|
Istanbul –
The Turkish Government has allocated $1.9 million for the
stabilization and conservation of the ancient Armenian Church
of Akhtamar (Akdamar) on an island in the middle of Lake Van
in Eastern Turkey.
|
|
The
Historical Heritage Protection Foundation (TMKV),
based in Istanbul, and the New York-based Landmarks
Foundation spearheaded the effort and are working
closely with the local contractor, Mr. Cahit
Zeydanli. The contractor is working according to
stringent international standards in conjunction
with an advisory architect appointed by the
Patriarch of the Armenian Church, His Beatitude
Mesrob II, as well as prominent American and Turkish
universities.
“Decades
of political wrangling have kept the 10th century
structure from being maintained,” said TMKV
Chairman Dr. Sabit Osman Avci, a former Speaker of
the Turkish Parliament.
|
“Armenian
architects were consulted to ensure that Akhtamar’s
reconstruction meets international standards,” added David
L. Phillips who led a study at American University involving
architects from around the world including Armenia. “The
Church is a world famous example of the spectacular medieval
Armenian ecclesiastical architecture. Its restoration will
promote rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia particularly
if Turkey agrees to open its border with Armenia allowing
normal travel, trade, and tourism.”
An Advisory Board organized by the Landmarks Foundation and
the TMKV consists of archeology and fresco experts including
Frank Matero, Chair of Preservation, and Dana Tomlin,
Professor of Landscape Architecture and GIS (Geographic
Information Systems) at the University of Pennsylvania, who
are members of the committee. “Cooperation among the
University of Pennsylvania, Istanbul Technical and Yuzuncu Yil
University are an important component of this project,” said
Ms. Verkin Arioba, the executive director and founder of TMKV.
The University of Pennsylvania, in conjunction with the
Turkish Universities, will offer a course in which students
will analyze opportunities and constraints for the utilization
and protection of Akhtamar Island. The course will employ
state-of-the-art information technology to document the
existing site, to identify its vulnerabilities, to explore its
potential, to make recommendations for its future and to
anticipate the impact of those recommendations.
No funds have been forthcoming from western or
Armenian-American sources.
The Akhtamar
Church of the Holy Cross and Monastery
The Akhtamar Church, on a small island in the middle of Lake
Van in Eastern Turkey, could not be situated more
dramatically. A Monastery supported the 10th Century Church
until it was abandoned in the 19th Century, leaving it to the
inevitable ravages of time and the elements.
Built by Architect Bishop Manuel in 915-921 and dedicated to
the "Holy Cross" the church of Akhtamar was erected
during the reign of King Gagik I of Vaspurakan. Akhtamar
represents the highest achievements of Armenian architecture
and remains one of only a few extant monuments in which
architectural creativity and figural sculpture are expertly
interwoven. The unique cathedral is considered a benchmark for
scholars in the study of the development of Armenian
architecture.
About the Historical Heritage Protection Foundation -
Turkey
The Historical Heritage Protection Foundation is a non-profit,
non-political organization dedicated to consolidating and
restoring cultural properties which are 'The common treasures
of mankind' in Turkey and abroad. The Foundation gives special
importance to setting up relations with universities, scholars
and experts on an international level as well as relations
with local authorities and related experts. The Foundation is
in continuous close collaboration with The Landmarks
Foundation in New York (www.landmarksfoundation.org),
which is dedicated to conserving sacred sites and landscapes
around the world.
The Foundation’s Ani project has received grants from the
Samuel H. Kress Foundation via the World Monuments Fund and
the protection of The Historical Heritage Foundation. The
Cultural Heritage Foundation of New York, USA provided
matching funds. The Historical Heritage Protection Foundation
is also working closely with ICOMOS Turkey to propose the
inclusion of the Van region's important cultural monuments in
UNESCO's World Heritage Sites list.
###
View photos of
Akhtamar
Read
Our Plea to Stop Further Destruction of the Ancient City of
Ani
|
