Armenian inscriptions to translate

[Guest]

Would some of you like to try and translate the inscription below into English. It is carved over the side door to a ruined Armenian church in a village near Egin / Kemaliye, in eastern Turkey. It is dated 1794. Probably none of these words have been read since 1915.

 

Steve

 

http://armenianarchitecture.homestead.com/files/sudakinscription.jpg

[Guest]

As much as I can figure out..

 

"...ghetsis

Sbon Nigolay

..tvi 1794in"

 

Which translates (per my discretion) as

"... Church of St. Nicolus ... year 1794"

[bellthecat]

Thanks MJ - sorry, I forgot to do this when you first posted the translation.

 

I was just checking the pic was still here after Thorny had said that geocities no longer did hotlinking - it seems that homestead still does (for now, anyway).

 

Steve

[MJ]

My pleasure, Steve.

[bellthecat]

I meant to also say that St. Nicolas (or however it is spelt) is a very unusual person for an Armenian church to be dedicated to - I don't recall ever having seeing an example of it before. Does anyone else?

 

Steve

[MJ]

I agree. But who knows. In that era the Russians were already in the region. There may have been something related to some Russian Czar or Prince Nikolai.

[bellthecat]

Also, the church does not seem to appear on the pre-1915 list of Armenian churches that belonged to the Constantinople patriarchate. There were no Russians near Kemaliye (Egin), I think, but there were Greeks. I wonder if that is the reason for the name. Perhaps the church was actually used by Greeks who had become "Armenianized"! A 19th century account of Kemaliye I have read mentions such people.

[MJ]

An interesting observation..

 

However, one question I have is when has the Russian Czar Nikolai I lived? Do the rest of the Churches in this region and the era of 1794 belong to the Constantinople Patriarchate? When has the first Russian-Turkish war taken place, by the way?

 

Do you know who they refer to when speaking of St. Nicholas? Is there such Saint in the cannons of the Greek Orthodox Church or the Russian Orthodox Church, for that matter?

[MJ]

I found some info on St. Nicolas at http://www.seanet.com/~eldrbarry/rabb/folk/stnick.htm .

 

Turns out that he impersonates another well known Saint:

 

" Lots of people think that St. Nicholas is just another name for Santa Claus. After all, Santa is also called Father Christmas, and Kris Kringle, and other names. Actually, Santa Claus is itself a mispronunciation of the Dutch SinterKlass which was their way of saying St. Nicholas."

 

This leads me to believe that there may be another alternative hypothesis - what if this Church is built by Catholic Armenians. Sure there have been Catolic Armenians in Eastern Turkey.

[MJ]

Good to see you Raffi. Please tell us more about "Sourp Nigoghayios." But note that in the insciption on the stone above it is spelled as "Sourp Nigolai."

[bellthecat]

Also beside the church is a gravestone with a long Armenian inscription - but it does not scan well enough to reproduce here for translation. There was also a stone with an inscription in Greek - dated 1915. I can post that, if someone can read Greek and translate it. That is why I was thinking along the lines of "Armenianized" Greeks, rather than Catholic (or even Protestant - but 1794 is a bit early) Armenians.

 

But all this is just another example of the rich culture that was destroyed forever in 1915 - most of it unknown and un-recorded (Outside of a few locals, I was the first person ever to see this church).

 

Steve

[MJ]

Raffi knows Greek.

[raffiaharonian]

Saint Nicholas, or Agios Nikolaos, is the patron saint of the seamen and the navy.

 

On the 6th of December the Greek church celebrates his name day and it is a very important day for the Greeks. (sort of national day).

 

I suppose that Saint Nicholas is the same saint as 'sourp Nigoghayios' of the Armenian church.

[bellthecat]

Yes, I just realised how stupid my question was - since in his posts it says greece in the "from:" section. I'll dig out the photo.

[bellthecat]

Here is the Greek Inscription. (PS, according to homestead their web server will be off-line for several hours this week - so this picture may not display then.)

 

http://armenianarchitecture.homestead.com/files/sudak_greek_inscription.jpg

[raffiaharonian]

It is not very clear, since parts are missing, but i managed the following:

 

"Servant of God, monk Peter (Petros)...something....

Papadopoulos ( I suppose), 20 Oct, 1915. "

 

I think it is from his tomb stone, with his personal details. He must have been a monk.

Usually the monks/clerics , change their first name, but keep their family ones.

 

Maybe the village was a mixed village of Greeks and Armenians, who shared their burial place or even the Church (?) .

 

As for sourp Nigoghayios, I am sorry to say that I don't know anything, but I'll try to locate some info , if I can. We have very limited access to regular and general Armenian sources in Greece!