In the summer of 1915 , the Vali of Diyarbekir , Reşit Bey , commenced the Armenian Genocide in Mardin . Under the direction of Mardin 's police chief , Mahmdouh Bey , Archbishop Maloyan , along with almost all of the clergy and faithful of his Archdiocese , was force-marched into the desert . The column of deportees was escorted to a Kurdish village , Aderchek , near Cheikhan ( Sheikhan ) , where 100 of their number were taken by Turkish troops to nearby caves and murdered . As he watched his priests and faithful massacred in front of him , Mahmdouh Bey , offered to spare the Archbishop 's life if he would convert to Islam . Maloyan first vowed loyalty to the Sultan in all purely civil matters , but added , " I 've told you I shall live and die for the sake of my faith and religion . I take pride in the Cross of my God and Lord . " This enraged Mahmdouh Bey , who ordered the column to depart for a valley about four hours ' distance from Diyarbekir . There , on June 10 , the remaining 200 deportees were killed and Maloyan was personally executed by Mahmdouh Bey . The local Kurdish population stripped the clothes from the bodies of the victims , which remained untouched for five hours until they were all collected , doused with petrol , and burned
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Ignatius Maloyan