Georgia follows the example of Azerbaijan in appropriation of the cultural heritage

PanARMENIAN.Net - It includes a church, refectory and a separate wing for manuscripts. The church is one of the biggest cross-domical temples in the region and preserved its significance till the end of the 15th century. "In 1985 the Ministry of Culture of Turkey included the complex into the list of the national heritage of the country.

The logic of the policy of Michael Saakashvili is quite understandable - there are Armenians still living in Tbilisi, but there are none in Erzrum, which means that nobody will make any particular fuss out of it, moreover when one of the ornaments carries inscriptions in Asomtavruli (an ancient Georgian language). According to a number of historians, on the territory of the Western Armenia in a given period of time there were no Georgian churches and the Monastery of Oshkvank belonged to the Armenian-Chalcedonies. But in any case they were Armenians; the owners of the Monastery, not Georgians, like the official Tbilisi wants to prove. As for Turkey; this country has always had special interest in appropriation of this or that monastery, especially when it is of an Armenian origin. Till 1915 there were more than 6000 temples and monasteries on the territory of the Ottoman Empire, by the way, this number is not exact, and it is quite
possible that the number of the temples and monasteries would reach 10000. The most of these churches, to be more exact, of what had survived, is on the territory of six vilayets (provinces) whose Armenian population has been completely slaughtered.

As it has lately been found out, the Georgian mujakhirs from Ajaria have also taken part in the slaughter of the Armenian and Greek people. According to the Turkish Professor Ozel, they did it out of the urge to favor the officials of the Ottoman Empire. In fact the anti-Armenian policy of Georgia has not started only lately and not even did it start in 18th century. It may be said that it has always existed, simply then the Armenians did not have their own state and that is why on those days all the mistreatments were carried out in the so-called "common level". It is rather difficult to find any explanations for such attitude towards the Armenians, but it may be presumed that the Georgians simply cannot put up with the fact that they owe the very Armenians for the prosperity of Tbilisi. It must be reminded to the Georgian government that creating their history at the expense of other nations is not very nice. In the given issue Georgia is following Azerbaijan's
example, which by itself, is already bad.

The story of the temple in Erzrum is also important for another reason; during the Armenian massacres carried out in the Ottoman Empire the population of this city ran away to Georgia, to be more exact, to Javakh. The Armenian population in Akhaltsikhe is mostly from Erzrum and there should not be much surprise if one day they are called Georgians. A rather
well-composed version will be made out of it: the Armenians, who are actually Georgians, built the temple, and then they ran away to Georgia and the temples were left there. Yet, let's hope that things will not go this far.

At present Erzrum is one of the Islamic centers of the Turkish Republic, where nothing ever reminds of the people who once lived on this land. Around 10 Armenian temples have been preserved on this territory, and the most significant one among them is the temple to St. Astvatsatsin and Kizil-vank, which are now in ruins. The same situation is in Kars, Van and other provinces. Having restored Church St. Christ in Akhtamar, Turkey government thinks that it has displayed its "good will" towards the Armenians. Most probably the temple would have been left like that in ruins if it was not
included in the agenda of UNESCO. The cemetery in Old Jugha was simply meant to disappear, just like many evidences which could serve as a proof for being indigenous in the Asia Minor.