Selimiye Imperial Barracks by Architect Krikor Balian

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The main church was named Surp Arak'elots in the Mush valley.

The dome and its tall, octagonal drum were still intact in 1960, but were reportedly destroyed using explosives by officials from Mush in the early 1960s. The church probably dates from between the 10th and 13th centuries.

Text and pictures from VirtualAni

http://www.virtualani.freeserve.co.uk/

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Monestary of Khtzkonk

This beautiful monastery, also known as "Beshkilise" (Turkish for "Five Churches"), was spread out over three spurs of rock within a gorge near the village of Digor (formerly called Tekor), about 25km south-west of Ani.

The monastery had a total of five churches, all of them domed and carefully built out of finely cut stone. The churches were called: Saint Karapet, Saint Astucacin, Saint Stephanos, Saint Gregory, and Saint Sargis. Only the church of Saint Sargis is standing today.

The monastery remained in use until 1920, when the remaining Armenian population of the Kars region was expelled by the Turks. After this, the area became a restricted military zone that was closed to visitors (as late as 1984 a special permit was needed to travel to Digor). When the monastery was next visited by historians, in 1959, only one church, Saint Sargis, remained standing - and it was seriously damaged. It was reported that villagers at that time said the churches had been blown up by Turkish soldiers. The inhabitants of nearby Digor still (2002) say the same thing.

There is little doubt that the destruction was caused by explosives. Lumps of masonry from the destroyed churches have been flung far from their original positions. The slopes between the spurs are filled with shattered fragments of stonework, chunks of inscription covered wall, fragments of columns, and bits of ornate sculpture. The damage to the St. Sargis church is even more indicative - the side walls of the apses and chapels have been blown outwards, evidently by explosives placed within them. The location of a dated piece of modern graffiti (positioned so that it was lit by a window that is now destroyed) suggests that the destruction took place sometime after 1955. The inhabitants of Digor are vague on the actual date, only saying "about 30 years ago".


Church of the Holy Mother of God
(Surb Astuacacin)
This small church lay on the southern side of St. Karapet. It is probably from the 10th century. The interior was little more than a square plan with semicircular apse and covered by a dome. There was traces of a hall built against both it and St. Karapet. Nothing now survives of this church.

Church of Saint Stephanos Nakhavka
It was built on a separate spur of rock opposite St. Karapet and was probably a 10th or 11th century structure. Its plan was rectangular on the outside, cruciform on the interior, with a semicircular apse flanked by two side chapels. The entrance was on the southern (hidden and hard to reach) side. Grouped around the church were the monumental bases of several khatchkars that were not preserved. The church was said to have been surrounded by the graves of martyrs from the 1208 siege of the city of Ketchror (Gechivan / Tunçkaya). Only fragments of the base of this church now survives.

Church of Saint Gregory
the Illuminator
This building stood further to the east of the other churches. Again it was probably a 10th or 11th century construction. It was a tall church in relation to its small floorplan, and had a walled enclosure containing a particularly large khatchkar from the year 1031 set within a vaulted shrine. This church is now completely destroyed, nothing but a few shattered fragments of masonry remain. Medieval graves on the slopes above this church were destroyed by treasure hunters in 1986.

http://www.virtualani.freeserve.co.uk/khtzkonk/index.htm

[UKTurk]

You articles just show that the churches were destroyed. There is no way to tell if it was done by locals or the "Turkish army".

NO ones denying that Armenian Churches have disapeared!

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Additionally I have pictures (some taken by me - others taken by friends) of deliberate destruction of Armenian Churches (obvious deleberate sledgehammer damage as well as scratching out of inscriptions etc) and Katchkars (broken and busted up where they had been whole on a visit less then one year earlier) however they are not ready at the moment for uploading...but go ahead - tell me that it isn't true...yeah...xxxxhead

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You articles just show that the churches were destroyed. There is no way to tell if it was done by locals or the "Turkish army".

hahahahaha - yes eyewitness accounts of rape and murder of innocent Armenian women and children in 1915 are not believed either...yeah I hear you a$ehole!

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I have also come accross some very specific accounts of eyewitnesses describing artillery being shot into an old Armenian church...but perhaps these were just Turkihs "hobbyists" at play and not really Government military units. We also see where whole blocks of old irreplaceble Armenian homes (national treasures - gone..) have been buldozed (Kayseri) - but perhaps this was merely the work of children who managed to get ahold of equipment that had been lying around eh?

[UKTurk]

Additionally I have pictures (some taken by me - others taken by friends) of deliberate destruction of Armenian Churches (obvious deleberate sledgehammer damage as well as scratching out of inscriptions etc) and Katchkars (broken and busted up where they had been whole on a visit less then one year earlier) however they are not ready at the moment for uploading...but go ahead - tell me that it isn't true...yeah...xxxxhead

I meant it wasn't true about the Army supposedly destroying Churches. If they have? SO WHAT! It doesnt affect me at all and it has nothing to do with me so don't B*tch at me. Its not the evidence of my existance in Eastern Turkey being destroyed its yours.

hahahahaha - yes eyewitness accounts of rape and murder of innocent Armenian women and children in 1915 are not believed either...yeah I hear you a$ehole!

And Maral was the one telling me that I'm Schizophrenic!

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I have really gotten very tired of your $hit UKTurk.

[maral_m79]

Its funny you should mention that... most of them are gone but thats more due to neglect.

And you think that neglect of hundereds of years old monument is NOT a crime against the brilliance of civilization ?!

But you know what ? I guess it's pointless talking to someone like you about monuments and brilliance of civilization, someone who don't appreciate it !

I heard the Turkish government is restoring a very nice Church on an Island in Van lake.

Do you know how many years ago UNSCO had filed Akhtamar for restoration ?
How many times did they call on Turkey for preservation of it ?

Yet still no one brick have been restored ...

[maral_m79]

Crime against the brilliance of civilization?

But you know what ? I guess it's pointless talking to someone like you about monuments and brilliance of civilization, someone who don't appreciate it !

You did finish off your last sentence?.... "it's pointless talking to someone like you about monuments and brilliance of civilization, someone who don't appreciate it" is it because I'm a Turk? because my mother and father happen to be Turks they gave life to me, a Turk. I haven't done anything wrong but I am being labelled as someone who doesn't understand beauty, someone who cant understand art, someone that cant live with the rest of civilization, someone who is an ignorant waste of space through no choice of his own and who is lower than you. Thats what you wanted to say, I'm glad I am of some use I finished of your comment.

You should be grateful that the Turkish Government has agreed to fund the restoration of that church. Remember Turkey is trying to destroy the physical evidence left behind by Armenians so for Turkey to restore an old monument is a big step.[/QUOTE]


No you got me wrong, I didn't mean that ... I admit that my sentence was weak , but as I said earlier, my english skills are not the best ...

And you are wrong, because I know that there are a lot of Turks who do appreciate the brilliance of civilization , and here you have one good example ... ScythianVizier .


Didn't you ask yourself why Turkey is all excited about the restoration of Akhtamar NOW ???!!!!
For YEARS UNSCO trying to make Turkey restore it, Why NOW ??
Becaue Turkey want to LOOK nice in the eyes of EU folks, and it's part of the show biz that Turkey is doing .....

Only days will tell how serious Turkey is about this restoration thing.