Due to the Armenian Genocide , thousands of orphans and refugees were resettled in the Middle East and placed in orphanages throughout the region . One hundred thousand orphans were assisted by Near East Relief , an American-led relief organization . An orphanage run by Near East Relief in Ghazir , Lebanon , housed many such orphans . In the early 1920s , as a token of appreciation for Near East Relief having protected them , four hundred orphaned girls wove a carpet over the course of 18 months . It was intended as a gift to the United States , and was formally presented to President Calvin Coolidge on December 4 , 1925 . A label on the back of the rug reads , " In Golden Rule Gratitude to Coolidge " . This is a reference to the " Golden Rule " campaign : each year , on the first Sunday in December , people in the United States were asked to eat only a one-course meal and contribute the money saved to the Near East Relief
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Orphan Rug