Between Exposure and Erasure: The Armenian Heritage of Arapgir in Present-Day Eastern Turkey

Abstract

Arapgir in Eastern Turkey has recently embarked upon an ambitious renovation project in order to attract visitors. Through the restoration of its architectural heritage and promotion of specific cultural and natural assets, the municipality is “giving a direction” to the town and simultaneously reinventing its identity to promote tourism. This article analyzes heritage production in Arapgir and describes the absence-presence of the town’s Armenian past within this broader push. I discuss in the end the simultaneous exposure and erasure of Armenian heritage in Turkey today by examining Arapgir’s restored Armenian cemetery.