Sinior Demirel (1909–1987) was a Jew born in the Salmas region of northwestern Iran, a member of the community later known in Israel as “Nash Didan”, and the author of the diary at the center of this website. His memoirs trace his…
Continue readingSinyor Demirel’s diary, originally written in Ottoman Turkish, chronicles the years 1909–1945 in the region of Lake Urmia and eastern Turkey. It offers a window into the lives of the Jewish communities of Salmas, Bashkale, Van, and the surrounding area, documenting the people, places, and events that shaped their lives during this turbulent period.
While working on the book, translating the diary, and researching its historical background, I came to understand its immense value: for some of the events it describes, it is the only known documentation and testimony written by a member of the community that would later become known as “Nash Didan.”
This website brings together the original diary pages, their transcription and translation, and information about the people, places, and events mentioned in the text. It is a family and historical project dedicated to preserving this story, making it accessible to readers, and connecting personal memory with the broader historical record.
