Ovan Yagjian

Thank you Demir. This is helpful. I’ll pass this on to my researchers. When were the “lazy days”? I believe the award I’m looking for was given in Istanbul between the Crimean War and 1878. Best, Marc

Hello Demir, Thank you for your helpful response. Can you be more specific about the names of the books containing the names of the Medjidiye Order recipients or what my researchers should ask the Ottoman Archives staff to find these books? Do you know anyone I can hire to conduct research into the books at the archives you refer to? My researchers do read old Turkish script and have found several documents concerning my subject, Ovan Yağcıoğlu. However, they say they don’t know where to look next. Much appreciation, Marc

Does anyone know if there are official Ottoman records that detail the names, dates, and citations of the Order of Medjidiye awards? My fourth great grandfather, Ovan “Yağcıoğlu” Yagjian, was awarded the Order of Medjidiye by the Sultan for distinguished service during the Crimean War. He was a civilian Armenian merchant who provisioned the 4th Ottoman Army under siege on the Russian front. Our family has an oral account of his action, however, we’d love to find any written account. I’ve had some Turkish history PhD students search the Turkish National Archives for Order of Medjidiye records, with no results. Any assistance or advice will be greatly appreciated. - Marc Yagjian – Austin, TX, USA yagjian@aol.com