His father, Levon, was born in the village of Passen, near Erzurum, and his mother, Satenig, was born in the village of Govdun, near Sivas.
Levon, cha của ông sinh ra trong làng Passen, gần Erzurum, và mẹ ông Satenig sinh ra trong làng Govdun, gần Sivas.