Lower Baghjaghaz

Lower Baghjaghaz is located between upper Baghjaghaz and Fakehasan. The original dwellers settled in the village at the beginning of the 20th century. By the end of the century the families had grown and were separated into several quarters named after each family. For example, the quarter of Petellek, Chapetlek, Haneshlek, and the quarter of Chatallek which was the biggest one. The Armenian dwellers of the village spoke in Turkish and very few of them understood the dialect of Kessab. They were registered without the suffix ‘ian’ attached to their surnames such as Sarmaz, Aramal, Kel Yaghoub and Hanash.
The Armenian quarters in lower Baghjaghaz were not attached to any religious communities and they were considered as a part of Fakehassan; one of Bassit’s villages. The dwellers of Chattalek and Kabachinar decided to enroll under the Latin’s supervision. The Latin Armenians of the Francescan order established a monastery in the Armenian quarters and they took the Armenian dwellers under their supervision. They bought a huge landscape in Kabachinar to serve this purpose.
During the same period, the Armenians in lower Baghjaghaz had their own religious representative and also gained self rule and religious freedom.
In 1909, the Armenian refugees from the south-eastern villages of Kessab found refuge in the monastery and then moved to Bassit aided by the monks of the monastery and then were transported to Lattakia via boats. The Turkish tyranny didn’t arrive to Baghjaghaz and the villagers were able to return to their houses after few days of the plunder.
In August 1915, the villagers were deported towards Jeser al-shoughour, Aleppo and Hama. Three quarters of the villagers were killed during the genocide.
In 1922, the Turks returned to their villages after the French authorities entered Kessab and they lived in peace with the Armenians in Kessab and its regions.
When the Hattai authority was ruling the area in 1938-1939, the communication between Kessab and the dwellers of Baghjaghaz became impossible. People wanted by the Hattai authorities used to pass the boarders and stay as fugitives in Baghjaghaz.
In 1947, the majority of the villagers repatriated to Armenia.
In 1960, the expatriation phenomenon left the village completely abandoned.

Schools
The Franciscan mission found a school in the village in 1904. The curriculum was not thought in Armenian, but either in French or Turkish languages. In 1930, this school was transformed into a primary school and the Armenian language was adopted as the main teaching language.
The Armenian Latin community in lower Baghjaghaz was dissolved in 1946, but the school remained functioning as the school of the Armenian Catholic community. In 1948, this school was permanently closed.
In 1955, the Armenian Catholic community opened a new primary school with a nursery attached to it in response to the requests applied by the inhabitants of the region, but this school functioned only for one year.
From 1957 to 1960 this school functioned as a division of the united national educational school of Kessab.