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Sahag II Catholicos of Cilicia in Cairo with First Lt. Paul Keshishian

L to R Bishop Kaud Mkhitarian, First Lt. Paul Keshishian and Sahag II Catholicos of Cilicia, unidentified cleric.

This picture was taken in Cairo in 1919 on a mission to meet with Nubar Pasha the former Prime Minister. Paul Keshishian was a First Lieutenant in the British army and was functioning as Aide d' Camp and bodyguard.

Sahag II (1902-1939) Catholicos of Cilicia is noteworthy in that he guided move of the seat from Sis, Turkey to Syria and then to its current home in Antelias, Lebanon.

Sahag II was a close friend to the Keshishian family even though the entire Keshishian family were converts to Protestantism. Immediately after the finish of World War I Mark Keshishian was in Beirut and made the visit to Antelias to see Sahag II. M K was dumbfounded when Sahag II told him that Paul had emerged alive from the Syrian desert. This was because the family all believed Paul dead in the desert after the forced deportations. Paul was deported to Der Zor (also Dayr az-Zawr, Deir ez Zor, and Deir al-Zur in the desert that is now part of Syria) with 17 members of his family. Paul's family was among the number murdered but Paul was spared by a Turkish soldier who was taken by his fair complexion.

Like the pages of an adventure novel Paul was found by advance scouts of the British column moving north from Jerusalem into Syria. The soldiers were stunned when the came upon a ragged youth dressed only in rags who greeted them in impeccable English. When brought to senior officers Paul also demonstrated a faultless command of Arabic, French, Turkish, Armenian as well as English he was immediately cleaned up, dressed, and commissioned a first lieutenant in the British Army. Paul was detailed to British intelligence where he served with distinction until his life was tragically curtailed when Paul was assassinated in Ceyhan Turkey in 1920.

Regrettably most of Paul's military records along with thousands of others were lost in the bombings of London in the second world war. Mark Keshishian and his sister were able to gather many photographs as well as other items of interest which help to keep this beautiful man's memory alive.

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