Srdjan

And I didn't even mention genocide... a similarity I would rather it wouldn't exist...

Now that you already went completely off-topic... Frankly speaking I actually do find a lot of similarities between you and us. Before all, as Gamavor rightly said historical circumstances make things similar whether you and I like it or not. I personally see a lot of things basically the same. The same rather unique "national mentality" as you called it (I agree with the term) considering being an Armenian/Serb and muslim at the same time an anachronism or an apostasy of one?s own centuries long tradition and struggle and with that loosing all thinkable honour and pride (>>if for centuries my ancestors bled and tried to oppose the Turkish slavery than now giving all that away and becoming one of them is simply...<< ) which occasionally tends to rise to a spontaneous paranoia of being special and absolutely unique in one?s own cultural and national values and identity (the fact that the RELIGON played the major role in preserving the very national mentality and identity is to no extent unsignificant! Spiritual values play a great role here and the "paranoia" is not rarely to be even metaphysically coloured...??) The same struggle for a national identity that strives to find a definition both culturally and territorially, struggle to forge a clear national identity TODAY that strives to clean itself of everything "turkish" (which - this is perhaps only my OWN opinion - much more often simply means actually "oriental" or/and is REGIONALLY GEOGRAPHICALLY and not necessery nationally - turkish - characterized) in a rather difficult political context... including even banal similarities as cheezy oriental-folk-pop and a slight dilema with the idea considering the sensitive national mentality and problematics whether such music should be listened to or simply BANNED and forgotten as "turkish". The geographical-cultural character is respectively unique, Balkans is not Europe and Caucasus is not orient, Balkans and Caucasus are both places where different cultures crashed into each other but however I am certain about the many original features of these regions that do not make them simply "bridges between orient and occident" but fully distinct and original in their folklore and ethnic character. Do note that some of the things mentioned tend to differ in amount from one side to the other... I am certainly not trying to banalize things and regard different things as identical, but mind the fact that we are talking about two nations who have NO contact at all and NO linguistical relationship at all and NO kinship at all. Perhaps trully similar political factors in completely different areas can cause similar political situations regarding the very details of national ethnical and cultural life and general emotion. Of course, not to forget the many similarities in the temperament and mentality... Tell you what, politics is politics and people is people... I love everyone and all that but I certainly shall rather expect to find a common language with Armenians then many others... just as it is with Greeks for example... Thank you for your postings by the way and thank you Pandukht for having me welcome I hope we shall share many good discussions...

Of course Siroun, with pleasure! I shall make a kind of a quick introduction to our language if you wish on the "language" forum.

Perhaps it may seem that this topic aims to emphasize some kind of Serbian-Armenian "friendship", "brotherhood" or something else and however although there is a sympathy from Serbs towards Armenians, in the light of the similarity of the historical background and the tragic faith of both nations under the Ottomans and the somewhat analogous political problems with Moslems recently it could seem like a try of a Serb to establish allies among his "orthodox brothers to fight the oppressing Moslems". Personally for me a historical fact regarding the battle of Kosovo, if true, is very interesting and intriguing and if Armenians truly did fight side-by-side with Serbs on Kosovo Polje then it is surely a significant fact for Serbs since that historical event is the most important event in Serbian history. Of the importance and SYMBOLISM of this event, both politically and spiritually, I shall not speak here, unless it is a wish or a special interest of any of you, since this is, as much as I understood, a forum on Armenian history. I suppose, however, that if such a thing proves to be true, it is by no means uninteresting to an Armenian interested in Armenian history. However still, even though there are even today remarkable examples of a tendency towards connection and a friendship of these two nations (Armenian writer Babken Simonyan) it is clear to all of us that today such a thing could be used politically. That is why I have written that in the opening. I do not understand where the conclusion comes from that Serbs were mainly pagan at 1200. as well as how it referes to my question?

http://www.armeniaserbia.org.yu/jermeni_u_srbiji.html This is the link to the site of Armenian union in Serbia. It states that Armenians fought together with Serbs against the Turks at Kosovo in 1389. Coming together with the Turkish army as their vassals, after seeing Serb Christian flags they went over to fight together with the Serbs. Has any of you ever heard of such a thing? Are there any Turkish or Armenian history sources that can confirm this? Something else from the same site: Inscription at Vitovnica monastery in Serbia in Old Church Slavonic and Armenian, 1218. : http://www.armeniaserbia.org.yu/ktitorski_natpis.html