Restoring Ani: Armenian specialists expect to be part of Turkey-led efforts for ancient Armenian capital

The first stage of restoration works of Armenia’s most beautiful ancient capital Ani in modern-day Turkey (Western Armenia) has been completed, but the issue of Armenian experts’ participation in the three-year restoration project of Ani’s four churches is yet unresolved.

For several years now Turkish press has been trumpeting that the Turkish government is spending huge money on the restoration of medieval city of Ani, which is in ruins.

However, the actual works started a few months ago, in August, and are mostly sponsored by World Monuments Fund and US ambassadors’ Cultural Fund created by the US Congress and functioning as part of the US State Department – the total of $1 million has been allotted for this purpose.

As part of the restoration plan ancient St Astvatsatsin (Virgin Mariam) cathedral and half-ruined St Savior’s church will be fortified and repaired, roads to the monuments arranged and research excavations will be carried out.

International Council on Monuments and Sites ICOMOS-Armenia leader Gagik Gyurjyan is convinced that Armenian experts will have access to the restoration commission.

“Last year a resolution was adopted during the session of ICOMOS’s general assembly, demanding to include international experts in Ani’s restoration project. The expert group has not yet been formed, but I am almost sure that Armenian experts will take part in the coming stage of works,” Gyurjyan told ArmeniaNow.

He believes that Armenian experts’ participation in the next year’s work is more important because so far only the technical part has been completed – roads have been repaired, fragments of the churches have been collected and numbered.

It is not clear to what extent it is planned to restore as St Savior is half-ruined and it isn’t known whether they are planning to fully restore it or just fortify it.

“The extent of intervention during the repair depends on the amount of surviving original pieces – if it’s sufficient to restore 60-70 percent of the monument, then total restoration is possible. But it might be better not to intervene to avoid distortion,” says Gyurjyan.

By its attention to Armenian cultural heritage the Turkish government pursues several goals, dictated by self-interest. As experts in Armenia on Turkish studies often claim it is done to demonstrate to the international community how caring they are of Christian heritage.

But architects and archeologists see another purpose – a dangerous hidden agenda to erase Armenian traces.

“In the 1990s the Turkish government was implementing various kinds of excavations and research, but everything that was unearthed was destroyed shortly after to get rid of the Armenian traces,” Samvel Karapetyan, head of an NGO studying Armenian architecture and cultural heritage, told ArmeniaNow.

The lengthy text on the information panel next to the museum in the ruins of Ani – 1051 years ago proclaimed as the 11th Armenian capital – says nothing about Armenians, Ani’s Armenian origin or it being Armenia’s capital at any point in history. None of the other panels installed there have any such references.

“This is not unique to Ani, all the other Armenian monuments in Turkey share that same fate – not only their Armenian origin or any relation to it is not mentioned, but Armenian names, Armenian kings’ names are deliberately altered deluding both foreign and local visitors,” says Karapetyan.

He recalls how in 2004 when he visited Ani excavations were being carried out at queen Katranideh’s mausoleum adjoining the cathedral’s eastern façade and the entire sepulchral complex. Two Armenian clergymen’s graves were discovered with Armenian inscriptions on the tombstones.

“The following year we found them completely fractured, the remains dug out and scattered around. And it’s not like it happened somewhere in the mountains to be blamed on treasure-hunters, but in the museum under close watch of a big group of security guards,” says Karapetyan.

Nonetheless, he reminds that Armenians can’t very much point the finger since for years they themselves have been negligent and “helped” the destruction of Ani.

Next to the ruins of Ani by the River Akhuryan on the Armenian-Turkish border, the Armenian side had been exploiting a tufa mine until 2004 using explosives; the Turkish side periodically criticized this calling to stop the blasts.

“In reality we were damaging our richest historical heritage by using explosives at a site where eminent archeologist Nicholas Marr did not allow to shut a bullet, as the sound waves from the shot would damage the half-ruined monuments. That’s an example of our indifference, our negligence that’s apparent at all our sacred sites,” says Karapetyan.

While two years ago the Turkish government was repairing and, experts say, successfully fortifying Ani’s Tigran Honents Church, Armenian tourists thought it was their duty to leave their traces by writing their names and visit dates next to the ancient frescos inside the church.

“In this highlight our voice is too frail to raise and complain of possible distortions,” says Karapetyan, but gives assurances that the Armenian side has to see to it that the restoration is done properly.

Source: