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CONSTANTINOPLE ARMENIAN PATRIARCH HOPES THAT DIVINE SERVICE TO BE HELD IN AKHTAMAR SURB KHACH CHURCH AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 03 2007
ISTANBUL, APRIL 3, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. Constantinople
Armenian Patriarch Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian, Van Governor Cakacak
and Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Atilla Goc made speeches
at the March 29 ceremony of opening the Surb Khach (Saint Cross)
church of the Akhtamar Island of Lake Van as a museum. According to the
Istanbul Marmara daily, the Patriarch expressed his satisfaction with
the re-opening of the church the restoration of which was implemented
with the principle of remaining faithful to the original.
Expressing gratitude to the Turkish Ministry of Culture, Van Governor's
Office and Gevash Governor, he mentioned that the fact of re-opening
of the church proves the government's good faith torwads the monuments
of art, and that he is sure that this good faith will tomorrow sprout
with efforst of other well-wishing persons as well. "This building
is finally a church, and this church may be used as a holy place
of belief and tourism," the Patriarch said. He proposed to every
year organize a festival in Akhtamar with different people's games,
exhibition of handicraft works and other events. In the Patriarch's
words, such an initiative "will also help that the dialogue which
we still find difficult to create today will be created between the
peoples. I believe that the government will make a decision in future
that a divine service is held here at least once a year," Archbishop
Mesrop summed up his speech. After the Armenian Patriarch's speech,
the Van Governor made a speech who mentioned that the state of Van
is a crandle of different civilizations. "It is not important to what
civilization the monument belongs, it is necessary that we care of it,"
Ozdemir Cakacak said and invited the whole world to see the natural
and historic beauties of Van. The Minister of Culture of Turkey made
a speech at the end. He reminded all the guests arrived in Van on
the occasion of opening the church that during the long period of
time of the history Eastern and Western values embraced here with
one another and that one of the richest heritages of the world is on
those lands. "The government considers one of its main obligations
to make live the heritages remained from different cultures and pass
them to the next generations. A building was saved and started living
for the next generations," Atilla Goc summed up.
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 03 2007
ISTANBUL, APRIL 3, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. Constantinople
Armenian Patriarch Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian, Van Governor Cakacak
and Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Atilla Goc made speeches
at the March 29 ceremony of opening the Surb Khach (Saint Cross)
church of the Akhtamar Island of Lake Van as a museum. According to the
Istanbul Marmara daily, the Patriarch expressed his satisfaction with
the re-opening of the church the restoration of which was implemented
with the principle of remaining faithful to the original.
Expressing gratitude to the Turkish Ministry of Culture, Van Governor's
Office and Gevash Governor, he mentioned that the fact of re-opening
of the church proves the government's good faith torwads the monuments
of art, and that he is sure that this good faith will tomorrow sprout
with efforst of other well-wishing persons as well. "This building
is finally a church, and this church may be used as a holy place
of belief and tourism," the Patriarch said. He proposed to every
year organize a festival in Akhtamar with different people's games,
exhibition of handicraft works and other events. In the Patriarch's
words, such an initiative "will also help that the dialogue which
we still find difficult to create today will be created between the
peoples. I believe that the government will make a decision in future
that a divine service is held here at least once a year," Archbishop
Mesrop summed up his speech. After the Armenian Patriarch's speech,
the Van Governor made a speech who mentioned that the state of Van
is a crandle of different civilizations. "It is not important to what
civilization the monument belongs, it is necessary that we care of it,"
Ozdemir Cakacak said and invited the whole world to see the natural
and historic beauties of Van. The Minister of Culture of Turkey made
a speech at the end. He reminded all the guests arrived in Van on
the occasion of opening the church that during the long period of
time of the history Eastern and Western values embraced here with
one another and that one of the richest heritages of the world is on
those lands. "The government considers one of its main obligations
to make live the heritages remained from different cultures and pass
them to the next generations. A building was saved and started living
for the next generations," Atilla Goc summed up.