SOURP MAGAR GREETS 200 GIBRAHAYER PILGRIMS AFTER 33 YEARS IN CAPTIVITY
Gibrahayer – Nicosia May 9, 2007 – The pilgrimage to the Turkish occupied
Armenian Monastery of Sourp Magar, organised by the Armenian MP Vartkes
Mahdessian’s office and The Armenian Prelature of Cyprus took place last Sunday 6th
of May, 2007 with the participation of more than 200 community members –
most of whom were visiting the Armenian Monastery for the first time in 33
years.
Going through memory lane participants remembered similar days, decades ago
when the community would gather for the annual Harissa, when Sundays would
turn to a community happening and when the land of Cilicia would be visible by
the naked eye especially during winter, when snow would cover the Taurus
mountain on the opposite shore only 40 miles away.
Sourp Magar Monastery is a very different place now.
Destroyed and abandoned, it greeted the 200 pilgrims with its empty walls,
empty floors and empty ceilings.
The warmest welcome perhaps came from the current administrator of the
Monastery – Ahmed and his father – who run the canteen and have been granted a
"lease" for the monastery for 49 years.
"We were against the decision of turning the Monastery to a hotel, but we
would like the Monastery to be restored somehow. We respect Christians and we
would like to see the cross on Sourp Magar some day", young Ahmed said in
perfect English.
The pilgrims explored every corner of what once was a very lively place
while its abandoned and destroyed walls, evoked emotions and images of the past.
Ahmed and his family hope to see the Monastery restored. Community members
were quick to suggest that any renovation, alteration or restoration by
UNESCO, or any other international body, should be done with the approval of the
owner of the Monastery, who is the Armenian Church of Cyprus.
One thing is apparent however, that whether we have a political solution to
the Cyprus problem or not, and whether the borders are eventually opened or
not, we quickly need to address the initial vandalism and eventual destruction
by natural causes through neglect, of the Armenian Monastery of Sourp Magar.
As one of the pilgrims architect John Guevherian was heard evaluating, it is
only a matter of time that the already existing structures and walls will be
unable to sustain another blow of extreme weather. Who knows when this will
be? Most likely it will be before the political settlement of the Cyprus
problem.
That is why we all need to address the restoration of Magaravank, in a
carefully thought-out process that will not upset the delicate political balances
and restore a religious site with immense historical and architectural value,
belonging to the Armenian Church of Cyprus.
Perhaps the restoration of Apostolos Andreas Monastery in the Karpass
peninsula and the Aghtamar Church in Van in historic Armenia, should serve as
examples of how we should engineer the campaign for the restoration of Sourp Magar.
News from the Turkish Cypriot press
Ermenilerin Sourp Magar Manastirina 33 yil sonra ilk ziyaret
Kibris Alternatif Haber:
Ermenilerin onemli kutsal yerlerinden Besparmak eteklerindeki Sourp Magar
Manastiri dun (6 Mayis 2007) 33 yil aradan sonra 200 kisilik bir grup
tarafindan ziyaret edilerek, kisa bir de ayin yapildi. 200’e yakin Ermeni 5 otobus ve
kisisel araclari ile BM kontrolunde Sourp Magar Manastirina geldi. St
Makarios’a da adanmis Manastir’daki ayin Makarios’un ‘kutsal isim gunu’ olmasi
nedeniyle duzenlenmisti ve 74 once geleneksel olarak buraya Ermenileri bir gece
once gelerek bu etkinligi baslatirlar, yemekler yapilir, ozellikle herseler
kaynatilir ve ertesi gune hazirlanilirdi. Bu sene tum hazirliklar guney
Lefkosa’daki Ermeni Kilisesinde yapildi, Pazar sabahi da, saat 12’de Kermiya
Kapisindan gecerek otobuslerle Manastira ziyarete gidildi.
74’den sonrasi, 33 yil aradan sonra yapilan bu etkinlige Turkiye Ermeni
Patrigi Mesrob Mutafyan’in da gelmek istedigi ama TC tarafindan gerekli iznin
verilmedigi de resmi olmayan guvenilir kaynaklardan ogrenildi…
Sourp Magar Manastiri
SOURP MAGAR MANASTIRI ilk olarak M.S.1000 yillarinda bir Koptik manastir
olarak kurulmus ve Iskenderiye’li aziz St. Makarios’a adanmistir. Meryem
Manastiri olarak da anilmaktadir. 15. yy. basinda Ermeni Kilisesi’ne gecen
manastir, zamanla Ermeni hacilarinin Kudus’e giderlerken gecis noktasi islevini
gormustur. 1974 yilina kadar bu islevi surmustur. Lefkosa’da yasayan Ermeni
toplumu tarafindan yazlik olarak da kullanilmaktaydi.
Su andaki kalintilar 19. yy’a aittir.
Bu kadar onemli bir Manastirin harabe durumda olmasi ve sanki kendi
mallariymis gibi kuzeyde yonetimde olanlarin 49 yilligina burayi birine kiralamis
olmasi aslinda skandalin diger boyutu¦
Tum diger kilise, manastir ve benzeri kutsal yerler gibi burasi da
yagmalanmis, icindeki degerli tum ikon ve kutsal esyalar calinmis, icindeki yazitlar
tahrip edilmis ve Manastira da ciddi zarar verilmis durumda¦
Kibris mozaiginin onemli bir parcasi olan Ermenilerin gecmiste Kibrisli
Turklerle bircok yerde birlikte yasamalarindan da dolayi, sayili olan kutsal
yerlerinin bircogunun kuzeyde olmasi trajedinin boyutu artirmakta, tum izlerin
silinme ile yuz yuze kalmasina neden olmaktadir. Onemli Ermeni Kiliselerinden
biri su anda Arabahmet bolgesinde yer almakta ve yakin bir zamanda
restorasyonu yapilmaya baslanacak ama onun da durumu icler acisi¦
Dunku kutsal gunde, Ermeni toplulugu temsilcileri, kendi dillerinde, zaman
zaman da Turkce, Sourp Magar Manastirinin Ermeni Kilisesinin kullanimina geri
verilmesi ve restore edilmesi icin destek olunmasi dilediler¦
daha fazla fotograf icin
MagarPiligrimage
The cost of freedom of speech
Dear readers,
As this is one of only two community media that accepted to publish a
newsletter ("gotch") issued by the Melkonian Alumni Association of Cyprus in
October 2004 and addressed to its members, where Nicosia architect Nazo Davidian
took offence from the contents and subsequently is suing Artsagang, Gibrahayer,
their respective representatives, as well as the two leaders of the
Melkonian Alumni (Shavasb Bohdjalian and Masis der Parthogh), we are obliged to
present our legal defence in court in order to stand up for freedom of speech.
This of course has a financial cost.
The community organisations and media are already strained to finance their
own and other fund-raising projects. So, in order not to burden existing
efforts or to divert money from worthwhile causes are other more important
projects that benefit the community and the Armenian nation in general, we would be
pleased to accept contributions for our legal defence.
Feel free to send any contributions to: Gibrahayer Freedom of Speech Defence
Fund
Rest assured that by supporting our democratic right to publish announcements
of benefit to the community and the wider diaspora, your contributions will
not be considered as being hostile to the Plaintiff."
Gibrahayer e-magazine – Nicosia 18 April, 2007
Caption of the week
News in Brief – by Sevag Devledian
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan told ambassadors of OSCE countries that
the government was determined to hold the forthcoming parliamentary elections
in accordance with international criteria.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has stated principles of settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the talks on which with Armenia are in progress.
"A principal demand consists in that all seven occupied areas of Azerbaijan,
including Kelbachar and Lachin, must be freed," he said at the opening of a
settlement for refugees in a suburb of Baku. Armenia’s position on the
settlement of the Artsakh conflict has not changed and is based on the recognition
of Karabagh’s right to self-determination.
A Military parade devoted to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, to 15th
anniversary of Artsakh’s Defence Army and to liberation of the town of
Shushi was held in Artsakh on May 9, while a rally was held in Baku to mark the
15th anniversary
of occupation of Shushi.
The Christian Upbringing Department of the Catholicosate of the Great House
of Cilicia released a new CD dedicated to Easter, which contains sharakans
(Armenian church psalms) about the resurrection of Christ. This CD is the
result of joint work of monks from Van. It is of instructive significance and will
be especially useful for pupils of Sunday schools and teachers of religion.
The CD has its DVD with the karaoke possibility for sharakans, and all this
is accompanied by Armenia’s natural sceneries and images of monasteries
Opinion polls are showing that the governing Republican Party of Armenia and
the pro-government Prosperous Armenia Party should command a comfortable
majority of votes in Armenia’s parliamentary elections on May 12. Some
opposition parties, however, claim the findings are fraudulent.
Armenia, Cambodia, Macedonia and Romania have decided to join the Global
Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, the US Department of State reported.
A monument has been erected in Sochi in remembrance of the first anniversary
of the A-320 air tragedy. In May 2006 an Armenian airplane crushed into the
water near Adler airport. Head of Russian south Eparchy of the Armenian
Apostolic Church Movses Movsesyan sanctified the monument, which was placed on the
vicinity of "St. Minasyan" Armenian church.
Nakajima Hideharu’s book titled "The Armenian Genocide: History and Culture
of the Armenian people" was released in April. The author of the book paid
his first visit to Armenia in 1980, after which he started investigating
Armenian history. Nakajima Hideharu visited a number of places in the Armenian
Plateau – Kars, Ani, Igdir, Van, Akhtamar, Bitlis, Diarbekir, Mush, Erzrum, etc.
Hideharu initiated the establishment of the "Japanese Institute of Armenia"
in 1991 (currently the Japan-Armenia Friendship Association. Before that in
1990 he published his first book titled "Armenia: Flash of hope in the history."
Latest from EUROVISION on Armenia, Cyprus, Greece and Turkey
Branches of love: Armenia’s big ballad – Esctoday.com
In one of the most beautiful sets, Hayko performed Armenia’s Anytime You
Need at the Hartwall Arena today, the last of the fourteen finalists to take to
the stage to rehearse.
Several of the ballad acts this year make wonderful use of the wind machine,
and Hayko is no exception; here, the effect is heightened by the white
ribbons tied to the leafless branches of the tree behind the singer. Red branches
entwine the whole stage on the screens below and behind Hayko as well,
forming large heart symbols on either side.
Blinding white light beams from the tree out into the hall as the song
begins, Hayko standing with his back to the audience and one arm raised. Stars
fall, snow-like, at the back of the stage. The artist is a real master of the b
allad, giving a secure, professional performance front-stage, remaining on the
spot whilst two red-clad backing singers, a drum player and traditional
dancer provide the movement behind him.
As expected with a big ballad, the shots are a combination of slow moving
close-ups on Hayko and glides around the stage, and slow, zooming pans of the ar
ena with Hayko cocooned in red branches at the front of the hall. Close-ups
on Hayko frame the softly blowing tree branches perfectly.
Switching to Armenian at the end of the song was a stroke of genius; the
effect is an emotional one, and suddenly Hayko sounds more sincere and heartfelt
than ever in the big build.
Robotica electronica: Cyprus’ second rehearsal – Esctoday.com
Cyprus’ Evridiki completed her second rehearsal in Hartwall this morning, in
front of a gradually growing crowd of press and fans in the hall. She
performed Comme ci, comme ça four times, looking intensely captivated by the music
and receiving rapturous applause from the audience.
The team, like several other delegations, have been experimenting with
backgrounds and light settings, and now Evridiki sings with her band in front of
an overwhelming ornate blue stone-textured pattern. Although this is a little
overpowering in the hall, it looks good on screen, and the electric colours
suit the song’s electronica vibe. The camera cuts and sweeping angles are
giving the presentation a real wow factor.
Evridiki herself is a vision in metallic silvers and black, against the
moltern white and blue patterns. These halt suddenly for her raised microphone
robot dance, and her jerky, robotic dance movements are a feature which run
throughout the song, which Evridiki throws herself into, body and soul. At
times, she looks crazed on screen, with intense, glaring expressions, but the
effect is striking rather than disturbing – as if she is a woman taken over and
controlled by the mechanics of the beat. It is a shocking, but ultimately very
impressive performance. The presentation is self-consciously super-cool, and
the frosty, machine colours only serve to accentuate this.
Summer’s out: Red is the order of Greece’s day – Esctoday.com
The Summer vibe is out for Greece, and Cypriot-born Sarbel’s set has been
replaced by vibrant, hot reds swaying behind him for Yassou, Maria. Enjoying
one of the strongest home support crowds of all the entries, the Greek
rehearsal was guaranteed a deafening reception on every run.
Molten red sparks fall behind the band as the music starts, with a burning
strip of bright lava red running down the centre of the stage. Sarbel and the
girls are silhouetted against this in the camera shot as the introduction
kicks off. The screens fill with red stars as the song progresses, switching
between red smoke animations in between. Crazy spinning white lights accompany
the Greek dance break to energy-popping effect.
Sarbel’s ladies are positively sizzling around him – set off by the sexy
reds – and really know how to move and work the camera. The guy himself knows a
thing or two as well, and together they pull off another set of amazing
performances of the classic Euro-topping dance routine. Sarbel interacts with the
camera with a whole array of cheeky, knowingly cheesy facial expressions – he
is definitely the cheeky boy to go with the cheeky girl of the song’s lyric.
The dance makes use of blue ribbons around the girls’ waists in moves very
reminiscent of last year’s Armenian Andre’s entry or Tukey’s Sertab Erener’s
entry of 2003.
Sarbel’s vocal was more together in today’s rehearsal; if this is the year
for Medi-dance, then Sarbel and the Greek delegation may well grab the votes,
as they employ all the tricks in the Eurovision book to superb effect on
stage and screen.
Kenan shakes it a second time – Esctoday.com
Kenan Dogulu ran through his Turkish entry for 2007 once again today, at his
second rehearsal for Shake It Up Shekerim.
Kenan’s female dance quartet appear in classical, white anatolian costumes
for today’s rehearsal, and look almost like four muses on the screen. Kenan
himself provides the East-West contrast by dressing in jeans, a grey V-neck top
and a white T-shirt.
The choreography brings a real sense of Eastern spice to the performance,
and the mood is set like this over the intro as the cameras travel across the
hall to zoom in on the girls dancing around Kenan, shrouded beneath cloth. The
words SHAKE IT are now emblazoned across the stage screens as the cameras
move in.
Wide, mobile shots with the spider cam make the most of the bling colours
filling the set on all sides, whilst there are plenty of close-ups of Kenan and
the dancers, who never stray far from their master’s side.
Kenan is a very laid back performer who seems to do more or less his own
thing on stage while the girls follow a set routine around him. The solid dance
routine certainly helps bring a lot of structure to the overall performance,
and Kenan is left to do what a singer does best rather than worry too much
about joining in. He does manage to strut his stuff for part of the song,
however, something his fans will be glad to see.
Sports – by Sevag Devledian
After a campaign that stopped at the quarter finals in singles and doubles
of the under 10 and under 12 championships Yanos Kouyoumdjian and Edmond
Aynedjian are eyeing the Field Club tournament in Nicosia that begins this week.
Ex Cyprus Davis Cup star Haig Ashdjian and Cyprus seniors champion Simon
Aynedjian are teaming up again and contesting the ITF Seniors Doubles Cup in an
international tournament that begins in Larnaca this week. The Armenian duo
are facing Michael Chang and Stephen Pellat of Great Britain in round two.
In the Cyprus Futsal Cup AGBU Ararat will face arch rivals Parnasos. The
first of the two legged semi-final will take place on the 11th of May and the
second game on the 18th of May.
Hovhannes Davtyan enjoyed the victory in the World Judo Super-Cup held in
Moscow. He took the first place in the 60-kg category. Prior to the Moscow
tournament, Hovhannisyan was awarded a silver medal in the European Championship.
Another Armenian sportsman Mesrob Barbaryan took the fifth place in the
66-kg category. At the moment the Armenian judoists are preparing for World
Cup’s next phase which kicks off in Bucharest on May 19-20.
"Armenian may soon become the official language of FIDE," the president of
FIDE Kirsan Ilumzhinov said while opening the series of match between World
Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik and Armenian champion Levon Aronyan. He pointed
out the brilliant victories of Armenian chess-players, particularly, the
victory of Levon Aronyan at World Cup in 2005 and the victories of the National
Team of Armenia in the last Olympic Games and the European women’s
championship.
New Soccer practise program announced at AYMA -HMEM
AYMA – HMEM Cyprus announces that the following schedule for soccer training
will be followed with coach Nazaret Terzian at AYMA.
Every Thursday from 7 until 8:30pm for youngsters 14+
Every Friday from 7 until 8:00 pm training for under 13 youngsters.
New players are welcome to join !
Zaruhi Harutyunyan
Direct contributions to her Academy Account may be made at Wells Fargo Bank.
Rout. # 121000248. Acct.# 122000247:6173349975
g i b r a h a y c a l e n d a r & e v e n t s
Friday May 11 2007 at 8:00 pm – Opening of a new Armenian club in Nicosia.
Nor Serount Cultural Association by one of its founders Bebo Simonian. Address
G.Christodoulou street Number 5. All are welcome.
Saturday May 12 2007 at 5:00 pm – Mother’s Day organised by Nor Serount at
Armenian Prelature’s Utudjian Hall. Speaker of the Day: Dr.Arda Jebedjian.
Wednesday May 16, 2007 – Nareg Sports Day – Marzahantes
Sunday 27 May – Temagan Elections
Sunday 27 May at 8:00 pm – Hamazkayin Cyprus "Oshagan" Chapter Timag Group’s
presents "Sirahar Khenter". Director: Janna Tahmizian.
28-30 June 2007 Yerevan – Armenia – International Medical Congress in
Yerevan. Doctors from Cyprus wishing to participate may contact The Armenian
Embassy in Greece on 210-6831130 until March 31, 2007.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
