How do Armenian feel about Mount Ararat?

[SweetAngessa]

Re: How do Armenian feel about Mount Ararat?

Seal of the Armenian SSR



Coat of Arms of the Republic of Armenia

**************

As you can see from the two above images, Mt. Ararat is quite literally at the center of our hearts and what it means to be Armenian.

I am looking for deep meaningful feeling and history. Just saying something or showing a picture does not do justice.

[KanadaHye]

Re: How do Armenian feel about Mount Ararat?

I feel Mount Ararat is paramount to being Armenian. Its the natural skyline of Armenia.... no need for manmade skyscrapers. Yeah, yeah, I don't care if it's technically located in Turkey... it still belongs to Armenians.

[yerazhishda]

Re: How do Armenian feel about Mount Ararat?

I am looking for deep meaningful feeling and history. Just saying something or showing a picture does not do justice.

These are not just "pictures", these are Coats of Arms that represent the Armenian People and Nation to the world. The fact that Armenians put Ararat at the center of their Coat of Arms - regardless of whether they are independent or under control - shows the undying nature of Mt. Ararat or Masis in the heart of the Armenian Nation and every individual Armenian.

[jgk3]

Re: How do Armenian feel about Mount Ararat?

The peak of Mount Ararat is the point where man meets with the Gods. Etymologically (in Armenian), Ararat could translate to "piece of the Ara", Ara being a supreme deity in our ancient pantheon, often associated with divine fire.

This is how the ancients regarded Ararat, and the sentiment of a divine mountain belonging to Armenians (or, children of Ara) survives to this day. I have yet to have seen it, but I regard it as a holy, sacred mountain. It transcends national borders, geological study, modern attitudes, because it's significance to us is symbolic, dwelling in a realm beyond what one can understand in a day to day, materialistic sense.

I am sure Russians share common sentiments (of pre-Christian motivation) towards certain sites in the world, would you care to share any of them with us Angessa? Regardless of whether it is of pre-christian motivation or not, the regard for holiness towards these sites is the same, it is about man attaining divinity.

[meline]

Re: How do Armenian feel about Mount Ararat?

I am looking for deep meaningful feeling and history. Just saying something or showing a picture does not do justice.

Angessa, since you are Russian, I guess mentioning the cathedral of St Basil (Sv. Vasilii, yes I speak Russian) would ring a bell. Something you hold sacred.

The history you are looking for can be read in books. As for the deep meaningful feeling, I dare say it can only be felt...(that's the major feature of feelings, unfortunately)


The above posts are not just pictures or just saying something. They are the answer to your question.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: How do Armenian feel about Mount Ararat?

I am looking for deep meaningful feeling and history. Just saying something or showing a picture does not do justice.

Most of the people here aren't particularly literate, or knowedgeable, and - most importantly for your question - they are not in Armenia. So you probably aren't going to get the answers you hope for.

Such is the small size of the country and the height of the mountain, most of the population of Armenia can see Ararat and, with that seeing, there is always the pain of knowing that it is not part of Armenia's territory, that it is now part of a country which tried to exterminate the Armenian nation, and that they cannot visit it. So even though most of the cultural reasons that once gave such mountain peaks significance (the abode of the Gods, and such like) are no longer applicable, on a basic level the physical presence of Ararat guarantees its continuing cultural importance.

Symbols such as those in yerazhishda's post are important for reflecting and reinforcing that cultural importance. Last year, it was proposed to drop the image of Ararat from Armenia's national football logo. The strength of the protests against the proposal were enough for the plan to be abandoned.

I don't think it is an ancient symbol - but it became a very important symbol during the cultural and intellectual processes that led to the rebirth of Armenia. Starting in the 18th century Ararat often appeared in pictures associated with Armenian history or patrotic imagery and it culminated with Ararat as the central element of the badge/seal of the Armenian Socialist republic (even though it was by then not part of the Republic's territory).

[bell-the-cat]

Re: How do Armenian feel about Mount Ararat?

Here is a nationalistic painting by Mkrtum Hovnatanian (1779–1846) depicting Hayk, the legendary founder of the Armenian nation. In the background are the twin peaks of Ararat, although the events shown in the painting took place around Lake Van (from which Ararat cannot be seen).

The painting is now hidden away in the most inaccessible room (furthest corner of the top floor) of Yerevan's National Gallery. I guess neither the Communists or the Oligarchs like its message.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: How do Armenian feel about Mount Ararat?

Here's another. But I don't have a better image of it. It's a post card from before 1901. In the background is Ararat. The river will be the Araxes. There is a building beside the river (which you can probably not make out) - it may be Etchmiadzin, or maybe the cathedral at Ani.
The female figure is a personification of Armenia. The male figure, I don't know, maybe also symbolising Armenia or maybe an historical personage. His sword is broken, but so is the chain around his ankles. The eagle also has broken chains. Scattered around are various tools and instruments, all signifying a degree of civilisation. At the far right, headed by a flying figure of Death carrying a sickle, is an advancing horde of Muslim warriors with a crescent flag.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: How do Armenian feel about Mount Ararat?

And another, a variation on the above, and from the immediate post-WW1 period. Ararat is still in the background but now things are the other way around. The Turks are retreating into the distance, the soldiers on the hill are Armenian, headed by a flying female symbol of victory. There are various real individuals in the foreground, grouped around a female personification of Armenia.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: How do Armenian feel about Mount Ararat?

Here is a close-up of the winged female figure. Can someone translate the words on her flag?

BTW, I think the card is Bulgarian in origin (though it has the stamp of "Photo Arax, Buenos Aries" on the back).