Published since 07.2002
Published on May 15, 2009
LESSONS FROM THE GRAVE: ANCIENT JEWISH CEMETERY MARKS LITTLE-KNOWN TIME IN ARMENIAN HISTORY
- A little known piece of Armenian history received high-profile attention this week, when dignitaries, villagers and activists for cultural awareness gathered at an old cemetery in the village of Yeghegis, some two hours south of Yerevan. The winding road through the Vayots Dzor province to the cemetery ends at a questionably sufficient footbridge across the snow-melt gush of the Yeghegis River, over which ambassadors from three countries cautiously trekked to pay respects to the remains of what was once a thriving community of Jewish settlers. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch (United States), Ambassador Shemi Tzur (Israel) and Ambassador Revaz Gachechiladze (Georgia), and Honorary Italian Consul Antonio Montaldo were among some 70 or so guests who gathered to acknowledge recent efforts to preserve the historic site, including rebuilding of a boundary wall, put up by a joint project by the Diocese of Siunik, the Ministry of Culture and a team of experts from Israel led by Professor Michael Stone. The event was organized through the office of Bishop Abraham, Primate of the Siunik Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. On hand for the ceremony was professor Stone, who led a team that investigated the ancient cemetery from 2000-2003. Stone’s team found that the tombstone inscriptions – including 10 in Hebrew or Aramaic – include sayings and verse from Talmudic literature. Some of the names of the deceased possibly link the settlers to Jewish families of Iran, suggesting that Yeghegis was originally settled by Iranian Jews who migrated. Except for the tombstones, no records exist of the community, leaving to speculation either its origin or the circumstances that caused the Jewish community’s disappearance. In his/her turn the ambassadors congratulated those responsible for the modest but significant preservation work on this remote gorge protected by nature, but far from view and far from gaining the attention of typical tourism destinations. Ambassador Tzur said the site holding some 40 graves dating from 1266 to 1346 was a link to his own people’s place in Armenian history, and encouraged research into whatever became of the once thriving Jewish population of the area. Due to the work of the Armenian Monuments Awareness Project (AMAP) visitors to Yeghegis are now led to the village and its unique cemetery by roadside directional signs, and on-site information panels onto which is told in multiple languages the history of the area. A total of 4 information panels and 4 road signs have been installed there, with another 9 panels slated for installation in September. Each panel is presented in English, French, Italian, Russian, Armenian – and, for the cemetery, Hebrew. One of AMAP’s most unique locations chosen for an installation is high above the Jewish cemetery on an opposite mountaintop, the Zorats Yekeghetsi (literally “Soldier’s Church”). The church was dedicated in 1303 and is the only known Armenian church to have been built in such a way as to allow soldiers to pass the altar on horseback to receive a blessing before heading off to battle. At the cemetery commemoration on Monday, AMAP chief of party Rick Ney said that the attention to such places as this cemetery is well-deserved, as such recognition helps to round-out the rich history of Armenia as a nation of multi-culturalism, long before such a term even existed. “This is a world-class destination,” said Ney. “It shows that 13th century Armenia was a lively, multi-cultural nation, enjoying the fruits of a cosmopolitan life that was the envy of the Caucasus. This was the seat of the most powerful Armenian family at the time, with influence in Georgia, Persia and the Mongol Empire. The Jewish community speaks to the prosperity and attraction of this medieval capital.” AMAP – funded in part by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Competitive Armenian Private Sector program – launched its 2009 campaign last month with a presentation of a bird-watching trail at Armash. In 2008, the NGO put up 54 site panels and 33 road signs in its efforts to improve the tourism experience in Armenia. For this installation, the project was supported by USAID and the Honorary Italian Consulate for Giumri. The 11-member staff of AMAP will produce more than 120 panels by end of this year at sites that include Tatev, Sevanavank, Amberd, and marking of Armenia’s “silk road” from Georgia to Iran.
- John Hughes
Headlines for May 15, 2009
FAMOUS ARMENIAN ART CRITIC DIES AT 77
Karine Ionesyan
A famous Armenian art critic who was the founder of Yerevan’s Museum of Contemporary Arts, founder and director general of the National Art Center of Armenia Henrik Igityan passed away on May 11, at the ...OSCE, MINSK GROUP TROIKA ISSUE STATEMENTS ON KARABAKH CEASEFIRE ANNIVERSARY
International mediators brokering a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute have called on the parties to continue to abide by the ceasefire signed exactly 15 years ago and expressed a hope that new ...SISTER, HERE WE GO!: ARMENIA’S INGA & ANUSH REACH EUROVISION 2009 FINALS IN MOSCOW
Suren Musayelyan
In a well-received appearance on stage in Moscow Armenia’s Inga and Anush Arshakyans have earned the right to perform in the finals of the Eurovision-2009 Song Contest coming Saturday. The sisters made ...FORMERLY DASHNAK-HELD TOP MINISTERIAL POSTS DISTRIBUTED AMONG COALITION PARTIES
Gayane Mkrtchyan 2
This week Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed decrees appointing new members of government to fill in the ministerial position left vacant after the decision of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation ...SOCCER: PYUNIK WINS ARMENIA CUP WITH LATE GOAL AWARDED BY ITALIAN REF
Suren Musayelyan
Good chest control by a Pyunik midfielder and a ‘touch of class’ from the Italian referee proved equally critical in deciding the winner of the Armenian soccer Cup final on Saturday. On a night of equal ...ARMENIAN LEADER URGES ENTREPRENEURS TO BE ‘MORE AGGRESSIVE’ IN INTRODUCING NEW TECHNOLOGIES
5
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has appealed to the country’s leading businessmen to assist in government efforts aimed at withstanding the ongoing crisis. Addressing the congress of Armenia’s Union ...EXPLOSION AND FIRE AT CHEMICAL PLANT IN ARMENIA
Two explosions within a space of about five minutes rocked a sprawling chemical plant in southern Yerevan at about 6.40 pm Thursday. The explosions were followed by a huge fire at a chloroprene production ...SPORT: ARARAT IN TROUBLE OVER LICENSE FOR EUROPE LEAGUE
Suren Musayelyan
Soccer Last season’s Armenian premier league runner-up FC Ararat is unlikely to represent the country in the upcoming Europe League, a tournament that comes to replace the former UEFA Cup, after this ...FOR THE LOVE OF SOCCER: ARMENIA’S WOMEN TEAM IN FIRST INTERNATIONAL ACTION ON HOME SOIL
Siranuysh Gevorgyan
Armenian women soccer players were in their first-ever action at national level in front of a home crowd as they entertained Estonia and Kazakhstan in a friendly tournament this week. The tournament ...FIFTH ESTATE: ARMENIAN BLOGGERS GET READY FOR POLITICAL CAMPAIGN
Sara Khojoyan
On the threshold of municipal assembly elections in the capital Yerevan (May 31), Armenian bloggers are actively addressing the campaign and forthcoming vote in their blogs. Still, many of them say blogs ...WEATHERING THE STORM: THE PRESSURE OF POVERTY
In a significant new assessment of Armenia’s mounting economic troubles, the head of the World Bank in Armenia warned on May 13 that the country’s economic crisis will lead to a sharp rise in national ...KARABAKH TALKS: NEXT STOP IN ST. PETERSBURG
Naira Hayrumyan
The fourth meeting between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Prague on May 7 did not result in a tangible breakthrough, with the standpoints of the two parties remaining diametrically opposite. ...FORUM FOR SURVIVAL: PF-A TO HOST DISCUSSIONS ON THE FINANCIAL “STORM”
Policy Forum Armenia has announced a “high level” economic forum to be held May 25 in Yerevan that will bring together present and past prime ministers for a panel discussion, as well as representatives ...LESSONS FROM THE GRAVE: ANCIENT JEWISH CEMETERY MARKS LITTLE-KNOWN TIME IN ARMENIAN HISTORY
John HughesA little known piece of Armenian history received high-profile attention this week, when dignitaries, villagers and activists for cultural awareness gathered at an old cemetery in the village of Yeghegis, ...SUSPENDED RELIEF: SHUSHI BENEVOLENT FUND PUTS ITS PROJECTS ON HOLD
Gayane Mkrtchyan
Only three years ago, in an interview with ArmeniaNow, Head of the ‘Shushi’ Benevolent Fund Bakur Karapetyan said that only the glorious past of Shushi is enough to make it Armenians’ cultural center. ...ABLE FOR COMMUNICATION: CENTER IN VANADZOR HELPS MENTALLY DISABLED CHILDREN
Naira Bulghadaryan
For the five-year-old Sona two days a week are the favorite ones - the days she and her mother visit Vanadzor’s Health and Medical-Social Rehabilitation Center of the ‘Arabkir’ Medical Complex for Children. ...NAIRIT FALLOUT: DEATH TOLL IN RUBBER PLANT BLAST RISES TO FOUR AMID MOUNTING ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Karine Ionesyan
The death toll in serious explosions and fire at Armenia’s sprawling chemical plant that occurred Thursday late afternoon has risen to four, according to the information confirmed by the country’s Ministry ...ERDOGAN’S STATEMENTS IN BAKU DRAW REACTION FROM YEREVAN
1
Official Yerevan has responded to the recent statements made by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who again linked Armenian-Turkish normalization with Armenian concessions to Azerbaijan over ...WHO IS WHO: MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS SET STAGE FOR ANOTHER ‘BATTLE’ OF CURRENT AND FORMER ELITES
Aris Ghazinyan
Municipal assembly elections in Yerevan scheduled for May 31 will give the capital city an elected mayor for the first time in nearly two decades. The city has had nine president-appointed mayors since ...FISTFIGHT FOR VOTES: VIOLENCE MARS SECOND WEEK OF CAMPAIGN IN YEREVAN ELECTIONS
Gayane Abrahamyan
Having hardly overcome the bitter consequences and memories of the previous election, Yerevan officially entered a new stage of the pre-election whirlpool on May 2, the campaign dynamics of which -- marked ...ARMENIA ON FOREIGN PRESS PAGES
(Weekly Digest - May 9-15) Turkish Today’s Zaman quotes the chairman of the Kars Chamber of Industry and Commerce as reiterating the structure’s support for Turkish-Armenian normalization and the desire ...
Most read news (last 7 days)
ANOTHER ATTACK: POPULAR TV SHOW ANCHOR IN ARMENIA AMBUSHED AND BEATEN
Armine Grigoryan
FOR THE LOVE OF SOCCER: ARMENIA’S WOMEN TEAM IN FIRST INTERNATIONAL ACTION ON HOME SOIL
Siranuysh GevorgyanFORUM FOR SURVIVAL: PF-A TO HOST DISCUSSIONS ON THE FINANCIAL “STORM”
“SPARTACUS” ON STAGE: A WORLD FAMOUS BALLET COMES TO YEREVAN AGAIN
Karine IonesyanFAMOUS ARMENIAN ART CRITIC DIES AT 77
Karine IonesyanEXPLOSION AND FIRE AT CHEMICAL PLANT IN ARMENIA
ARMENIAN LEADER URGES ENTREPRENEURS TO BE ‘MORE AGGRESSIVE’ IN INTRODUCING NEW TECHNOLOGIES
SISTER, HERE WE GO!: ARMENIA’S INGA & ANUSH REACH EUROVISION 2009 FINALS IN MOSCOW
Suren Musayelyan‘NOT FREE’: WESTERN WATCHDOG FINDS ARMENIA’S LACK OF PRESS FREEDOM AGAIN
Suren MusayelyanARMENIA PULLS OUT OF NATO DRILL IN GEORGIA
© AUA
Today in Armenian history- 1827 Harootyoon Alamdaryan exhorts the soldiers before their departure for the front.
- 1913 Death of Qaseem, author of moralistic, populist novels and editor of the "Soorhandak" and "Manzoomee Efkeestee" papers.
- 1916 Death of freedom-fighter and hero Qerree.
- 1918 The Turkish army re-occupies Alexandropol (Gyoomree).
- 1920 Death of actor Ovee Sevoomyan.
- 1930 Death of the humanist Dr. Friedhof Nansen. His internationally recognized "Nansen Passport" saved the lives of many stateless refugees.
- 1946 Death of Grigor Avetyan (actor) in Yerevan. He was born in 1870.
Forum most active discussions
- Դավադրություն Հայաստանի Դեմ
- Անկախության 20-ամյակ
- Մեր սիրելի երգերը
- Հանապազօրյա Նավթը և Հայաստանի Աշխարհաքաղաքական Դիրքը
- Armenians and 2011 OSCAR
- Turks and Germans: Partners in Crime and Allies in Court
- Վերջ ապագիտական դեզինֆորմացիային
- Իսկ ե՞րբ մենք պիտի ունենանք մե՛ր Վրեժի Կտակարանը
- 2011 թվականը
- L’ARMENIE OCCIDENTALE ET LE DROIT INTERNATIONAL, AUJOURD’HUI !
ARMENIAN NEWS
INTERACTIVE NEWS
INFORMATION
MY ARMTOWN
How to quit smoking?
How to write in Armenian on Windows XP?
All materials published on this website are taken from open sources and are copyrighted by their respective owners. You cannot reproduce or copy any materials published on armtown.com without written consent of original copyright holder. If you want to remove any material, please send us an email with proof of ownership/copyright and your material will be removed immediately. All materials published for information purposes only.