“The pages of ‘The Gardens of Silihdar’ exude the scent of the roses,” as my professor, Araks Shahinyan, once said when we spoke about the remarkable 1935 memoir by Zabel Yesayan, a feminist writer of the late 19th-century Ottoman era, published by AIWA Press in 2014. Written in the 1930s, this work is considered one of the most renowned in Western Armenian literature. Beyond being a writer, Yesayan was also an educator and translator, leaving a lasting mark on Armenian intellectual thought.
“The Gardens of Silihdar” is an autobiographical novel, a memoir that captures the author’s life, struggles, and reflections along with her deep longing for her childhood home—Silihdar, a district of Constantinople. She skillfully weaves her memories into a narrative that, even decades later, transports the reader with the mending scent of roses and the golden glow of Silihdar. The city is perceived as golden not merely in name, but through Yesayan’s luminous descriptions, which preserve the ethereal beauty it held in her childhood. She does more than recall memories—she invites the reader into the physical space, painting Silihdar as a place of warmth, love, and rich experiences, a symbol of nostalgia and the precious innocence of youth.
The novel is structured in chapters with poetic and evocative titles, each encapsulating the essence of the stories they tell. Reading it feels like stepping into the stream of Yesayan’s thoughts as if floating through the pages of her private diary. The protagonist, Yesayan herself, narrates her childhood and adolescence in the first person, portraying a girl who gradually rebels against norms, standards, and restrictions, an especially radical stance in her time. As the reader progresses, they uncover the many layers of the author’s persona—not just as a young dreamer but as a woman who fought for change. Through her story, she conveys the importance of embracing one’s individuality, refusing to stay silent in the face of injustice, and resisting the societal norms that stifle authenticity and self-expression.
Beyond its literary beauty, the book holds immense historical and cultural value, providing a rare behind-the-curtain view of Armenian intellectual life in Constantinople during the late 19th century. It displays the life and culture of Armenians living in Silihdar, their struggles, and goals specific to that era. It also presents an intimate portrait of a nurturing soul, following Yesayan’s early feminist and social justice leanings. Unlike a traditional historical narrative, the book looks at history through the eyes of a child and young woman.
Regardless of whether the novel is a poetic and to a certain degree historical masterpiece, the reader should not expect it to offer a comprehensive socio-historical analysis of 19th-century Constantinople or fully capture the norms and lifestyle of Western Armenians. Importantly, the original text was written by Yesayan in Western Armenian. Consequently, readers who are only familiar with Eastern Armenian may find it challenging to fully grasp the book’s underlying ideas.
For readers who are unfamiliar with Zabel Yesayan’s works, I highly recommend them to start with “The Gardens of Silihdar” as it unveils the author’s character not only as an activist and rebel but also as a writer who flawlessly blends the ethereal with the practical. In addition, the novel provides a window into 19th-century life, revealing the hardships people endured, and the challenges and barriers women faced back then. Through the pages, you find yourself immersed in the scenery of Silihdar, its traditions, and its culture, allowing you to experience a second life within its narrative. Beyond that, the novel shows how a person can become a force of change merely with their beliefs, thoughts, and actions.
