Qiyomijian, Ohannes
QIYOMIJIAN, OHANNES
Early-twentieth-century Ottoman official in Lebanon.
Ohannes Qiyomijian was born in Istanbul to an Armenian Catholic family. After completing his formal education, he was appointed to the Foreign Ministry. He served as a counselor for the embassy of the Ottoman Empire in Rome. He was twice asked to become a mutasarrif in Lebanon before he accepted the assignment in January 1912. Among his responsibilities was adding a member from Dayr alQamar to the Administrative Council and revising the election laws. Qiyomijian established commercial courts and opened ports in Juniya and Nabi Yunis. He enlarged the army to 1,200 and raised the salaries of the soldiers after their sit-in strike in Baʿabda. In 1913, he imported salt and tobacco directly into Lebanon in return for fees paid to the treasury of Mount Lebanon. Turkish mass killings of Armenians led Cemal Paşa to insist on his dismissal and he tendered his resignation in June 1915.
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