RESTORING ANI: ARMENIAN SPECIALISTS EXPECT TO BE PART OF TURKEY-LED EFFORTS FOR ANCIENT ARMENIAN CAPITAL
By GAYANE ABRAHAMYAN
ARTS AND CULTURE | 16.11.12 | 11:36
Photolure
St.Savior church in Ani
ArmeniaNow reporter
The first stage of restoration works of Armenia’s most beautiful
ancient capital Ani in modern-day Turkey (Western Armenia) has
been completed, but the issue of Armenian experts’ participation
in the three-year restoration project of Ani’s four churches is
yet unresolved.
Enlarge Photo Samvel Karapetyan
Enlarge Photo Armenian “inscriptions” next to ancient frescos of
Tigran Honents church
Enlarge Photo
For several years now Turkish press has been trumpeting that the
Turkish government is spending huge money on the restoration of
medieval city of Ani, which is in ruins.
However, the actual works started a few months ago, in August, and
are mostly sponsored by World Monuments Fund and US ambassadors’
Cultural Fund created by the US Congress and functioning as part of
the US State Department – the total of $1 million has been allotted
for this purpose.
As part of the restoration plan ancient St Astvatsatsin (Virgin Mariam)
cathedral and half-ruined St Savior’s church will be fortified and
repaired, roads to the monuments arranged and research excavations
will be carried out.
International Council on Monuments and Sites ICOMOS-Armenia leader
Gagik Gyurjyan is convinced that Armenian experts will have access
to the restoration commission.
“Last year a resolution was adopted during the session of ICOMOS’s
general assembly, demanding to include international experts in Ani’s
restoration project. The expert group has not yet been formed, but
I am almost sure that Armenian experts will take part in the coming
stage of works,” Gyurjyan told ArmeniaNow.
He believes that Armenian experts’ participation in the next year’s
work is more important because so far only the technical part has
been completed – roads have been repaired, fragments of the churches
have been collected and numbered.
It is not clear to what extent it is planned to restore as St Savior
is half-ruined and it isn’t known whether they are planning to fully
restore it or just fortify it.
“The extent of intervention during the repair depends on the amount
of surviving original pieces – if it’s sufficient to restore 60-70
percent of the monument, then total restoration is possible. But it
might be better not to intervene to avoid distortion,” says Gyurjyan.
By its attention to Armenian cultural heritage the Turkish government
pursues several goals, dictated by self-interest. As experts in
Armenia on Turkish studies often claim it is done to demonstrate to
the international community how caring they are of Christian heritage.
But architects and archeologists see another purpose – a dangerous
hidden agenda to erase Armenian traces.
“In the 1990s the Turkish government was implementing various kinds
of excavations and research, but everything that was unearthed was
destroyed shortly after to get rid of the Armenian traces,” Samvel
Karapetyan, head of an NGO studying Armenian architecture and cultural
heritage, told ArmeniaNow.
The lengthy text on the information panel next to the museum in the
ruins of Ani – 1051 years ago proclaimed as the 11th Armenian capital
– says nothing about Armenians, Ani’s Armenian origin or it being
Armenia’s capital at any point in history. None of the other panels
installed there have any such references.
“This is not unique to Ani, all the other Armenian monuments in Turkey
share that same fate – not only their Armenian origin or any relation
to it is not mentioned, but Armenian names, Armenian kings’ names
are deliberately altered deluding both foreign and local visitors,”
says Karapetyan.
He recalls how in 2004 when he visited Ani excavations were being
carried out at queen Katranideh’s mausoleum adjoining the cathedral’s
eastern facade and the entire sepulchral complex. Two Armenian
clergymen’s graves were discovered with Armenian inscriptions on
the tombstones.
“The following year we found them completely fractured, the remains
dug out and scattered around. And it’s not like it happened somewhere
in the mountains to be blamed on treasure-hunters, but in the museum
under close watch of a big group of security guards,” says Karapetyan.
Nonetheless, he reminds that Armenians can’t very much point the
finger since for years they themselves have been negligent and “helped”
the destruction of Ani.
Next to the ruins of Ani by the River Akhuryan on the Armenian-Turkish
border, the Armenian side had been exploiting a tufa mine until
2004 using explosives; the Turkish side periodically criticized this
calling to stop the blasts.
“In reality we were damaging our richest historical heritage by using
explosives at a site where eminent archeologist Nicholas Marr did not
allow to shut a bullet, as the sound waves from the shot would damage
the half-ruined monuments. That’s an example of our indifference, our
negligence that’s apparent at all our sacred sites,” says Karapetyan.
While two years ago the Turkish government was repairing and,
experts say, successfully fortifying Ani’s Tigran Honents Church,
Armenian tourists thought it was their duty to leave their traces
by writing their names and visit dates next to the ancient frescos
inside the church.
“In this highlight our voice is too frail to raise and complain of
possible distortions,” says Karapetyan, but gives assurances that the
Armenian side has to see to it that the restoration is done properly.
From: A. Papazian
http://www.armenianow.com/arts_and_culture/41151/ani_western_armenia_turkey_restoration_monuments