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September 23, 2005
By Hovhannes Yeranian
Abo, a Sasuntsi from Talin, a big man with mustache like Andranik, died on the border after he visited Sasun and Mush. His heart couldn’t stand the pressure and he had a heart attack. Levon from Aynchar has a stronger heart – he has visited Western Armenia three times and has toured it alone. He travels around Western Armenia and takes photos.
Levon Tashchian from Musaler fought in Karabagh in 1993 together with his Dashnak friends. Today he is in Armenia to participate in harissa festival of Musaler and commemoration of heroes, to attend the church service and join in the proud dance of Musaler. He wants to visit Javakhk.
Levon has a strong heart. He has traveled all around Western Armenia. He has spent his nights with Kurds and Turks in the mountains, in the ruined churches. He has had conflicts with a Turkish village mayor and the secret police, the molla of a church turned into a mosque and Kurdish rebels.
When an Australian Armenian asked him at an internet interview whether he was afraid to spend the night in the open air Levon answered, “Are you afraid when you are in your house? I wasn’t afraid since I was in my house, the Armenian mountains are our house”. Levon tells calmly about his lonely pilgrimage to Western Armenia.
In 1917 I visited Musaler for the first time. I took pictures of the houses, monuments, churches and the cemeteries of 18 martyrs. They are all ruined. Then I visited Sis, I took pictures of the Catholicos’ residence and the castle. Then I went to Zeytun, Hachn, Marash, Malatia, Urfa, Tigranakert, Kharberd, Erzrum, Mush, Kars, Ani, Igdir, Bayazet. Then I went back to Van Lake and Akhtamar. This trip lasted about a month.
They didn’t allow me to take pictures of some parts of Ani. There was a sign at the entrance to the castle in Turkish and English that no cameras are allowed inside. I entered Ani from the opposite side, from Akhurian river and took pictures of the Hovvi Church, Gagkashen, the Mother Cathedral and the ruins of Ani. I couldn’t return by the same route, so I took out the film and threw my camera into the river. I took a picture of the Arakelots Church in Kars that has been turned into a mosque.
The molla was trying to make me take off my shoes, he told me this was the house of the God. I said, “This is the house of my God, this is a church and I am Armenian.” He went to call the police. I managed to take a picture and went out. I have traveled to the same places in Western Armenia three times and I noticed that what I had seen at my previous visit I couldn’t see at the next one. They destroy the khachkars and the Armenian inscriptions, they are left only on the photos.
ABS TV in Lebanon made a documentary film titled “The Armenians in Lebanon”. This film is often aired in Lebanon. I was the initiator for this film. We visited the whole territory of historic Armenia. We had a conflict with the police in Tigranakert. We had the same problem at Msho Sultan Saint Karapet Monastery.
This was the only time when I was scared. The village mayor was threatening to kill us. But I did take a picture. I had gone to Msho Arakelots the previous day. I spent the night with the Kurds since I didn’t manage to go down to Mush on the same day. Msho Arakelots Monastery is ruined. Only one dome is left. The Kurds have made a house with the stones of the church and sleep there at night.
I had tea with Turkish old men in the market of Mush. I was asking them where the Armenian churches of Mush are. They understood that I am Armenian and sent me to an old man named Mustafa. First he didn’t acknowledge he was Armenian. Then he started telling the stories he had heard from his father, stories about Andranik, Gevorg Chaush, Aghbyur Serob.
He showed me Gevorg Chaush’s and Aghbyur Serob’s tombs. Aghbyur Serob’s head is buried in Mush and his body is buried in Sasun. Then we went to Sulukh village where Gevorg Chaush died. The place is in the same condition as in those days. The famous bridge of Sulukh that was blown up by Dashnak fidayis is still there. I took a picture of it.
Levon Tashchian’s story goes on and on. He can tell for hours and his stories of what he has seen and felt will never end. An exhibition of his photos has traveled all around the world. His works have been exhibited in Syria and Canada, Australia and Armenia telling about thousands of Armenian monuments ruined and destroyed, the culture that the residents and owners of the Armenian Mountains, Levon Tashchian’s grandfathers and great grandfather created.
By Hovhannes Yeranian
Abo, a Sasuntsi from Talin, a big man with mustache like Andranik, died on the border after he visited Sasun and Mush. His heart couldn’t stand the pressure and he had a heart attack. Levon from Aynchar has a stronger heart – he has visited Western Armenia three times and has toured it alone. He travels around Western Armenia and takes photos.
Levon Tashchian from Musaler fought in Karabagh in 1993 together with his Dashnak friends. Today he is in Armenia to participate in harissa festival of Musaler and commemoration of heroes, to attend the church service and join in the proud dance of Musaler. He wants to visit Javakhk.
Levon has a strong heart. He has traveled all around Western Armenia. He has spent his nights with Kurds and Turks in the mountains, in the ruined churches. He has had conflicts with a Turkish village mayor and the secret police, the molla of a church turned into a mosque and Kurdish rebels.
When an Australian Armenian asked him at an internet interview whether he was afraid to spend the night in the open air Levon answered, “Are you afraid when you are in your house? I wasn’t afraid since I was in my house, the Armenian mountains are our house”. Levon tells calmly about his lonely pilgrimage to Western Armenia.
In 1917 I visited Musaler for the first time. I took pictures of the houses, monuments, churches and the cemeteries of 18 martyrs. They are all ruined. Then I visited Sis, I took pictures of the Catholicos’ residence and the castle. Then I went to Zeytun, Hachn, Marash, Malatia, Urfa, Tigranakert, Kharberd, Erzrum, Mush, Kars, Ani, Igdir, Bayazet. Then I went back to Van Lake and Akhtamar. This trip lasted about a month.
They didn’t allow me to take pictures of some parts of Ani. There was a sign at the entrance to the castle in Turkish and English that no cameras are allowed inside. I entered Ani from the opposite side, from Akhurian river and took pictures of the Hovvi Church, Gagkashen, the Mother Cathedral and the ruins of Ani. I couldn’t return by the same route, so I took out the film and threw my camera into the river. I took a picture of the Arakelots Church in Kars that has been turned into a mosque.
The molla was trying to make me take off my shoes, he told me this was the house of the God. I said, “This is the house of my God, this is a church and I am Armenian.” He went to call the police. I managed to take a picture and went out. I have traveled to the same places in Western Armenia three times and I noticed that what I had seen at my previous visit I couldn’t see at the next one. They destroy the khachkars and the Armenian inscriptions, they are left only on the photos.
ABS TV in Lebanon made a documentary film titled “The Armenians in Lebanon”. This film is often aired in Lebanon. I was the initiator for this film. We visited the whole territory of historic Armenia. We had a conflict with the police in Tigranakert. We had the same problem at Msho Sultan Saint Karapet Monastery.
This was the only time when I was scared. The village mayor was threatening to kill us. But I did take a picture. I had gone to Msho Arakelots the previous day. I spent the night with the Kurds since I didn’t manage to go down to Mush on the same day. Msho Arakelots Monastery is ruined. Only one dome is left. The Kurds have made a house with the stones of the church and sleep there at night.
I had tea with Turkish old men in the market of Mush. I was asking them where the Armenian churches of Mush are. They understood that I am Armenian and sent me to an old man named Mustafa. First he didn’t acknowledge he was Armenian. Then he started telling the stories he had heard from his father, stories about Andranik, Gevorg Chaush, Aghbyur Serob.
He showed me Gevorg Chaush’s and Aghbyur Serob’s tombs. Aghbyur Serob’s head is buried in Mush and his body is buried in Sasun. Then we went to Sulukh village where Gevorg Chaush died. The place is in the same condition as in those days. The famous bridge of Sulukh that was blown up by Dashnak fidayis is still there. I took a picture of it.
Levon Tashchian’s story goes on and on. He can tell for hours and his stories of what he has seen and felt will never end. An exhibition of his photos has traveled all around the world. His works have been exhibited in Syria and Canada, Australia and Armenia telling about thousands of Armenian monuments ruined and destroyed, the culture that the residents and owners of the Armenian Mountains, Levon Tashchian’s grandfathers and great grandfather created.