Exhibition Dedicated To 400-year-old History And Culture Of Iranian Armenian Colony

[Siamanto]

EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO 400-YEAR-OLD HISTORY AND CULTURE OF IRANIAN
ARMENIAN COLONY OPENS IN MATENADARAN


YEREVAN, JULY 22, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. An exhibition
dedicated to the 400-year-old history and culture of the Armenian
colony which settled in Iran following the Shahabasian deportation
opened on July 22 in the show-room of the Matenadaran in Yerevan. The
exhibition has been organized with the support of the Cultural center
"Peria" of the American Armenian Cultural Fund, the manuscript
depository and treasury of the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin and the
Matenadaran. It features for the first time more than 40 manuscripts,
some of which were carried by Armenians to Iran during the
deportation, while the others were written in Nor Jugha and
neighboring areas. According to Head of the show-room Aida
Charkhchian, most of the manuscripts are usually kept in the
manuscript depository of the Mother See of Holy Echmiaszin, the
Matenadaran, the museum of St Amenaprkich Monastery in Nor Jugha,
Venice and Jerusalem. These are mainly gospels, books containing
Armenian church psalms and scientific studies. The most ancient
manuscripts are the gospels written in Narekavank in 1069 and in Nor
Jugha in 1607. In the words of Director of the Matenadaran,
Academician of the RA NAA Sen Arevshatian, 400 year ago, under the
pressure of Shah Abas the Armenians of the Ararat Valley and
Nakhichevan were forcibly deported and settled down in various towns
of Iran. They founded Nor Jugha and, since the beginning of the 17th
century, started building churches and continued the creative work of
Iranian Armenians in all spheres of the spiritual, cultural and
scientific life. Chairman of the Cultural center "Peria" Masis
Baghdasarian said that the Iranian authorities have always treated
Armenians with sympathy, that is why the Iranian Armenians live a
full-value life and are able to preserve spiritual and cultural values
inherited from their ancestors. He stated that by 2010, the Union will
strive to present to the whole world the 400-year-old history and
cultural values of the Iranian Armenian colony formed in Iran as a
result of the Shahabasian deportation. An exhibition of ancient
manuscripts created in Nor Jugha will also open in Echmiadzin on July
23.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg119135.html

[bell-the-cat]

Someone told me recently that Iran is trying to get the St. Stephanos and St. Thaddeus monasteries in NW Iran listed with UNESCO as sites of world cultural importance - and that Turkey is objecting and making difficulties.

[Navid]

Ironically, Iran has some of the world's oldest churches in the world, while the ones in Turkey were pretty much destroyed. Yet, Iran is still considered the "outlaw of the world." The problem is that Americans and British are spending millions to start a civil war within Iran. In that case, Turkey and Azerbaijan have green lights from world powers to anexe the Azerbaijan of Iran. This is the only way that American gov. could defeat the Iranians. According to Wikipedia, Iran has the largest military in the world. "Countries by list of armed forces." This is why Turkey is trying to destroy any alliance between Iran and Armenia and this is why Persia's history is attacked constantly. If Iran falls, what would be the faith of Armenia? since Turkey has good relations with US. (You see now why Turkey is on Persia's throat.)