Aubépine Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 Turkish restoration of Armenian church leaves no room for apology By Ian Herbert in Van, Anatolia, Turkey Published: 30 March 2007 Across a blue salt lake on an island surrounded by snow-capped mountains in eastern Turkey, Armenian Christians were invited yesterday to witness how the Turkish nation has restored one of their most holy sites. From the bas-relief etched out of red tufa stone, to the frescoes on the high conical roof, most of the ancient treasures were back on view again at the 1,000-year-old Church of the Holy Cross, on the island of Akdamar in Lake Van, eastern Anatolia. Except for the cross; the same cross which was visible in early sketches of the church and photographed in 1908, just before Armenians were rounded up, never to return, in the city of Van at the beginning of what they describe as their genocide at the hands of the Ottomans. The church's restoration had been sold to the world - and specifically to the US, whose House of Representatives is about to consider a resolution labelling the Armenian deaths genocide - as proof that Turkey want to put things right with the Armenians. But, despite the protests of the restoration project's Armenian architect, a cross was ruled out - as is any immediate prospect of this Christian church being consecrated so Armenians might, occasionally at least, pray here again. "The church is reopening as a museum and doesn't need a cross," Yusuf Halacoglu, the head of the Turkish Historical Society, insisted this week. "Around 22,000 Ottoman buildings have had crescents taken off when attacked. Other countries don't give as much attention to that." The insensitivity set the tone for yesterday's ceremony which, despite the Turkish posters everywhere declaring Tarihe saygi, kulture saygi ("Respect the history, respect the culture"), was a painful and almost provocative statement of Turkey's national identity. The Armenian architect/bishop Manuel, who started building the church in AD 915, employed Armenian master carvers to create Christian reliefs of Adam and Eve, Noah's flood and David and Goliath. But Turkey has appropriated the holy site in a three-year, $2m (£1m) rebuild and was making no secret of the fact. The Turkish cresent and a giant Ataturk hung from the front of the church where, after a triumphal rendition of the Turkish national anthem, the culture and tourism minister, Atilla Koc, Turkey's most senior government representative, made his address. "We protect the cultural diversity and assets of different cultures," he proclaimed during a speech in which the word "Armenia" was not used once. Perhaps it was just as well that only 29 people from Armenia had travelled here - by road, via Georgia, because the Turks would not open the borders to their cars or Van airport to their planes. But those who did make the journey bore witness to the most extraordinary man in the place. Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan believes his people were the victims of genocide - he calls it medzegherm(the great slaughter) - and he would like the Turkish government to say "a simple sorry to my people to ease the tensions". But he was prepared to take the Turks' Akdamar gesture at face value in the hope that Armenians and Turks can live together. "The government ... has courageously completed the restoration project," he said when he clambered to his feet. "It is quite a positive move in Turkish-Armenian relations and I offer my profound thanks." His only request was that the Turks allow the church to become the site of annual pilgrimage, concluding in a Christian ceremony, once a year. It remains to be seen whether Turkey's modernising Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan can let that pass. It is an election year and a rising tide of nationalism is being fuelled in large part by the EU's frostiness about Turkish accession. Antagonising those who consider further concessions to the Armenians an "insult to Turkishness" might be politically contentious. It might also explain why Mr Erdogan, a progressive who started the Akdamar project and has also launched a History Commission to investigate the events of 1915, thought it best not to attend yesterday's ceremony. So desperate is Mr Erdogan's government to demonstrate its tolerance of Turkey's 70,000 Armenian minority that it took journalists around the country this week. The trip revealed more than the government might have intended: Armenian schools in Istanbul where only the Turkish version of history - ignoring 1915 - is taught; Armenian priests who need metal detectors at their churches because of the threat of extremists; and, at the newspaper offices of the murdered Turkish-Armenian writer Hrant Dink, a stream of abusive emails from nationalists. (Dink's last article communicated his exasperation at the Turks' initial selection of 24 April - the day when Armenians mark the anniversary of the round-up of intellectuals in 1915 - as the day of the Akdamar church reopening. That date was later changed.) With the Armenian government unwilling to join Mr Erdogan's History Commission, Patriarch Mutafyan invokes the memory of Levon Ter-Petrossian, Armenia's former president, and his search for common ground. Mr Ter-Petrossian wanted a monument on the countries' border with the inscription, in Armenian and Turkish, of the words "I'm sorry". It was never built. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said yesterday that a request by Patriarch Mutayfan that the cross be returned to Akdamar was being referred to the culture ministry. "I'm praying that one day it will be there," another Armenian church leader, George Kazoum, said before the ceremony. For now, the Armenians can only take comfort from the crosses which no one can take from them. They were bathed in sunshine yesterday, away from all of the Turkish stage-managed razzmatazz, on gravestones in the Akdamar churchyard which have stood here through 1,000 years of snow, storms, earthquakes and human carnage. http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2405139.ece Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 The so-called ‘Akdamar museum’ Friday, March 30, 2007 Cengiz Çandar This is the day of the opening of a "church-museum," which the Minister of Cultural Affairs turned into a mess. Whatever the intention was, it looks like a "cultural genocide." Today is indeed the day of the opening of the Ahtamar Church, which has been just restored, to "tourism," and which is expected to attract many tourists to Eastern Anatolia. However the Ministry has renamed the 1000-year-old Armenian capital "Ani" as "Anı" (which means "memory" in Turkish), and also removed the cross and the bells from the Ahtamar Church, which it renamed as "Akdamar" (which means "white vein" in Turkish.) This obsession with renaming, the cultural and religious intolerance shown towards the cross and the church bell, might well be perceived in the world as a "cultural genocide"; nobody should be surprised if that turns out to be the case. The obsession with renaming: The name Akhtamar comes from a myth about the lake Van. It is about the story of a young man, who was looking forward to reunite with his lover, Tamar, who was on the island along with the church in question. The man yelled "Ah, Tamar" while he was drowning. Why in the world we change that name into "Akdamar"? What kind of a lack of imagination is that? We have renamed many historical areas within Turkey with completely made-up names like "Güzelyurt" (Beautiful Home), "Yeşilyurt" (Green Home), "Yeşilköy" (Green Village), "Gündoğan" (Rising Day). And now, "Ani" turned into "Anı", and "Akhtamar" into "Akdamar." You restore a historical church and find absurd reasons for not putting a cross and a bell onto it? Who will believe that you are secular, or that you "respect all faiths," or that you represent "the alliance of civilizations against the clash of civilizations." What you do is simply "cultural genocide." How come you have the right for that? And why? Here is an excerpt from a news story published in the weekly Agos on March 23, and which tells about the letter sent by a group of intellectuals from the Istanbul Armenian community to Minister of Culture, Atilla Koç: “…Emphasizing that the church on the island is named “Ahtamar Sourp Haç Church” and that it gets its name from the Sourp Haç festival celebrated on the second Sunday of every September, the intellectuals say: ‘This is an important day and an important festival for Armenians. This is also the reason for the existence of that church. Therefore, we think it would be appropriate to have the name of the church, just like the name of the island, to be changed to fit the its religious and historical significance… If required, the ownership of the property can be given to the community and the operation right to the relative state body. However, if this site will also be [serving as] a church, then it needs to be blessed and open to prayers'.” Turkish Armenian Patriarch Mesrop II says: “Is it possible to have a church without a cross at the top? Furthermore, religious services will not be conducted at its opening. If I will not have a role there as a [man of] religion, there will not be a point in my going there.” Appear righteous and benefit politically: What do you think “our set” are trying to do? If you ask me, they would like “to appear righteous and benefit politically.” And naturally they make a mess out of it. The initial plans were for the opening of Ahtamar to take place on Apr. 24. A real cunning idea... As it is known to be the “Armenian genocide remembrance day in the world,” a trump for propaganda would have been used on that day. Then the date became Apr. 11. According to the ancient Armenian calendar, Apr. 11 coincides with Apr. 24. They probably knew this also. They were still pursuing another cunning idea. At the end, it was decided that the opening of Ahtamar, now “Akdamar,” would take place on Mar. 29, as a restoration opening of a museum-church, without a cross or a bell. What a disgrace. The cross a symbol for the Christian world that represents Jesus Christ's suffering for all humanity. Even if Muslims do not believe in the cross, and even if there are negative connotations of the cross throughout history for Muslims, would it not be necessary to “show respect toward everyone's faiths” in a secular country in 2007? Would such an attitude not glorify a Muslim Culture Minister and his government? On one hand, they constantly pronounce Fatih Sultan Mehmet's name, yet on the other, they cannot even come near what he has done 550 years ago or his tolerance. They have learned nothing from him. Hrant Dink foretold it: A reminder, just in case you have forgotten, that Hrant Dink was treacherously murdered with a shot in the back on Jan. 19. During the time of his murder, the last Agos newspaper he prepared, Agos's 564th issue has just hit the newsstands. The headline of the newspaper was on Ahtamar and so was the editorial, which Hrant wrote and signed as “Agos.” Here's what Hrant Dink wrote in his editorial: “The opening of the restored Surp Haç Armenian Church of Ahtamar Island has turned into a comedy. It could only be possible to put a right job on a wrong course so successfully. The impossible-to-hide hidden motive could not be more revealing. A real comedy… A real tragedy… The government hasn't still been able to formulate a correct approach to the “Armenian question.” Its real aim is not to solve the problem, but to gain points like a wrestler in a contest. How and when it will make the right move and defeat its opponent. That's the only concern. This is not earnestness. The state calls on Armenian historians to discuss history, but does not shy from trying its own intellectuals who have an unorthodox rhetoric on the Armenian genocide. It restores an Armenian church in the Southeast, but only thinks, “How can I use this for political gains in the world, how can I sell it?” They shot Hrant on the day this article was published. It lost its charm in entity. There has been no charm ever since that day. Bad smells come from the Hrant Dink murder investigation. And today, they replace the cross with the icing on the cake, when they open the Ahtamar Sourp Haç Church as “Akdamar.” Then the “alleged genocide” and “alliance of civilizations” rhetoric will follow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubépine Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 A very fine article by Cengiz Çandar. The column he wrote right after Hrant Dink's assassination was also the most heartfelt that I read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Takoush Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 The way I see it; the same way Hrant Dink Sees it. This is done only for political play and gains yet with a dirty twist of egoism and also of cultural Genocide. They obviously (the turks) have restored our Church not for the sake of the Armenians as a place to worship and as a Church for us; but to fix it like a museum for them. After all it's an ancient building and they want to fix it for them and at the same time playing dirty politics and lying to the Western world by saying that as if they want to be friends with us. Get lost Turkey!!!! If you want indeed to be friends with Armenia; first STOP BLOCKADING against Armenia; and second stop covering your dirty face with clean linens against the Western world to enter the European Union. The turkish government are obviously changing the names to turkish names of the old Armenian cities and towns to wipe us out a second and a final time from our anscestral lands. That we Armenians never have existed in our four thousand year old country and lands. WE ARE HERE TURKEY!!!! YOU ALL GO BACK TO MONGOLIA AND WE WILL CLAIM OUR LANDS BACK!!!!! OUR WHOLE AND COMPLETE SEVEN(7) VILAYETS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted April 2, 2007 Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 ՍԲ. ԽԱՉԻ ԲԱՑՈՒՄԸ՝ ՔԱՂԱՔԱԿԱՆԱՊԵՍ ՉՀԱՋՈՂՎԱԾ ՄԻՋՈՑԱՌՈՒՄ Աղթամար կղզու Սուրբ Խաչ եկեղեցու բացման արարողությանը երեկ անդրադարձան «Ուրբաթ» ակումբի հյուրերը՝ Մայր աթոռ սուրբ Էջմիածնի տեղեկատվական համակարգի տնօրեն Տեր Վահրամ քահանա Մելիքյանը եւ թուրքագետ Հակոբ Չաքրյանը: Երկու բանախոսներն էլ ՀՀ պատվիրակության մասնակցությունը եկեղեցու բացման արարողությանը ճիշտ համարեցին՝ նորոգման ընթացքում երկու երկրների մշակույթի նախարարությունները համագործակցել են եւ ճիշտ էր հրավերին փոխնախարարի մակարդակով արձագանքելը: Հակոբ Չաքրյանի գնահատականով Աղթամար կղզու Սուրբ Խաչ եկեղեցու նորոգումը պետք չէ դիտարկել բացասական լույսի ներքո: Չնայած եկեղեցին նորոգվեց եւ բացվեց իբրեւ թանգարան` առանց գմբեթի խաչի, առանց այն քանդակների, որ ծածկում էին եկեղեցու պատերը, այդուամենայնիվ երեւույթը դրական է, բացառիկ՝ Թուրքիայի պատմության համար: Աղթամարի Սուրբ Խաչ եկեղեցին միակն է, որ նորոգվել է Թուրքիայի պետական բյուջեի միջոցներով: Ինչպես տեղեկացրեց Հակոբ Չաքրյանը, ինչպես շատ այլ հայկական հուշարձաններ Թուրքիայի տարածքում, Աղթամարը նույնպես կարող էր չլինել այսօր՝ 1960 թվականներին Աղթամարը մեծ ջանքերով հաջողվել է փրկել պայթեցումից. թուրքիայի ազգությամբ քուրդ գրող Յաշար Քեմալի եւ Թուրքիայի մշակույթի այդ ժամանակի նախարարի միջամտությամբ: Տեր Վահրամ քահանա Մելիքյանը եւս մեկ անգամ հավաստեց, որ Մայր աթոռը միանշանակ բացասական է գնահատում հայկական քրիստոնեական այդ եկեղեցին, որը մինչեւ 1915 թվականը իրականացված ցեղասպանությունը գործել է որպես այդպիսին, թանգարանի վերածելու փաստը: Խաչի տեղադրումը, որ հատուկ կարգ է, եկեղեցու թանգարան մնալու դեպքում նշանակություն չէր ունենա: Թուրքագետ Հակոբ Չաքրյանն էլ համոզված է, որ Սուրբ Խաչի բացումը Թուրքիայի քրիստոնեական մշակութասիրության դրսեւորում չէ, այլ քաղաքական նպատակների արտահայտություն, որը արտգործնախարար Աբդուլլահ Գյուլի հռչակած՝ Թուրքիան պետք է առաջիկա տասը տարիներին ամեն ինչ անի հայերի ցեղասպանության միջազգային ճանաչման գործընթացը կասեցնելու համար, նպատակի համատեքստում է: Կոստանդնուպոլսի հայոց պատրիարք Լեւոն Մութաֆյանի մասնակցությունը Թուրքիայի օրհներգի կատարմանը Հակոբ Չաքրյանի տեսանկյունից անտեղի էր եւ պատրիարքի Թուրքիայի քաղաքացի լինեն էլ բացատրություն չէ նրա վարմունքի, բայց եւ ողջունելի գտավ բանախոսը պատրիարքի ելույթում արած ընդգծումը եկեղեցու անվան թուրքականացման առնչությամբ: Կոստանդնուպոլսի հայոց պատրիարքը ճշտել է, որ անվանումը ոչ թե Ագդամար է, որ թարգմանաբար նշանակում է Սպիտակ երակ, այլ ունի հայկական անվանում՝ Աղթամար: Եթե Տեր Վահրամ քահանա Մելիքյանը Սուրբ Խաչի վրա խաչ տեղադրելու հեռանկարը տեսնում է Թուրքիայի ժողովրդավարացման ընթացքի եւ քրիստոնեական աշխարհի միասնականության համատեքստում, ապա Հակոբ Չաքրյանի տեսանկյունից դա կլինի քաղաքական որոշակի փոփոխությունների արդյունքում: Ինչպես տեղեկացրեց թուրքագետ բանախոսը, թուրքական մամուլն, անդրադառնալով բացման արարողությանը, նշել է, որ Աղթամարում բացված Սուրբ Խաչը հայկական եկեղեցի է: Նույն մամուլը նաեւ բացման արարողությունը գնահատել է քաղաքականապես չհաջողված միջոցառում: Հակոբ Չաքրյանը, սակայն, կարծում է, որ թերեւս որոշակի փոփոխությունների արդյունքում Թուրքիան դադարել է կարեւորել միջոցառումը, այլապես ներկա կգտնվեին երկրի վարչապետն ու արտգործնախարարը: Վերջին նկատառումն էլ բացատրում է հայկական կողմի բացթողումների քիչ լինելը, այլապես ավելի ակնառու կլինեին դրանք, ըստ բանախոսի: ՆԱՆԱ ՊԱՏՐՈՍՅԱՆ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johannes Posted April 2, 2007 Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 http://www.aztagdaily.com/Today/html/page4.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted April 2, 2007 Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 (edited) http://www.aztagdaily.com/Today/html/page4.htm Hayeren grem vor ed shiuner@ chi haskanan. Shitak nstenq dzour khosenq.!!! Mer patmakan srbateghineren or min@ amenorya, kan amen kiraknorya pashtamounqi vayrer en? Geghart@ te Haghardzin@, te Tetev@, te Sanahin@, te Gayanen….chi nayev moranal Ejmiatsin@???? Yete voch nranq iskapes tangaranner chen, qan te Hay Qrisotnya Srbategh? Yes aytselel em veri bolor vayrer@ ye minj aysor chem tesel voch mi pashtamunqogh, I bats tourist, voch teghatsi spyurkahay /aytselouner.. Yete Aghtamar@ tangaran che, hapa inch asenq bolor verevi tegherin? Minj aysor yes voch mi pashtamunq chem tesel ayl Arevordinin@ Karnioem. Ardyoq menq iskapes Qristonya enq te sa mi tesaki darberak e azgoutyan? Edited April 2, 2007 by Arpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johannes Posted April 2, 2007 Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 Սիրելի Արփա, Արեւիդ մատաղ, հարցը պաշտամունքը չէ ինձ համար, այլ մեր սրբատեղիների պիղծ թուրքի ձեռքով նորոգուելը: Հարցը տաճարն էլ չէ, այլ այդ տաճարի ժողովուրդը ոչնչացնող պետութիւն/ժողովուրդի բարի համբաւ վաստկելու աշխատանքը՝ մեր միջոցով: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neko Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 than you will bang your pant. I don't know what it means - but it sounds good enough to be used again whenever Error 404 says something silly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neko Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 For now, the Armenians can only take comfort from the crosses which no one can take from them. Hardly. At least two of them have been smashed since last year. They were uncovered last year when the monastery buildings were cleared of rubble - they were originally complete and are now in fragments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neko Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 At least one person should tell it like it really is. Someone who saw the church before, saw it during, and saw it after. I suppose I'll have to. Who else will, if I don't? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irlandahay Posted April 9, 2007 Report Share Posted April 9, 2007 I suppose I'll have to. Who else will, if I don't? then do so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 Turkish Daily News Feb 19 2008 A painful cry of an eternal love Tuesday, February 19, 2008 A group of artists from Turkey and Armenia will be coming together in a huge project by Turkey's acclaimed piano virtuoso Fazýl Say. Yaþar Kemal, one of the greatest literary masters of the world, will write the lyrics of the ballet version of the legend 'Akh Tamar,' which will be on stage in 2009 VERCÝHAN ZÝFLÝOÐLU ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News A group of 250 major artists from Turkey and Armenia will give life to the legendary "Ah Tamar" symphonic piece through Turkey's world-renowned piano virtuoso Fazýl Say who is readying to realize the project next year. The project is a crucial step that will bring Armenia and Turkey closer to each other, Say told the Turkish Daily News in an exclusive interview. Say, sensitive to the current situation and the heated debates recently surrounding him, wanted to preview the article or would refuse to consent to its publication. Underlining that he faced great difficulties after a translation-related mistake in the past, Say said: "My struggle is for Turkey's bright future. I am tired of being misunderstood, misinterpreted and falsely introduced to people." The celebrated Turkish pianist's remarks that he wants to leave Turkey, uttered in an exclusive interview with German daily Suddeutsche Zeitung, received much attention by the Turkish media and were followed by an intense polemic in December 2007. Say, an envoy for the 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, will compose the ballet version of the vocal and symphonic work. The lyrics will be composed by Turkey's world famous writer Yaþar Kemal. Tense atmosphere Say said he started working on his Akh Tamar project in 2004 but had to abandon it for a while due to the tense atmosphere that was created after Nobel Price winner novelist Orhan Pamuk said in a 2004 interview that about 30,000 Kurds and 1 million Armenians had been killed in Ottoman Turkey. Say, noting that the political atmosphere in the country became even more tense in 2007 following the assassination of journalist Hrant Dink, founder and editor-in-chief of the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, said his project was further delayed due to all these "unfortunate" events. Say, who said that he had once spoken to Dink about the project over the phone, said that it is highly important in terms of taking steps toward friendly relations between Turkish and Armenian people. Drawing the attention to the recent collaborative work by Greek artist Mikis Theodarikis and Turkish artist Zulfu Livaneli, Say said efforts by these two prominent artists have paved the way for a warming of Turkish-Greek relations within the last few years. Say said he has contacted the Armenian State Opera Ballet for his project and received a positive reply from the institution. When reminded that an opera on the legend of Akh Tamar was firstly composed by world-renowned Istanbul-born Armenian composer Sirvart Karamanukyan, Say said he did not have much knowledge on the issue, however, he would be pleased to make contributions to any kind of projects about it. Karamanukyan, 95, has received several international awards and medals. At the moment Say said he is focused on the Akh Tamar project that he plans to stage next year. Say will first compose the music of the ballet version of Akh Tamar. The legend has a beautiful concept, Say said, adding, that he will then construct and edit his work based on that concept. The Akh Tamar ballet will embark on a world tour after it is staged in Istanbul, Yerevan and on the island of Akh Tamar in Van Lake in eastern Turkey. Discussions obstacle to dialogue Armenians and Turks tell different versions of the Akh Tamar legend. According to the Turkish version, Tamar falls in love with a Turkish boy whereas according to Armenians, both the hero and the heroine of the legend are Armenian. "Everybody's Akh Tamar is different from each other's. You may listen to the legend from 100 persons but each one can tell it in a different way," Say said. Arguing over such a topic is just meaningless, he added. "For Armenia, even Beethoven and [Leonardo] da Vinci are of Armenian origins. Armenia perceives everything with a great ego... but what is important today is taking steps of friendliness. We should leave aside unnecessary discussions," he said. Say, drawing attention to his position as an envoy for the 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, said that unless necessary steps of friendliness and reconciliation are not taken, healthy relations cannot be established between Armenia and Turkey. "We all would like to know what the facts are," said Say. With the said steps, relations between the two peoples will heal and dialogue will start, he added. Two different versions of the legend Armenian legend has it that Tamar, a young and beautiful princess, falls in love with a poor Armenian boy who each night would swim from mainland to the Island of Ah Tamar (Akhtamar) to unite with his love. He found his way with the help of a torch lit by Tamar to prevent him from drowning in a current. However, Tamar's father, the king, quickly became angered by the situation and imprisoned his daughter in a fortress. He then, lit the torch as his daughter used to do but directed it toward the current instead. The dark waters of the lake drowned the boy and his dying cries, they say, were just "Akh Tamar" (Oh Tamar).According to the Turkish version of the legend, once upon a time, there used to live a beautiful girl named Tamara, the daughter of a chief monk living on the island. Tamara fell in love with a young Muslim shepherd boy from one of the surrounding villages. The boy swam to island every night to unite with Tamara, who waited for him with a candle. Tamara's father who later learns about the situation goes down to a shore on a stormy night. He carried a light in his hand and, by shaking it, causes boy to lose his strength. Tired of swimming in different directions due to the light, the boy is submerged under the dark waters of the lake. His final cry was "Ah Tamara" and Tamara, who hears the cries of her love, surrenders to the waters of the lake and drowns herself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nairi Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 Two different versions of the legend Armenian legend has it that Tamar, a young and beautiful princess, falls in love with a poor Armenian boy who each night would swim from mainland to the Island of Ah Tamar (Akhtamar) to unite with his love. He found his way with the help of a torch lit by Tamar to prevent him from drowning in a current. However, Tamar's father, the king, quickly became angered by the situation and imprisoned his daughter in a fortress. He then, lit the torch as his daughter used to do but directed it toward the current instead. The dark waters of the lake drowned the boy and his dying cries, they say, were just "Akh Tamar" (Oh Tamar). Toumanian's version is significantly different. There is neither king, nor father, nor tower. Just a shameless-shameful Tamar who meets with her lover at night. One night, a group of "charkam mardik", having discovered Tamar and her lover's secret, turn out Tamar's guiding light. As a result, the boy is unable to find the shore and drowns. The next morning a corpse washes to the shore with the words "Akh Tamar" frozen on its lips. Since then and for that reason, the island was named Akhtamar. According to the Turkish version of the legend, once upon a time, there used to live a beautiful girl named Tamara, the daughter of a chief monk living on the island. Tamara fell in love with a young Muslim shepherd boy from one of the surrounding villages. The boy swam to island every night to unite with Tamara, who waited for him with a candle. Tamara's father who later learns about the situation goes down to a shore on a stormy night. He carried a light in his hand and, by shaking it, causes boy to lose his strength. Tired of swimming in different directions due to the light, the boy is submerged under the dark waters of the lake. His final cry was "Ah Tamara" and Tamara, who hears the cries of her love, surrenders to the waters of the lake and drowns herself. A Christian girl falls in love with a Muslim shepherd boy who is killed by her Christian father.. After Ani, Akhtamar.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nairi Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 Also, in Toumanian's version there is no mention of any ethnicity or religion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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