-towers and storehouses in ancient times.
“The appearance of Dilman is that of a big village which lies in ruins. The walls look the same inside and outside and have some high gates of coloured bricks. All the constructions are of clay, are very low, and are mostly one story. The streets are very narrow, winding, and full of trash and offal of all kinds.”

Melik-Babakhanian, “The Description of a Persian City,” p. 2.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 486.

In 1906: “The main centre of Salmast, the small town of Diliman, little by little receives an image of a city.”

Galoust, “A Journey in Persia,” Mourtj, nos. 11-12, November-December 1906, p. 25.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 486.

After the destructive earthquake of 6 May 1930, they decided to reconstruct Salmast: “Dilman Town with its crooked and winding streets turned into a new modern city (Shahpoor by name).”
Unfortunately, during that time there was no chance to pay proper attention to the damaged, but still existing historical monuments, and as a result, all they (with very few exceptions) were almost completely destroyed, and then disappeared forever: “After the 1930 (lunar year 1309) earthquake, this town was fully annihilated. During the construction of the present day Salmast, the historical district of Dilman became the southern part of Salmast, and people built their houses just on those ruins. The pyramids of the town were abolished as well. The only fragment from the old town that has been repaired by a benefactor is Aghmachid Mosque which is also known as Emam Jafar Sadegh. It is located in the centre of Dilman market and due to that the market was called Machid Bazaar. The mosque was built during the reign of Ghajars, functioned for a long time, and was of great importance. It was destroyed by an earthquake and during the recent years was repaired according to its original style and architecture. The columns of the mosque are in brickwork (1.5 x 1.5 metres), the roof is vaulted. On the roof, during the repairs, was discovered an inscription dating from the initial period of Pahlavs’ rule and telling about the benefactor: “By kindness of the king, by will of the wise prime minister, and by order of the minister of the army, the colonel constructed this building.”

A. Allahverdian, “Brief Information Regarding the District and Its Ethnography,” Alik, no. 277, 13 December 1967, p. 3.
Ahrenjani, p. 165.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 486.

The new city, being erected on the old one, had nothing to do with it. This new one was designed with parallel, straight and crossing streets, as a quite new settlement: “The devastating earthquake of 1930 (lunar year 1309) razed Dilman to the ground, after which on its ruins, the city of Salmast was built having a chess like design.
“There were circular watch pyramids around the walls of Dilma, placed in equal distances from each other. The town walls were 3-5 metres wide and 10 metres high, so it was possible to place cannons around the city and transpose them. The walls were built from stone, brick, and mud. Dilma kept contact with the outside world through 5 gates (or Ghalaghapi) which had names: Ahrevan, Sadeghan, Ghalesar, Qohneshahr, and Haftvan. All of them were built of solid logs and sticks and it was almost impossible to break them. Two-story or three-story pyramids were flanking the gates, and there were also holes in the walls for shooting. The first floors of the pyramids were used as stables or arms stores.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 487.

In 1927-1928 (lunar years 1306-1307), a trench was dug which was filled with water during wars. The trench was 3.5 metres deep and 4 metres wide. It existed until the last decades and was eradicated to enlarge the city and to construct new houses and playgrounds. The remnants of the town walls are south-east of Salmast, near to the cemetery. Some parts of the northern walls can be seen on the northern side of Aghmachid (opposite the present-day car station). To construct this section of the town-walls they used granite blocks up to 50 cm high, and also other big and small stones. Some sections of the walls reached a height of 3.5 meters, and a width of 75 cm. It is thought that the original width was more than 1 metre, and the height 8-10 metres.
“On the walls are traces of repairs which allows us to conclude that they were repaired immediately after the collapse. In the layers of the walls can be seen glazed and not glazed pottery.”

Ahrenjani, p. 162.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 486.

At present, even the few historical monuments that still exist are not free from the threat of destruction: “From Dilman have been preserved the ruins of the town-walls; of one of the pyramids; of some buildings; and of one of the mills. Two mosques, Ghanli Mechid and Agha have also come down to us. Today, parallel to the expansion of Salmast, the last memories of the city are disappearing as well.”

Dilmaghani, p. 27.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 487.

Economic Life

In 1969, a correspondence stated that the Armenians of Salmast (Shahpoor) were engaged in cheese production, apiculture, pig-breeding, medicine, trade, photography, joinery, etc.

Hayrapetian, “Salmast,” Alik, no. 212, 23 September 1969, p. 5.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 487.

In 1975, farming, pharmaceutics, and painting were the main occupations of Armenians.

Haraj, no. 13, 17 January 1975, p. 3.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 487.

Priests

Senior Priest Ter Margareh was remembered in 1764: “... Senior Priest Ter Margareh of Salamast City... the supervisor ... sent this paper to Melik Martiros ...to take the answer and come back. 3 February.”

Դիւան հայոց պատմութեան [Documents Relating to Armenian History, vol. 3] (Tiflis, 1894), pp. 47-48.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 490.

In 1933-1934, the Armenian Deanery Council of Shahpoor was remembered: chairman: Poghos Baghdasarian, rural dean: Priest Ashot, secretary: Arsen Gouloyan, and a member: Grigor Sayadian.

Alik, no. 145, 15 April 1934, p. 3.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 490.

Historical Introduction

In 1936 was remembered Priest Ashot Poghosian, who was remembered again as being a priest in 1953.

Յովնանեան Հ., Արամեան դպրոցի հարիւրամեակը Շահփուրի Փայաջուկ գիւղում [H. Hovnanian, “The 100th Anniversary of Aramian School in Payajouk Village of Shahpoor”], «Ալիք» [Alik], no. 201, 30 June 1936, p. 2.
Alik, no. 241, 2. November 1953, p. 4.

In 1967, Senior Priest Mesrop Minassian not only was a priest for the neighbouring villages with small numbers of Armenia population, but he served the Armenians of Salmast as well, and in 1969, combined with the church service he was the chairman of the Armenian Deanery Council of Shahpoor.

Մինասեան Լ., Ճամբորդական տպաւորութիւններ Ս. Ստեփանոս նախավկայի վանքից եւ Թաւրիզ ու Թեհրան քաղաքներից [L. Minassian, “Travel Impressions from the Monastery of St. Stephen the Proto-Martyr and from Tabriz and Tehran Cities”], «Ալիք» [Alik], no. 229, 17 October 1967, p. 8.
Alik, no. 69, 31 March 1969, p. 3.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 490.

Outstanding Personalities

Catholicos Stepanos V (1545-1567) was a native of Salmast.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 490.

Author Alikhan Vali
Date 1980 y․

Direction From the south-west
Author Samvel Karapetian
Date 2011 y․

Author G. Saginian
Date 1930 y․

“Scenes from Salmast disaster”

Date 1930 y․

Prelate of Atrpatakan, Archbishop Nerses Melik-Tangian in Salmast (May 1930)

Prelate of Atrpatakan, Archbishop Nerses Melik-Tangian in Salmast while visiting the disaster-affected people (May 1930)

Author Sasun Danielian
Date 2017 y․

City panorama

Name	Year/Century	Etymology
Dilman
Shahpoor
Dilmaghan
Dilmaqan
Dilima
Diliman
Telman
Tilman
Tiliman
Tilmagan
Dilmoghan
Dilmogan
Salamast
Shehr
Salmas

Please find below the statistical data concerning the number of Salmast Armenians for the 1950-1960s:

Dates	Armenian Houses	Armenians (Male)	Armenians (Female)	Total (Armenians)	Notes	Source
1957	10					Թղթակից, Ամփոփ տեղեկանք Սալմաստի հայ համայնքի մասին [Tghtakits, “A Brief Report on the Armenian Community of Salmast”], «Ալիք» [Alik], no. 103, 15 May 1957, p. 4. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 485.
1960	25					Alik, no. 181, 24 August 1960, p. 1. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 485.
1964	30			120		Alik, no. 185, 24 August 1964, p. 2. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 486.
1969	36			130		Hayrapetian, “Salmast,” Alik, no. 212, 23 September 1969, p. 5. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 486.
1975	50					Haraj, no. 13, 17 January 1975, p. 3. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 486.