Seda Ohanyan

Welcome Medz Mama Seda Ohanyan!

Granddaughter Mariam Yeghiarzaryan is proud to pay homage to her paternal grandmother as our featured Medz Mama!

In this episode, granddaughter Mariam tenderly describes her first memories of her Medz Mama Seda’s garden.  This included eating mulberries which are a favorite in Armenia, as well as in the Armenian diaspora.  

Seda was born in the village of Tegher (Armenian: Տեղեր, means “medicine”).  Tegher village is located in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia, on the southern slope of Mount Aragats.  In this region, a large variety of healing herbs can be found.  

Medz Mama Seda often would tell stories about her childhood and village life, to her granddaughter Mariam.  Tegher Monastery (Armenian: Տեղեր or Տեղերի Վանք; also Tegheri Vank) was a major religious and cultural hub for villagers and beyond.  The 13th-century Armenian monastery and church are located on the southeastern slopes of Mount Aragats near the modern village of Tegher. The complex is near the gorge from the village of Byurakan in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia.  

Medz Mama Seda’s father (Mariam’s great-grandfather), was the drummer of Tegher village and passed down the importance of arts and culture to his family.  The continuity of family life has been filled with warm memories, such as the big gathering Mariam shares in Dilijan, at the Dilijan Rest House.  Dilijan (Armenian: Դիլիջան) is a spa town and home to notable artists, composers, and filmmakers and known for its traditional Armenian architecture. 

Granddaughter Mariam is proud of her Medz Mama’s honesty and love for the Bible.  Mariam shares her desire to go back in time and enjoy a walk with her Medz Mama Seda, in the mountains of Ararat.  Mount Ararat * historically was located on the territory of the Armenian Highlands, today Eastern Turkey.  While located right outside the border of modern Armenia, the mountain remains an iconic national symbol of Armenia. 

Medz Mama Seda would be so proud of her gifted granddaughter Mariam. Imagining their walk together in the sacred mountains of Ararat is poetic.

* “Mount Ararat has always been one of the main symbols of Armenia, for historically it was located on the territory of the Armenian Highlands. In 1923, a peace treaty drafted between Turkey and the Soviet Union allotted this land to Turkey.”

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