Unidentified Photos
Please give us your best-educated guess to help identify people in the following pictures. Possible clues might be found within the Patriarchal Timelines for each year or time period given.
Photo #1: Taken by Herman Burchardt in 1894 of 7-year-old Mar Benyamin with Dr. Browne of the Anglican mission. We are trying to figure out who the man standing to his left might be. Possibly “Petros” the Patriarchal steward, who assisted Browne in many things, but we’re not sure. The building behind them is Browne’s missionary house in Qudshanis, still under construction at this time.
Photo #1
Photo #2: Also taken in 1894, and most likely by Herman Burchardt as well. We are trying to figure out who the man wearing the turban sitting in the front might be. It’s possibly Mar Iskhaq Khnanishu (see similar face/appearance in 1886 photo on family photos page). And the man holding either Poulos or Zaya d’Mar Shimun (babies) behind him is unidentified as well.
Photo #2
Photo 3: Taken in summer of 1886 by Athelstan Riley of the Archbishop’s Mission to the Assyrians. Caption reads only: “Two of the Tyari tribe, with a chief.”
Photo #3
Photo #4: Taken in 1894 by German traveller Herman Burchardt—very rare photo of interior of Patriarchal See. We are wondering who the little girl in the front might be as she’s definitely not Surma Khanum’s sister, Romi. From Left to Right is: Surma Khanum (aged 11); Mar Yosip Sargis of Jilu—also in photo #2); Mar Benyamin (aged 7); his brother–we are fairly certain— Hormizd (age 5-6—also in photo #2); and their father Eshai standing behind (age 27—sadly, he would die within the next year due to typhoid).
Photo #4
Photo #5: Mar Benyamin after ordination to Patriarch on March 15, 1903. From Left to Right: Mar Elia Aboona of Alqosh?; Mar Benyamin Shimun (aged 16); ? standing in back; Mar Zia Sargis? Or is one of these men Mar Estepanos, bishop of Gawar? The photo was possibly taken by Anglican Missionary F.N. Heazell. [Note: We know that Metropolitan Mar Iskhaq Khnanishu was not in this photo because he had not arrived at the Patriarchal See until April 10th, due to snow and bad weather.
Photo #5
