Armenian violinists of Amasia

The photograph shows the Armenian violinists of Amasia (Amasya), a group of young musicians who, through their art, preserved Armenian cultural identity in the years of the Ottoman Empire. According to the source, such groups performed at weddings, festivities and public gatherings, passing Armenian melodies from generation to generation.

The musicians wear dark suits, and many hold violins and bows. Numbers are handwritten above the heads of several of them.