Gotchnag article, 1913 or 1914

[Jonathan Varjabedian]

I am trying to track down a copy of an article that appeaed in Gotchnag in 1913 or very early in 1914, entitled "Father and Son". I came accross a letter recently from my great uncle in Talas, Turkey to his father in America, thanking him for sending him a copy of this article. The letter is dated March 10, 1914. I would really like to read what was in this article. If anybody has any suggestions, let me know. I am in the Los Angeles area.

By the way, I have greatly updated my website, www.efkere.com.

[bellthecat]

I was looking at your page on Surb Garaped monastery. The photograph that you said may show one of the altars in the monastery does show one. This altar is also depicted in a photo by E. H. King (Asiatic review, vol33, 1937). He descrbes it as the "traditional tomb of St. John the Baptist" He says the monks were finally expelled in 1928, after which the buildings were used for military purposes, but a priest was still allowed to periodically attend to the tomb altar.

 

Are you sure that Robert Hewson is referring to this place when he describes it as "one of the wealthiest, most frequented, and most sacred shrines of the Armenian Church." On all counts this sounds more like Surp Karapet near Moush. The same might also go for the description by Tozer, since the Surp Karapet near Moush was the third ranking in importance amongst the monasteries of the Armenian church.

 

Steve

[Jonathan Varjabedian]

Thanks, Steve, for the feedback, but both Hewsen and Tozer were referring to the monastery in Efkere. Hewsen was quoted from page 193: "18km/11 mi east of Kayseri stood the great monastery of St. Garabed (E. Arm. Karapet) "the Holy Forerunner" (i.e. St. John the Baptist), one of the wealthiest, most frequented, and most sacred shrines of the Armenian Church." On map 179, on page 192, at the site of the monastery, is written: "The most important spiritual center of Central Anatolia, S. Garabed dated back at least as far as the 12th century."

And yes, Tozer was absolutely referring to this monastery as well. It is a bit confusing, and I think it could be easily argued that the Surp Garabed in Mush was the most important religous site for Armenians in all of the Ottoman Empire, but a close second would have to be the Surp Garabed in Efkere. The remains of John the Baptist, incidentally, are divided between the two monasteries.

Sadly, the monastery in Efkere is now largely in ruins, and much of it has simply disappeared.

I appreciate your input. It is amazing to me that a monastery this important has simply been forgotten. It is shameful.

If you, or anybody else, knows of any photos at all of this monastery, old or new, in good or bad condition, I would be grateful for the information.

Also, if you have any other input on the web site, please let me know.

Thanks

Jonathan Varjabedian

[Jonathan Varjabedian]

Steve: Is there any chance you have a copy of that article in Asiatic Review. I would really love to see it. I am getting a bit fanatical about documenting every scrap of information I can about the village and the monastery. Please let me know.

Thanks

Jonathan Varjabedian

[bellthecat]

I only have a photocopy of it, and not a very good one at that. I'll try and scan the text. It also briefly describes several other Armenian sites in the vicinity of Kayseri. He says he could not get into see the monastery, so his photo of the shrine must have been taken at a different time (but probably after 1915 since it is in a battered condition - no candles, one of the urns at the top is missing, etc). The monastery is also mentioned in "Unending Journey" by Agnacia Manuelian, London 1939.

 

Steve

[bellthecat]

Oh - a tiny point about the website. Maybe you should change the background colour on the first page from black to light grey or something similar. Until the background picture appears the entire screen is totally black, with none of the text visible.

[Jonathan Varjabedian]

Thanks, Steve, that's a really good point.