ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

Zaven Der Yeghiayan

Zaven I Der Yeghiayan of Constantinople

Zaven Der Yeghiyan (Զաւէն Տէր Եղիայեան; September 8, 1868 – June 4, 1947) was the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople from 1913 to 1922.

Early Life and Education

Zaven Der Yeghiyan was born in Mosul, Ottoman Empire (now Iraq), as Mikayel Der Yeghiayan. His parents, Avedis Der Yeghiayan and Marta Kharabian, were both from Siirt. He received his basic education under Mihran Hratschia Swadschian at the Unified Cooperative School of Sghert and the Armenian National School of Baghdad.

Priesthood and Episcopacy

In 1888, Der Yeghiayan began working as a teacher in Baghdad. In 1890, he entered the Armaş Theological Seminary, where he studied until 1895. He was ordained as a deacon in 1892, and later became a monk (apegha) under the name Zaven in 1895. On June 26, 1896, he received his doctorate as Wardapet.

Patriarch of Constantinople

In 1913, Der Yeghiayan was elected as the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople. He held this position until 1922. During his tenure, he played a significant role in the Armenian community in Istanbul.

Exile and Later Life

During the Armenian Genocide, Der Yeghiayan was deported to Mosul. After the genocide, he was sent by the Ottoman government to Baghdad as the Patriarch of Constantinople, following the closure of the Armenian Patriarchy in Istanbul. He served in this position until his death on June 4, 1947.

References

Note: The references for this article are not provided in the source snippets, but they can be added based on external sources and academic research.