Nazlι was born in Kayseri (Caesarea) in 1814 and later moved to Constantinople. She was one of the most sophisticated and well-educated Armenians of her time and along with Armenian and Turkish knew French and Greek. She had a great contribution to education and enlightenment of Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire. The prominent Hripsimiantz Girls’ School in Ortaköy, (Surb Hṛip’simyants’, 1859) and the Foundation of the Charitable Women (Aghk’atakhnam tiknants’ ĕnkerut‛iwn, 1864) which was a unique institution in Armenian reality were established with her endeavors[1]. The future Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, Malachia Ormanian said about her that while words woman and education were considered as contradictions she set out with overseeing education of women[2]. Nazlι Vahan was engaged in the upbringing of her daughter Srbuhi Dussab who later got involved in propaganda of feministic ideas in Armenian reality. Srbuhi Dussab said about her mother, “You framed for me the way where one enters to work, enlighten, assist and to forgive.”
[1] See Sharuryan A., Srbuhi Tyusab (Dussape), Historical-philological journal, 1961, N 3-4, p. 166. See Harutyunyan, Anahit, Yereveli tiknants’ darĕ, Hay kanants’ hasarakakan gortsuneutyunĕ XIX darum ev XX daraskzbin, From now on: Century of Outstanding Women, Armenian women’s social activities at 19th and 20th the beginning of centuries, Yerevan 2005, p. 36.
[2] See Masis newspaper, Constantinople (Istanbul), 1884, N 3733, p. 103-110.