Description

While scholarship on the Armenian Genocide has expanded significantly in recent years, the history of the concentration camps in present-day Syria, where Ottoman authorities deported Armenians during the death marches, remains largely understudied.

This is the first book to offer an in-depth and multifaceted examination of these camps. The chapters trace the origins and development of the camp system and document the atrocities committed at infamous sites such as Deir ez-Zor, Ras al-Ain, Meskene and others. Contributors explore the brutal realities of daily life in the camps, the interactions between deportees and local populations, as well as the ways in which some Armenians managed to resist and survive against overwhelming odds. Combining a comparative perspective that situates the camps within a global context with detailed analyses of specific locations, this volume provides critical new insights into the operation and function of concentration camps during the Armenian Genocide.