It is difficult to find substantive writing on the village of Efkere.  

Researching the village often requires scouring documents for just the merest mention of Efkere. When the village is mentioned, it can be spelled in a number of different ways:  Efkere.  Hefkarah.  Evkere.  Evkereh.  Hefgareh.  It goes on and on.

There are, however, a handful of books that are particularly useful if one has an interest in this village.  They include:

 

My Dear Son Garabed - I Read Your Letter; I Cried, I Laughed.  

Kojaian Family Letters from Efkere/Kayseri to America (1912-1919). Sevgulu Oglum Garabed—Mekdubun Okudum.  Agladim, Guldum. Kayseri Efkere’den Amerika’ya Kocayan Ailesi Mektuplari (1912-1919).  

Jonathan Varjabedian and H. Sukru Ilicak  (Istanbul, Turkey:  Histor Press, 2018)

OK, I will admit that I am biased, as this is my book.  However, this book is particularly important as it complies scores of letters written from villagers in Efkere to loved ones in the United States between the years 1912 and 1915, with two follow up letters from 1919 included which allow the reader to understand what transpired during the tragic events of 1915.  There is simply nothing that I know of in Ottoman Armenian scholarship that compares to this.  Furthermore, the book is unique in that the letters allow the reader to experience the now-extinct Efkere dialect.  In English and Turkish, with each letter transliterated, and then translated into English and Turkish.  


UPDATE: This book has now been republished by Gomidas Institute, and it is available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and directly from the publisher at Gomidas.org.

Patmut’iwn Hay Kesarioy:  Teghagrakan, patmakan, ew azgagrakan usumnasirut’iwn.

Arshak Alpoyachian. (Cairo, Egypt:  Hagop Papazian Press, 1937)

Tracking down a copy of this two volume tome can be difficult, but it is well worth the undertaking.  With 2479 pages, this work is perhaps the go-to text for information on Efkere, as well as Kayseri and its other surrounding villages.  It includes a rather lengthy section on Efkere, and another on Surp Garabed Vank.  It is in the Armenian language.  The map glued to the inside of the back cover is without equal.

It has been recently been re-issued.

Gesi Vadisi: Gesi, Efkere, Darsiyak, Nize, Balagesi, Mancusun.

Huseyin Cömert.  (Ankara, Turkey:  Gesi Kalkındırma ve Yardımlaşma Vakfi, 2010)

This Turkish-language book is invaluable for its inclusion of Ottoman Census Records for Efkere, as well as records from the 1872 Property Tax logs for the village of Efkere.  As the title suggests, five other villages are also covered, which should prove interesting for anybody with anything more than a passing interest in the history of this area.

The Silent Generation

Haig Sarajian (2009)

Written by the son of Avedis Sarajian, who was born in Efkere in 1890 and would eventually migrate to the United States, this book provides a fascinating description of the life in Efkere as lived by the Sarajian family.  Well worth seeking out.

Out of Turkey.  The Life Story of Donik “Haji Bey” Yessaian”

Harry Yessian. (Dearborn, Michigan.  The Armenian Research Center, 1994)

Harry Yessaian’s retelling of the story of the Yessaian family from Efkere.  

Kayseri with its Armenian and Greek Cultural Heritage/Kayseri Ermeni ve Rum Kültür Varliklariyla.

Altug Yilmaz, Editor. (Hrant Dink Vakfı Yayınları. Istanbul, 2016)

A remarkable book, written in Turkish and English, which details endangered Armenian and Greek churches in the Kayseri region, including a nice section on Surp Stepanos church in Efkere. The project was co-funded by the Republic of Turkey and the European Union.

Gesi Evleri:: Mimar Sinan'ın yetiştiği yöredeki köyler ve geleneksel evler

Vacit imamoğlu.  Kayseri Büyükşehir Belediyesi, 2010. Language:  Turkish

This beautiful 439 page book is indispensable for its study of 19th century homes in the Gesi area.  Excellent photography, and includes detailed architectural studies of several homes, including some in Efkere.  Also available as a digital download.

Casarea'daki Aziz Karapet Ermeni El Yazmalari Katalogu

Drtad Balian.  Vienna, 1963.  Language:  Armenian

Archbishop Balian carried out a detailed study of the manuscripts at the Surp Garabed Vank Monastery in Efkere, as well as at the nearby Surp Danieli Vank.  This book, which is a little short of 100 pages, is the result of that work—a description of the significant books/manuscripts at Surp Garabed Vank and Surp Danieli Vank. Unfortunately, it does not provide a list of all of the holdings at the respective monasteries, but does provide a detailed analysis of perhaps the most significant works.