Category: 2020

1 –        Remnants of an Old

            Armenian Village Near Ankara

            By Harut Sassounian

            Publisher, The California Courier

            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

2-         To Prevent Spread of Coronavirus, Armenia Partly Closes Iran Border

3 –        Expert Inspections Confirm Armenian Legacy

            of 8th Century ‘Jeweled Gun Of Sultan Mahmud I’

4-         Attorney Seepan Parseghian Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief

            to Recover Picasso Painting Sold during Holocaust

5-         Renowned researcher, historian, architectural expert

            Samvel Karapetyan passes away at 58

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1 –        Remnants of an Old

            Armenian Village Near Ankara

            By Harut Sassounian

            Publisher, The California Courier

            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

Argun Konuk, a 24-year-old Turkish travel and history enthusiast,
published a recent article about the Armenian village of Stanoz
located near Ankara.

Konuk reported that Stanoz was “once a prosperous Armenian village in
the Ottoman era, now, nothing but ruins and tombstones…. Old Armenian
manuscripts reveal that the first inhabitants of the village of Stanoz
came from Cilicia in the 15th century. As records show, the population
of Stanoz before World War I was 3142 people (668 families) and
consisted of Armenians only. Up until its abandonment, Stanoz remained
an Armenian-speaking settlement.”

The residents of the village of Stanoz were skilled in carpet weaving,
embroidery and leather processing. Furthermore, they produced fabric
from goat hair which was in high demand in Europe. The villagers were
also knowledgeable about agriculture, cattle-breeding and
construction.

Konuk also reported that unfortunately the only things that remain in
Stanoz now are the graveyard, a stone bridge, and ruins of an Armenian
Church. The damage was mostly caused by Turkish gravediggers or
treasure hunters. The size of the graveyard keeps shrinking as the
Turkish neighbors have been encroaching on the property.

Stanoz was mentioned in the journals of many travelers for centuries.
An 18th Century British military officer, Frederick Burnaby, reported
that during his visit to Stanoz, one of the Armenian priests told him
that Armenians of Stanoz live in peace with people who practice Islam
and Judaism.

Konuk also reported that “the well-known Turkish traveler Evliya
Celebi shared remarkable anecdotes in his journal about this village
after his visit in 1643. He spoke of Stanoz as a wealthy town with
impressive productivity. Furthermore, he shared that Stanoz had a
thousand dwellings, a big bazaar, a fully functioning Turkish bath and
even a laundromat.”

There were three religious buildings in Stanoz: Sourp Prgich Church,
Karasoun Manoug Church, and a Protestant Church. There were two
Armenian schools: Sourp Ghevontyan School with 140 male and 40 female
students and Lusignan School with 50 male and 35 female students.

Due to the Genocide and deportation of Armenians by Ottoman Turkey,
many Stanoz residents were either killed or fled the area leaving the
village as a ghost town.

The writer found that currently only three Armenians live in Stanoz.
Kevork Balabian, who was born in Stanoz, told Konuk: “Stanoz had 1200
households and a population of 7-8 thousand. Ottomans valued Stanoz a
lot. At the time, the Armenian population of Stanoz migrated to modern
cities such as Istanbul, Marseille and Beirut. Only my wife and I, who
came from Hatay, and our daughter live in the region. I go there often
as I have a farm and a vineyard. Some treasure hunters come there in
hopes of pillaging and finding some valuable artifacts but they are
afraid of me so they mostly leave. We have graves there and I still
look after them”

An old Turk told Kunuk: “We all grew up with Armenians, went to the
same schools. Back then if you were hungry, you could easily knock on
an Armenian’s door and ask for food and it was the same for them. We
did many things together. There was an Armenian doctor whose name was
Mihran Kiremitchi. Every single child who was born in this region owes
him so much as he cared for everyone and cured everyone’s child
regardless of ethnicity and social class. We never saw him asking for
money from anyone. And again, weddings, funerals, everything else, we
did together with the Armenians. We even celebrated religious holidays
together. They used to paint eggs and we used to sacrifice animals. We
miss them.”

An Armenian by the name of M. Suryan wrote in Aravod newspaper on
April 28, 1919: “Some of the houses of Armenian residents who were
exiled during World War I were looted and robbed. A considerable part
of Albanians and Bosnians resettled in these abandoned homes. The new
residents demolished many of the structures and provided firewood by
removing wooden pillars, floor-ceiling boards of many homes. Moreover,
instead of acquiring wood from the forest, they cut the fruit trees in
the gardens to warm up. The aftermath was appalling as this notable
village became dilapidated ruins. Gradz Kar, a small Armenian village,
which consisted of twenty houses, located an hour away from Stanoz,
also suffered the same fate.”

Konuk is highly offended that Turkish gravediggers have violated the
sanctity of the Armenian graves: “The graveyard is particularly in
such an abject condition that human bones are scattered around the
graves that are pillaged by the treasure hunters and many of the
tombstones are damaged. The tombstones are priceless. Each of them
represent historical importance, however, their current state is
heartbreaking. Even now after devastating centuries, there are still
many artifacts and historical objects lying around. For me the most
appalling thing was to see some human bones scattered around the
graves. In hopes of finding gold or other valuable goods, treasure
hunters dig the graves illegally and throw around the bones of the
Armenians who are resting there eternally. Undeniably, this is an
extreme case of disrespect.”

Konuk concluded his report with the following heart-warming words: “We
Turks lived with Armenians in peace for centuries and I believe this
place should carry the same importance as other Turkish cemeteries.
Regardless of ethnicity and religion, the Turkish state should have
taken measures to protect the memory of this village. Unfortunately,
the future of Stanoz seems bleak. It is quite sad to see that this old
and notable settlement completely vanished…. After five months of my
first visit, I decided to go there again and it shocked me to see that
many tombstones were missing! The Armenians of Stanoz were our kin.
Who knows what stories and secrets this settlement has to tell us.
Unfortunately we will never learn them.”

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2-         To Prevent Spread of Coronavirus, Armenia Partly Closes Iran Border

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)— Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Iraj
Harirchi said on Monday, February 24 that 12 people have died and up
to 61 have been infected with coronavirus in the country. Most of the
cases in Iran have been in Qom, a Shi’ite Muslim holy city 120
kilometers south of the capital Tehran.

On Tuesday, February 25, Harirchi announced that he had contracted
coronavirus and placed himself in isolation. Harirchi posted a video
on social media on Tuesday acknowledging he had caught the virus. The
news underscored widespread fears that the outbreak may have passed a
tipping point, before authorities had been able to gauge its full
extent.

Images of one of the country’s most senior public health officials
appearing sweaty and pale and acknowledging he had contracted the
disease left many Iranians deeply troubled and are likely to further
paralyze a county reeling from its rapid onset. In the short video,
Hirachi acknowledged that “many may get infected” echoing concerns
that have taken root in the rest of the Middle East, which is home to
millions of people living in densely packed refugee camps.

“I wanted to tell you that I got corona,” said Harirchi. “I had a
fever yesterday. The tests came back positive last night. I isolated
myself. Just a few moments ago, I was told that the final test came.
I’ll start taking medicine. Generally, I feel fine. I just felt a bit
tired, I had a fever, and it will drop.

“Be sure with the effort of the medical staff and ministry of health
headed by the [health minister] and with your support and the state
and military within the coming weeks, we’ll be victorious against this
virus.

“We’ll defeat corona. Be assured. I’m saying this deep from my heart.
This virus is democratic, and it doesn’t distinguish between poor and
rich or statesman and an ordinary citizen.

“Many might get infected, but we have enough effective medicine, take
care of yourselves. Take care of the nurses and doctors who work
heroically.”

Iran has become the regional focal point of fears surrounding
coronavirus. Neighboring states have largely shut their borders and
suspended pilgrimage routes. Schools and universities in many parts of
the country have been closed.

Armenia had partly closed its border with Iran and suspended flights
between the two neighboring states for two weeks on Monday, February
24 citing the need to guard against coronavirus.

Armenia closed its land border with Iran in the southern region of
Syunik and also suspending all air traffic between the two countries.

Furthermore, on February 24, Pashinyan convened a special meeting with
Armenia’s Commission for the Prevention of coronavirus to discuss the
preventative measures that the government had implemented thus far.

Pashinyan made clear that only passenger traffic would be affected by
the closure of the Armenian-Iranian border, cargo transportation would
continue as usual. However, the PM added that a “special control
regime over drivers,” would be implemented. Moreover, Armenian
citizens currently in Iran who want to return to Armenia are also
exempt from the travel restrictions.

Armenia reported its first coronavirus infection on Sunday, March 1 in
a citizen returning from Iran on a special flight, Pashinyan said in a
post on Facebook.

The 29-year-old man went to a doctor because he was not feeling well,
the prime minister added. “He is now in good condition,” Pashinyan
said, noting that his wife tested negative for coronavirus.
Authorities quarantined those who had been in contact with the man at
the defunct Golden Palace Hotel in Tsakhkadzor.

On March 1, hundreds of thousands of people were set to march in the
streets of Yerevan led by Pashinyan to commemorate the 12th
anniversary of the demonstrations on March 1, 2008 during which 8
citizens and two policemen were killed. The planned march was canceled
due to the growing concerns about the spread of coronavirus.

The Armenian government introduced a weeklong closure of all
kindergartens, schools, universities, and other educational
institutions in an attempt to prevent the further spread of the virus.
The schools will be closed from March 2 to March 8.

Last week, 36 people were hospitalized at entry points into Armenia,
to ensure that any spread of the Coronavirus is stopped at the border.

“Thirty-six people have been hospitalized at border checkpoints; most
of them at Yerevan’s Zvartnots Airport but also at the
Armenian-Georgian border,” said Hakob Avagyan, head of the Health and
Labor Inspectorate.

Avagyan made the remarks in an interview with Shant TV, where he also
spoke about the work afoot to prevent the spread of coronavirus in
Armenia.

“Now, we are not only checking peoples temperature when they arrive.
Apart from thermometry instruments, a thorough examination is carried
out,” said Avagyan.

According to Avagyan, further measures will be taken.

“We are cooperating with the National Security Service and the Foreign
Ministry when we know we will have passengers arriving from affected
countries. Address cards are filled in advance, and we have already
filled 1,271 of them since January 24,” said Avagyan.

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3 –        Expert Inspections Confirm Armenian Legacy

            of 8th Century ‘Jeweled Gun Of Sultan Mahmud I’

BALTIMORE—The National Museum of Armenian Ethnography and the History
of the Liberation Struggle (Araks, Armenia) announced on February 25
that the 18th Century “Jeweled Gun of Sultan Mahmud I”—a stunning
artifact held in the collection of the Walters Art Museum (Baltimore,
Maryland)—was recently given a new label that now attributes its
remarkable jewelling to the Armenian Christian, Hovhannes Agha Duzian.

“The Walters is incredibly fortunate to have this stunning and
historic object as one of the highlights of our collection,” said
Julia Marciari-Alexander, who is the Andrea B. and John H. Laporte
Director of the Walters Art Museum.

The 55 inch-long (139.7 cm) gun—crafted in 1733 and bejeweled with
countless diamonds, rubies, emeralds and other gemstones—has garnered
international scholarly interest and as a result has been the subject
of ongoing research. During a week-long exploration of the piece and
an intensive study of its archival history, the crucial Armenian
contribution to the gun’s manufacture took center stage.

At the request of counsel to the National Museum, Karnig Kerkonian of
Kerkonian Dajani LLC, and upon the invitation of Marciari-Alexander,
experts Dr. Ashley Dimmig, the Wieler-Mellon Postdoctoral Curatorial
Fellow in Islamic Art at the Walters, and Prof. Dr. Levon Chookaszian,
the Chair of Armenian Art History and Theory at Yerevan State
University, joined Walters’ museum curators and archivists for a
meticulous, week-long inspection of the treasured gun on location in
Baltimore.

At the conclusion of this collaborative exploration, it was determined
that the label of the artifact should be revised to reflect the
valuable contribution of the Armenian Christian, Hovhannes Agha
Duzian.

Duzian served as the Chief Goldsmith under Sultan Mahmud’s
predecessor, Ahmed III, and continued to work in that esteemed
position for Mahmud I. It was while serving as the Chief Goldsmith to
the Ottoman court that Duzian created the gun’s most striking feature:
its astonishingly ornate jeweling.

Prof. Dr. Chookaszian remarked that “the artifact itself constitutes a
valuable component of the rich and storied history of Armenian art
and, indeed, of Armenian civilization” and commended this
collaborative undertaking with the Walters “as an example of a
sophisticated, exemplary approach to understanding and uncovering the
depth and breadth of the Armenian contribution to the art of the era.”

Marciari-Alexander added that “our staff is honored to have had the
opportunity to work closely with Prof. Dr. Chookaszian to restore the
attribution of the gun’s remarkable jeweling to Hovhannes Agha
Duzian.”

The two museums have also expressed an interest in further
collaboration and exchanges.

The new label and a full description of the “Jeweled Gun of Sultan
Mahmud I” may be found on the Walters Art Museum website
www.art.thewalters.org

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4-         Attorney Seepan Parseghian Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief

            to Recover Picasso Painting Sold during Holocaust

Beck Redden LLP announced that Associate Seepan V. Parseghian filed an
amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court on February 24 in
support of a petition for writ of certiorari related to the ownership
of prized Pablo Picasso painting The Actor. Considered one of
Picasso’s masterworks, the painting was owned by the Leffmann family,
who sold it under duress for a mere $12,000 while fleeing persecution
in Nazi Germany on account of their Jewish heritage. Now displayed in
The Metropolitan Museum of New York, the painting is valued at over
$100 million.

The Leffmann estate sued the Met to recover possession of the painting
under the 2016 HEAR Act, but the Second Circuit Court of Appeals
dismissed the suit on laches grounds.  Representing amici the Armenian
Bar Association and Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human
Rights, Parseghian—with assistance from associates Owen McGovern and
Mary Kate Raffetto—urged the Court to grant review, arguing that the
Second Circuit’s ruling failed to consider the complex obstacles
facing genocide victims and their families in recovering lost art and
other property.

 Parseghian further noted that the propriety of the Second Circuit’s
ruling is an issue of nationwide importance, which impacts the ability
of victims of not only the Holocaust, but also the Armenian Genocide
and other atrocities to seek legal recourse in recovering lost
property and taking steps towards restorative justice.

As an associate for Beck Redden, Parseghian focuses his practice in
commercial litigation and intellectual property disputes. He has
successfully handled several multi-million dollar and bet-the-company
cases for both plaintiffs and defendants in federal and state courts
and arbitral forums nationwide. Presently based in Texas, Parseghian
maintains leadership positions in the Houston community. He serves as
the Vice Chair/Chair-Elect of the International Law Section of the
Houston Bar Association and is the President of the Stanford Alumni
Club of Houston. Parseghian is also on the Board of the Baker
Institute of Public Policy Roundtable Young Professionals, and is a
Fellow of the Houston Young Lawyers Foundation and Texas Bar
Foundation. Beyond Houston, Parseghian was appointed by the U.S.
Department of Defense as a legal observer to the 9/11 Military
Commission in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

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5-         Renowned researcher, historian, architectural expert

            Samvel Karapetyan passes away at 58

Historian, researcher and author Samvel Karapetyan passed away on February 27.

Karapetyan, who headed the Yerevan branch of the Research on Armenian
Architecture NGO, was 58.

Over the course of three decades, Karapetyan surveyed and catalogued
thousands of items of Armenian history and architecture in the
Republic of Armenia and throughout historic Armenia.

Born in 1961, Samvel Karapetyan was an expert of medieval
architecture, specializing in the study of the historical monuments of
Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and neighboring countries.

Karapetyan was also known as an outspoken critic of the treatment of
Armenian monuments in Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan․

He presented his findings to US Congress in 2007 and to the European
Court of Human Rights in 2008․

In 2007 he won the Armenian Presidential Humanitarian Sciences Prize
for his work in literature.

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