The photos by photographer of Jerusalem, Armenian Genocide survivor Elia Gahvedjian were put up for an auction during the fundraiser organized by the Save the ArQ initiative in Chicago. The initiative is aimed at preserving the Armenian district of Jerusalem.

According to “ArmenPress”, the photos presented at the auction were part of the photographer’s collection of 3,000 photos. Some of them were donated by the great photographer’s son, Gevorg Gahvedjian.

“This event reminded us that the Armenian identity is not only about our community or Armenia. It’s also a part of our unity through culture, and the Armenian community of Jerusalem is a part of that. In reality, it is a very important part. Armenians have been living in Jerusalem for more than 1,500 years and continue to play an important role in the city. All Armenians must take pride in that heritage. As Armenians and as Christians, we must find ways to dedicate ourselves to the preservation and restoration of the Armenian district of Jerusalem,” one of the participants of the event, Professor Rachel Goshgarian mentioned.

Famous Jerusalem-Armenian photographer Elia Gahvedjian was born in 1910 in Urfa. Elia’s parents were killed during the Armenian Genocide, and she was saved by the Near East Relief and accommodated in an Armenian orphanage in Nazareth. After being sent to the orphanage in Jerusalem, Gahvedjian started becoming very interested in photography. Over the years, she started showing a unique style that helped her become the most significant photographer of Palestine, which was under the British Mandate.

The uniqueness of Gahvedjian is that she is able to seek the touching moments in the daily lives of people in Palestine.