Tweet
GEORGIA FOLLOWS THE EXAMPLE OF AZERBAIJAN IN APPROPRIATION OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE
PanARMENIAN.Net
07.06.2008 GMT+04:00
After the attempts of "Georgianizing" the Church Norashen, Tbilisi
has decided to appropriate the Armenian monastery in Turkey.
The Georgian government, as it shows, has seriously decided on
appropriation of other countries' cultural heritage. After the
attempts of "Georgianizing" the Church Norashen, Tbilisi has decided
to appropriate the Armenian monastery in Turkey. The official
representative of the province of Erzrum, where the monastery
is situated, announced that the Georgia government is looking for
means to renovate the historical monastery in the East of Turkey. The
Monastery of Oshkvank in Chamliyamchat was built in 963 - 973 and is
dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It includes a church, refectory and a separate
wing for manuscripts. The church is one of the biggest cross-domical
temples in the region and preserved its significance till the end of
the 15th century. "In 1985 the Ministry of Culture of Turkey included
the complex into the list of the national heritage of the country.
The logic of the policy of Michael Saakashvili is quite understandable
- there are Armenians still living in Tbilisi, but there are none in
Erzrum, which means that nobody will make any particular fuss out
of it, moreover when one of the ornaments carries inscriptions in
Asomtavruli (an ancient Georgian language). According to a number
of historians, on the territory of the Western Armenia in a given
period of time there were no Georgian churches and the Monastery of
Oshkvank belonged to the Armenian-Chalcedonies. But in any case they
were Armenians; the owners of the Monastery, not Georgians, like
the official Tbilisi wants to prove. As for Turkey; this country
has always had special interest in appropriation of this or that
monastery, especially when it is of an Armenian origin. Till 1915
there were more than 6000 temples and monasteries on the territory
of the Ottoman Empire, by the way, this number is not exact, and
it is quite possible that the number of the temples and monasteries
would reach 10000. The most of these churches, to be more exact, of
what had survived, is on the territory of six vilayets (provinces)
whose Armenian population has been completely slaughtered.
As it has lately been found out, the Georgian mujakhirs from Ajaria
have also taken part in the slaughter of the Armenian and Greek
people. According to the Turkish Professor Ozel, they did it out of
the urge to favor the officials of the Ottoman Empire. In fact the
anti-Armenian policy of Georgia has not started only lately and not
even did it start in 18th century. It may be said that it has always
existed, simply then the Armenians did not have their own state and
that is why on those days all the mistreatments were carried out
in the so-called "common level". It is rather difficult to find any
explanations for such attitude towards the Armenians, but it may be
presumed that the Georgians simply cannot put up with the fact that
they owe the very Armenians for the prosperity of Tbilisi. It must be
reminded to the Georgian government that creating their history at the
expense of other nations is not very nice. In the given issue Georgia
is following Azerbaijan's example, which by itself, is already bad.
The story of the temple in Erzrum is also important for another reason;
during the Armenian massacres carried out in the Ottoman Empire the
population of this city ran away to Georgia, to be more exact, to
Javakh. The Armenian population in Akhaltsikhe is mostly from Erzrum
and there should not be much surprise if one day they are called
Georgians. A rather well-composed version will be made out of it:
the Armenians, who are actually Georgians, built the temple, and
then they ran away to Georgia and the temples were left there. Yet,
let's hope that things will not go this far.
At present Erzrum is one of the Islamic centers of the Turkish
Republic, where nothing ever reminds of the people who once lived
on this land. Around 10 Armenian temples have been preserved on this
territory, and the most significant one among them is the temple to St.
Astvatsatsin and Kizil-vank, which are now in ruins.
The same situation is in Kars, Van and other provinces. Having restored
Church St. Christ in Akhtamar, Turkey government thinks that it has
displayed its "good will" towards the Armenians. Most probably the
temple would have been left like that in ruins if it was not included
in the agenda of UNESCO. The cemetery in Old Jugha was simply meant
to disappear, just like many evidences which could serve as a proof
for being indigenous in the Asia Minor.
PanARMENIAN.Net
07.06.2008 GMT+04:00
After the attempts of "Georgianizing" the Church Norashen, Tbilisi
has decided to appropriate the Armenian monastery in Turkey.
The Georgian government, as it shows, has seriously decided on
appropriation of other countries' cultural heritage. After the
attempts of "Georgianizing" the Church Norashen, Tbilisi has decided
to appropriate the Armenian monastery in Turkey. The official
representative of the province of Erzrum, where the monastery
is situated, announced that the Georgia government is looking for
means to renovate the historical monastery in the East of Turkey. The
Monastery of Oshkvank in Chamliyamchat was built in 963 - 973 and is
dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It includes a church, refectory and a separate
wing for manuscripts. The church is one of the biggest cross-domical
temples in the region and preserved its significance till the end of
the 15th century. "In 1985 the Ministry of Culture of Turkey included
the complex into the list of the national heritage of the country.
The logic of the policy of Michael Saakashvili is quite understandable
- there are Armenians still living in Tbilisi, but there are none in
Erzrum, which means that nobody will make any particular fuss out
of it, moreover when one of the ornaments carries inscriptions in
Asomtavruli (an ancient Georgian language). According to a number
of historians, on the territory of the Western Armenia in a given
period of time there were no Georgian churches and the Monastery of
Oshkvank belonged to the Armenian-Chalcedonies. But in any case they
were Armenians; the owners of the Monastery, not Georgians, like
the official Tbilisi wants to prove. As for Turkey; this country
has always had special interest in appropriation of this or that
monastery, especially when it is of an Armenian origin. Till 1915
there were more than 6000 temples and monasteries on the territory
of the Ottoman Empire, by the way, this number is not exact, and
it is quite possible that the number of the temples and monasteries
would reach 10000. The most of these churches, to be more exact, of
what had survived, is on the territory of six vilayets (provinces)
whose Armenian population has been completely slaughtered.
As it has lately been found out, the Georgian mujakhirs from Ajaria
have also taken part in the slaughter of the Armenian and Greek
people. According to the Turkish Professor Ozel, they did it out of
the urge to favor the officials of the Ottoman Empire. In fact the
anti-Armenian policy of Georgia has not started only lately and not
even did it start in 18th century. It may be said that it has always
existed, simply then the Armenians did not have their own state and
that is why on those days all the mistreatments were carried out
in the so-called "common level". It is rather difficult to find any
explanations for such attitude towards the Armenians, but it may be
presumed that the Georgians simply cannot put up with the fact that
they owe the very Armenians for the prosperity of Tbilisi. It must be
reminded to the Georgian government that creating their history at the
expense of other nations is not very nice. In the given issue Georgia
is following Azerbaijan's example, which by itself, is already bad.
The story of the temple in Erzrum is also important for another reason;
during the Armenian massacres carried out in the Ottoman Empire the
population of this city ran away to Georgia, to be more exact, to
Javakh. The Armenian population in Akhaltsikhe is mostly from Erzrum
and there should not be much surprise if one day they are called
Georgians. A rather well-composed version will be made out of it:
the Armenians, who are actually Georgians, built the temple, and
then they ran away to Georgia and the temples were left there. Yet,
let's hope that things will not go this far.
At present Erzrum is one of the Islamic centers of the Turkish
Republic, where nothing ever reminds of the people who once lived
on this land. Around 10 Armenian temples have been preserved on this
territory, and the most significant one among them is the temple to St.
Astvatsatsin and Kizil-vank, which are now in ruins.
The same situation is in Kars, Van and other provinces. Having restored
Church St. Christ in Akhtamar, Turkey government thinks that it has
displayed its "good will" towards the Armenians. Most probably the
temple would have been left like that in ruins if it was not included
in the agenda of UNESCO. The cemetery in Old Jugha was simply meant
to disappear, just like many evidences which could serve as a proof
for being indigenous in the Asia Minor.