Церкви и монастыри Западной Армении

[Western Armenia]

Yes it is me,

I was happy to see your pictures of Merinos/Srkhouvank. What route did you take to reach it? I tried to walk to that monastery last year, starting by walking along the Semiramis canal and then climbing up into the mountains. However, I could not locate the site of the monastery and I was worried that it had been entirely destroyed! If only I had walked on just a little further - I must have been within 1/2 km of the monastery. Did you happen to also visit Angeghavank, it is a little to the south of the Semiramis canal, near the Lake Van end of the valley. Again I unfortunately could not find it - but I did find an unrecorded church in a nearby village and an old graveyard near the site of a completely destroyed monastery called Hndrakatarivank that is located about 5km west of Merinos vank.

Dear Steve,

It's pleasure for me that you find something interesting on my site.

I was advised that S.Merinos is not destroyed from Turkish publications, that's why I go there. Locals helped me to find it. It's easy: You must go from Gurpinar to Van lake along highway several km's (may be 5) - there is military zone with tanks - just after it you must look to the north & the monastery is easy visible from this point (real easy neither Aprank hachkars ). Further you must turn to the right in first village - go to the mount & walk up to the monastery site (I had a little problem with Muhtar of this village after I went down). However I wish you luck

After my trip I have seen pics of this monastery from Cuneo book & read there about it.

Concerning other places that mentioned above I don't go there because all I had known is that every village in Hayotz Dzor had church. But I hadn't much time to go to them & try to find something. In that trip I can't spend my time for nothing if you understand. May be if it possible you give me some info before my next trip (may be in summer 2007). Unfortunately I must spend much time to work for money & can't read a lot of books concerning this theme to make my site better or make often trips there.

Sorry for my English,

Thanks & all the best for you

Bye

Edited April 23, 2006 by Western Armenia

[bell-the-cat]

Dear Alex

Just a note to say that I managed to finally reach the St. Merinos / Srkhouvank monastery last month. Took me 5 hours walking to find it (via a beautiful valley that extends southeastward from Edremit). Now that I know where it is I could probably walk there in 45 minutes from the Van-Gurpinar road (leaving the road at the fountain that is located half way down the road after it crosses the pass).

I also visited the Gezkoy church near Erzurum yesterday. The condition of both sites are the same as last year. On your website you have some doubts if it is Armenian. The church is mentioned in a Turkish book published in 2001, and is described as an Armenian church. I took closeups pictures of all the 1917 graffitti inscriptions - they may have interesting content. Probably they were done by Armenian soldiers.

Steve

[Western Armenia]

Dear Alex

Just a note to say that I managed to finally reach the St. Merinos / Srkhouvank monastery last month. Took me 5 hours walking to find it (via a beautiful valley that extends southeastward from Edremit). Now that I know where it is I could probably walk there in 45 minutes from the Van-Gurpinar road (leaving the road at the fountain that is located half way down the road after it crosses the pass).

I also visited the Gezkoy church near Erzurum yesterday. The condition of both sites are the same as last year. On your website you have some doubts if it is Armenian. The church is mentioned in a Turkish book published in 2001, and is described as an Armenian church. I took closeups pictures of all the 1917 graffitti inscriptions - they may have interesting content. Probably they were done by Armenian soldiers.

Steve

Dear Steve,

My congratulations concerning Srkhouvank.

It's pleasure to hear, that the churches are in the same condition.

About Gezkoy church I meant that if someone thinks it was the Greek church, Lynch tells us that Greeks did not live there.

Also in St.Gregory in Ani is many inscriptions in Armenian & Russian dated 1910's.

If you will be there please take pictures of that inscriptions, because if the church will be reconstructed, I think, we will lose it.

If you know please advise condition of monastery Karasun Horan near Gevash.

It's interesting for me, because last time I don't go there.

Take care,

Alexander

Edited August 14, 2006 by Western Armenia

[bell-the-cat]

About Gezkoy church I meant that if someone thinks it was the Greek church, Lynch tells us that Greeks did not live there.

I was using translation software to read the text, and using its translation it seemed like you had doubts if the church was Armenian or not.

Also in St.Gregory in Ani is many inscriptions in Armenian & Russian dated 1910's.

If you will be there please take pictures of that inscriptions, because if the church will be reconstructed, I think, we will lose it.

You mean the St. Gregory Church of the Abughamrents? If so, then I already have photographs of all of the clearest and the longest ones. I took them a couple of years ago and I also took more this year (last month). One is a very evocative poem. There are lots of writings from the 1880s and 1890s as well, and there are some in Arabic letters. I agree - under any Turkish (or GHF) 'restoration' they will probably be destroyed.

If you know please advise condition of monastery Karasun Horan near Gevash.

It's interesting for me, because last time I don't go there.

Sorry. I don't know of it. I've only visited the castle overlooking Gevash: its surviving walls, which face in the direction of Aghtamar, are probably mostly from Armenian times and are not Kurdish as some books suggest.

[bell-the-cat]

Something about the inscriptions at Ani's St. Gregory church:

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=9664&st=0

However, because of the pathetic creature that owns Hyeforum, the subject was never able to be explored fully.

[Western Armenia]

Hello Steve,

With regards to graffiti in Ani:

I didn't take pictures of inscriptions when I was there & I'm happy that someone (at this time - you) takes this photos. Now or in future peoples will read it & we don't lose voice of ages. Thank you.

With regards to Karasun Horan:

Other names of this monastery is Il'vanik or Iluvank. It located about 5 km to the south from Van lake coast near Gevash.

Now you can see some pages concerning Istanbul Armenians on my web-site. Wellcome.Here

Alexander

[bell-the-cat]

Hello Steve,

With regards to graffiti in Ani:

I didn't take pictures of inscriptions when I was there & I'm happy that someone (at this time - you) takes this photos. Now or in future peoples will read it & we don't lose voice of ages. Thank you.

At the start of this month I talked briefly with an American photographer who had been hired by the Global Heritage Fund to make a photographic survey of Ani. He had just finished the task, and he had taken about 5000 photographs (over several weeks). He told me that he had asked the Global Heritage Fund whether he should take pictures of the 19th century and early 20th century Armenian and Russian inscriptions, and was then told not to photograph them.

Edited September 24, 2006 by bell-the-cat

[bell-the-cat]

My take on the St. Marinos / Srkhouvank monastery:

http://www.virtualani.org/marinos/index.htm

[Armenia]

ЕЩЕ ОДНУ АРМЯНСКУЮ ЦЕРКОВЬ В ТУРЦИИ ПРЕВРАТЯТ В МУЗЕЙ

Завершены восстановительные работы армянской церкви, находящейся в районе Артамет (Эдремит - тур.) в Ване (Турция). По сообщениям турецких СМИ, реконструированная церковь будет действовать в качестве музея. Для начавшихся 6-го июня 2007 года восстановительных работ Евросоюз выделил Турции 185 тыс. евро. Церковь, датируемая 13 веком, будет действовать в качестве городского музея Вана, где будут выставлены историко-культурные ценности Вана, сообщает “Еркир”. Отметим, что это не первый случай, когда армянская церковь в Турции переоборудуется в музей. 29 марта 2007 года на острове Ахтамар на озере Ван состоялось открытие восстановленной церкви Св.Креста в качестве музея, что вызвало широкий резонанс среди армян всего мира.