Armenian schoolchildren take a serious attitude to architectural heritage preservation

PanARMENIAN.Net - Yerevan Mayor's Office has announced about inviolability of three archaeological monuments boundaries, including Erebuni, Krmir Blour and Shengavit. Those territories will no longer be used as burying grounds.



"Waste disposal on monuments' territory is currently our key issue. The household rubbish and construction waste was accumulated here over decades, forming a thick layer. The Mayor's Office covered the costs of waste disposal but this is not yet enough," Director of Erebuni museum Ashot Piliposyan said. According to him, there is currently 1000 trucks of construction waste piled up in the territory of "Karmir Blur".



Cleanup works carried out by Armenian servicemen on April 18 in connection with the International Day of Monuments produced significant results. But what greatly inspires us is that the children from school No. 115 (situated at Karmir Blur) elaborated archaeological monuments preservation program and submitted it to US Embassy in Armenia. Regardless of results, the fact itself is gratifying. It inspires us with confidence that the young generation shows care for cultural heritage," Mr. Piliposyan noted.



Considering economic difficulties, Erebuni Museum Director proposes that the municipal authorities and other responsible state bodies remove the waste heap to the nearest ravine.



Since 1936, the citadel situated on Karmir Blur has been thoroughly studied, and most of the land plots of the ancient city extending from south to west have been dug out.



The citadel is a huge construction with a spacious yard, with total area of about 4 hectares. Its walls are built of huge mudbricks, 3.5 m. wide and 4-7m. long. The first floor of the citadel housed 140 various premises of different sizes, including small storerooms and large wine cellars. Apart from storehouses, the citadel also had workshops producing sesame oil and beer as well as manufactured cloth and processed bones. There were also grain storerooms with a capacity of 750 g.. The wine cellars stored 4000 liters of different wine sorts.