Sputnik: Rare photos of the lives and culture of Armenians in Turkey prior to the Armenian Genocide of 1915 have been posted on IWitness, reported the website of the University of Southern California.

The photos were published through Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives. The aim is to compile, document, preserve and present archival photos of Armenians and photos of Armenians today. The first publication of 70 photos will be added to the eyewitness accounts of the Armenians who were saved during the Genocide. Those photos show the Armenians’ economic successes prior to the Genocide, as well as their persecutions and the courage that they showed during the acts of violence.

Project SAVE was established in 1975 by Ruth Tovmasian. The diverse and extensive collection features over 45,000 photos that portray all aspects of the lives of Armenians in the homeland and abroad and include the period starting from 1860 and leading up to our days.

The goal of the project coordinators is to present the centuries-old culture and heritage of the Armenians to the world. They also encourage their viewers to use the photos of the collection for research.