Career
He is widely credited with having laid the bases for Turkey"s modern and nationally renowned performing arts institution that became İstanbul City Theatres (İstanbul Şehir Tiyatroları). In his qualities of organizer, sponsor and figure of support for writers and spectators, Güllü Agop is one of the 19th century pioneers of the Turkish theatre art as a whole. Vartovyan was born in 1840 in Istanbul with the name Agop Vartovyan to Armenian parents.
"Güllü Agop" (literally Jacob the Rosy) was the name under which he had come to be known in the world of theatre.
He works an academician in the university and is chairman of Environmental Engineering. Güllü Agop had another son called İhsan Aşkın.
After retiring from the army where he served as colonel, he became an actor and took part in around 50 movies.