ARMENIAN HERITAGE SITES IN TURKEY AND IRAN

ARMENIAN HERITAGE SITES
TURKEY&IRAN
ARMENIAN HERITAGE SITES
DIMITRA STASINOPOULOU

ARMENIA’SHERITAGEINTURKEY
ARMENIANHERITAGEINIRAN
ARMENIANHERITAGEANDUNESCO
byVaheGabrielyan
Armenians take pride in quoting famous foreigners
who have called Armenia a museum under open
skies. Throughout a long and turbulent history, of
which at least over 3000 years have been
documentedtovariousextentinhistoricaltextsand
maps and even more in myths and folklore,
Armenians have succeeded in building kingdoms
and even empires with highly advanced social
structures and infrastructure, magnificent religious
andseculararchitectureandartsandcraftsthatstill
fascinate, amaze and enchant. Quite a lot of that
tangible heritage has been destroyed in wars and
naturaldisastersandmuchofwhatremainshasbeen
covered in the dust of time and is yet to be
unearthed.
Evenwhathassurvivedcanstillbeatestimonytothe
astonishing talent and skills of a nation that has
outlived many formidable hostile empires and
hordes of different eras. This book is neither a
textbookofArmenianhistory,norofArmenianarts,
neitherisitastudyofthoserealms.Thisissimplyan
attemptataguidetothatpartofArmeniancultural
heritage that has already been recognized and
appreciated by the rest of the family of nations.
Unlike that of many other nations, Armenian
heritage is not limited to the physical boundaries of
the state currently representing the nation, the
Republic of Armenia. At different times, Armenian
kingdoms and empires of the past centuries covered
anareaseveraltimesthatoftheRepublictoday,and
even as their country continued to reduce in size,
Armenians continued to live on their ancestral
lands, despite campaigns of massacres and genocide
against them. Therefore, monuments of Armenian
architecture can be found in abundance in
neighboring countries on historically Armenian
lands and in countries where Armenian Diaspora
communitieshavebeenestablished.
Armenian Heritage and UNESCO: Volume 1
and2–2017
https://www.amazon.com/Armenian-Heritage-
UNESCO-1-2/dp/9939018541
In July 2016, the ancient Armenian city of Ani, now
in eastern Turkey, was inscribed as a UNESCO
World Heritage site. For Armenians, a people still
living under the shadow of what they regard as "the
firstgenocideofthe20 th century”carriedoutagainst
their ancestors who lived under the Ottoman
Empire, the listing ensures protection of a small but
treasured piece of their heritage. But a visit to the
region today shows that, outside the walls of Ani,
what remains of Armenian culture in Turkey is in
dangerofdisappearingentirely.
The eastern part of the current territory of the
RepublicofTurkeyispartoftheancestralhomeland
of the Armenians. Along with the Armenian
population, during and after the Armenian
Genocide the Armenian cultural heritage was
targetedfordestructionbytheTurkishgovernment.
Of the several thousand churches and monasteries
(usually estimated from two to three thousand) in
the Ottoman Empire in 1914, today only a few
hundred are in still standing in some form; most of
these are in danger of collapse. Those that continue
tofunctionaremainlyinIstanbul.
Most of the properties formerly belonging to
Armenians were confiscated by the Turkish
government and turned into military posts,
hospitals, schools and prisons. Many of these were
also given to Muslim migrants or refugees who had
fled from their homelands during the Balkan Wars.
Thelegaljustificationfortheseizureswasthelawof
Emval-i Metruke (Law of Abandoned Properties),
which legalized the confiscation of Armenian
propertyiftheownerdidnotreturn.
https://www.rferl.org/a/armenian-heritage-in-turkey/
28029302.html
InthemuseumsofTehran,Isfahan,andTabriz,more
than 3.000 ancient parchment manuscripts in the
Armenian language are stored. Thanks to the efforts
oftheIraniangovernment,3Armenianarchitectural
monuments in Iran were inscribed in the UNESCO
WorldHeritageList.TheseweretheSt.Thaddeusand
St. Stepanos monasteries, as well as the Chapel of
Dzordzor. Their significance lies in their
architectural representation of the exchanges
between the regional cultures including Byzantine,
Orthodox, and Persian. The monasteries have
withstood numerous calamities, both human and
natural, throughout the centuries. St. Stepanos,
arguablythemostwell-knownofthethree,standsin
a canyon past the twists and bends of the Aras River
ontheAzerbaijanborder.
The Armenian quarter of New Julfa in Isfahan, was
established in 1606 as an Armenian quarter by the
edictofShahAbbasIfromtheSafaviddynasty.Over
150,000 Armenians were moved there from the
older Julfa (also known as Jugha or Juła)
in Nakhichavan. Iranian sources state that the
Armenians came to Iran fleeing the Ottoman
Empire's persecution. Nevertheless, historical
records indicate that the residents of Julfa were
treated well by Shah Abbas in the hopes that their
resettlement in Isfahan would be beneficial to Iran
due to their knowledge of the silk trade. The Holy
Savior Cathedral, also known the Church of the
Saintly Sisters, is located here. It is commonly
referredtoastheVank,whichmeans"monastery"or
"convent"intheArmenianlanguage.
www.wikipedia

ANI–‘THECITYOF1001CHURCHES’
AniisaruinedmedievalArmeniancitynowsituated
in Turkey's province of Kars, next to the closed
borderwithArmenia.
Between 961 and 1045, it was the capital of
theBagratidArmeniankingdomthatcoveredmuch
of present-day Armenia and eastern Turkey. Ani
stoodonvarioustraderoutesanditsmanyreligious
buildings, palaces, and fortifications were amongst
the most technically and artistically advanced
structuresintheworld. Atitsheight,Aniwasoneof
the world's largest cities,with a possible population
of100,000.
Renowned for its splendor, Ani was sacked by the
Mongols in 1236. Ani never recovered from a
devastating 1319 earthquake, and was gradually
abandoneduntilitwaslargelyforgottenbythe17 th c.
Ani is a widely recognized cultural, religious, and
national heritage symbol for Armenians.According
to Razmik Panossian, Ani is one of the most visible
and ‘tangible’ symbols of past Armenian greatness
andhenceasourceofpride.
In 1064, a large Seljuk army under Alp
ArslanattackedAni;afterasiegeof25days,they
capturedthecityandslaughtereditspopulation.
An account of the sack and massacres in Ani is
given by the Arab historian Sibt ibn al-Jawzi,
whoquotesaneyewitnesssaying:
“Putting the Persian sword to work, they spared no
one... One could see there the grief and calamity of
everyageofhumankind.Forchildrenwereravished
from the embraces of their mothers and mercilessly
hurled against rocks, while the mothers drenched
them with tears and blood... The city became filled
from one end to the other with bodies of the slain
and[thebodiesoftheslain]becamearoad.[...]The
army entered the city, massacred its inhabitants,
pillagedandburnedit,leavingitinruinsandtaking
prisoner all those who remained alive...The dead
bodies were so many that they blocked the streets;
one could not go anywhere without stepping over
them.Andthenumberofprisonerswasnotlessthan
50,000 souls. I was determined to enter city and see
the destruction with my own eyes. I tried to find a
streetinwhichIwouldnothavetowalkoverthe
corpses;butthatwasimpossible.”
In 1072, the Seljuks sold Ani to the Shaddadids, a
Muslim Kurdish dynasty. The Shaddadids generally
pursued a conciliatory policy towards the city's
overwhelmingly Armenian and Christian
populationandactuallymarriedseveralmembersof
the Bagratid nobility. Whenever the Shaddadid
governance became too intolerant, however, the
population would appeal to the Christian Kingdom
ofGeorgiaforhelp.TheGeorgianscapturedAnifive
timesbetween1124and1209.
The Mongols unsuccessfully besieged Ani in 1226,
but in 1236 they captured and sacked the city,
massacring large numbers of its population. Under
the Mongols the Zakarids continued to rule Ani, as
thevassalsoftheGeorgianmonarch.
Bythe14 th century,thecitywasruledbyasuccession
of local Turkish dynasties, including the Jalayrids
andtheKaraKoyunlu(BlackSheepclan)whomade
Ani their capital. It was ruined by an earthquake in
1319. Tamerlane captured Ani in the 1380s. On his
death the Kara Koyunlu regained control but
transferred their capital to Yerevan. In 1441 the
Armenian Catholicosate did the same. The
PersianSafavidsthenruledAniuntilitbecamepart
of the Turkish Ottoman Empire in 1579. A small
town remained within its walls at least until the
middle of the seventeenth century, but the site was
entirelyabandonedby1735whenthelastmonksleft
themonasteryintheVirgin'sFortressorKizkale.
MONUMENTSATANI
All the structures at Ani are constructed using the
localvolcanicbasalt,asortoftufastone.Itiseasily
carvedandcomesinavarietyofvibrantcolors,from
creamy yellow, to rose-red, to jet black. The most
importantsurvivingmonumentsareasfollows.
THECATHEDRAL
Also known as Surp Asdvadzadzin (the Church of
the Holy Mother of God), its construction was
startedintheyear989,underKingSmbatII,andwas
only finished in 1001. The design of the cathedral
was the work of Trdat, the most celebrated architect
of medieval Armenia. The cathedral is a domed
basilica (the dome collapsed in 1319). The interior
containsseveralprogressivefeatures(suchastheuse
of pointed arches and clustered piers) that give to it
theappearanceofGothicarchitecture(astylewhich
theAnicathedralpredatesbyseveralcenturies)
. SURPSTEPHANOSCHURCH
There is no inscription giving the date of its
construction,butanedictinGeorgianisdated1218.
The church was referred to as "Georgian". During
this period "Georgian" did not simply mean an
ethnic Georgian, it had a denominational meaning
and would have designated all those in Ani who
professed the Chalcedonian faith, mostly
Armenians. Although the Georgian Church
controlled this church, its congregation would have
mostlybeenArmenians.
THECHURCHOF
STGREGORYOFTIGRANHONENTS
This church, finished in 1215, is the best-preserved
monumentatAni.Itwasbuiltduringtheruleofthe
Zakarids and was commissioned by the wealthy
Armenian merchant Tigran Honents. Its plan is of a
typecalledadomedhall.Infrontofitsentranceare
the ruins of a narthex and a small chapel that are
from a slightly later period. The exterior of the
church is spectacularly decorated. Ornate stone
carvings of real and imaginary animals fill the
spandrelsbetweenblindarcadesthatrunsaroundall
four sides of the church. The interior contains an
important and unique series of frescoes cycles that
depict two main themes. In the eastern third of the
church is depicted the Life of Saint Gregory the
Illuminator, in the middle third of the church is
depicted the Life of Christ. Such extensive fresco
cyclesarerarefeaturesinArmenianarchitecture–it
isbelievedthattheseoneswereexecutedbyGeorgian
artists,andthecyclealsoincludesscenesfromthelife
ofSt.Nino,whoconvertedtheGeorgiansto
Christianity. In the narthex and its chapel survive
fragmentary frescoes that are more Byzantine in
style.

THECHURCHOFTHEREDEEMER
This church was completed shortly after the year
1035. It had a unique design: 19-sided externally, 8-
apsed internally, with a huge central dome set upon
a tall drum. It was built by Prince Ablgharib
PahlavidtohouseafragmentoftheTrueCross.The
churchwaslargelyintactuntil1955,whentheentire
easternhalfcollapsedduringastorm
THECHURCHOFSTGREGORY
OFTHEABUGHAMRENTS
Thissmallbuildingprobablydatesfromthelate10 th
century. It was built as a private chapel for the
Pahlavuni family. Their mausoleum, built in 1040
andnowreducedtoitsfoundations,wasconstructed
against the northern side of the church. The church
hasacentralizedplan,withadomeoveradrum,and
theinteriorhassixexedras.
KINGGAGIK'S
CHURCHOFSTGREGORY
Also known as the Gagikashen, this church was
constructed between the years 1001 and 1005 and
intended to be a recreation of the celebrated
cathedral of Zvartnots at Vagharshapat. Nikolai
Marr uncovered the foundations of this remarkable
building in 1905 and 1906. Before that, all that was
visible on the site was a huge earthen mound. The
designer of the church was the architect Trdat. The
church is known to have collapsed a relatively short
time after its construction and houses were later
constructedontopofitsruins.Trdat'sdesignclosely
followsthatofZvartnotzinitssizeandinitsplan(a
quatrefoil core surrounded by a circular
ambulatory).
THECHURCHOFTHE
HOLYAPOSTLES
The date of its construction is not known, but the
earliestdatedinscriptiononitswallsisfrom1031.It
was founded by the Pahlavuni family and was used
by the archbishops of Ani (many of whom belonged
tothatdynasty).Ithasaplanofatypecalledan
inscribed quatrefoil with corner chambers. Only
fragments remain of the church, but a narthex with
spectacularstonework,builtagainstthesouthsideof
the church, is still partially intact. It dates from the
early 13 th century. A number of other halls, chapels,
and shrines once surrounded this church: Nicholas
Marr excavated their foundations in 1909, but they
arenowmostlydestroyed.
THEMOSQUEOFMANUCHIHR
The mosque is named after its presumed founder,
Manuchihr, the first member of the Shaddadid
dynasty that ruled Ani after 1072. The oldest
surviving part of the mosque is its still intact
minaret. It has the Arabic word Bismillah ("In the
nameofGod")inKuficletteringhighonitsnorthern
face. The prayer hall, half of which survives, dates
fromalaterperiod(the12 th or13 th century).In1906
the mosque was partially repaired in order for it to
house a public museum containing objects found
duringNicholasMarr'sexcavations.
THECITADEL
At the southern end of Ani is a flat-topped hill once
knownasMidjnaberd(theInnerFortress). Ithasits
own defensive walls that date back to the period
whentheKamsarakandynastyruledAni(7 th century
AD).NicholasMarrexcavatedthecitadelhillin1908
and 1909. He uncovered the extensive ruins of the
palaceoftheBagratidkingsofAnithatoccupiedthe
highestpartofthehill.Alsoinsidethecitadelarethe
visible ruins of three churches and several
unidentified buildings. One of the churches, the
"churchofthepalace"istheoldestsurvivingchurch
in Ani, dating from the 6th or 7th century. Marr
undertook emergency repairs to this church, but
most of it has now collapsed – probably during an
earthquakein1966 .
THECITYWALLS
Alineofwallsthatencircledtheentirecitydefended
Ani. The most powerful defences were along the
northernsideofthecity,theonlypartofthesitenot
protected by rivers or ravines. Here the city was
protectedbyadoublelineofwalls,themuchtaller
inner wall studded by numerous large and closely
spaced semicircular towers. Contemporary
chroniclers wrote that King Smbat (977–989) built
these walls. Later rulers strengthened Smbat's walls
bymakingthemsubstantiallyhigherandthicker,and
byaddingmoretowers.Armenianinscriptionsfrom
the 12 th and 13 th century show that private
individualspaidforsomeofthesenewertowers.The
northern walls had three gateways, known as the
LionGate,theKarsGate,andtheDvinGate(also
knownastheChequer-BoardGatebecauseofapanel
ofredandblackstonesquaresoveritsentrance)
OTHERMONUMENTS
There are many other minor monuments at Ani.
These include a convent known as the Virgins'
chapel; a church used by Chalcedonian Armenians;
the remains of a single-arched bridge over the Arpa
river; the ruins of numerous oil-presses and several
bath houses; the remains of a second mosque with a
collapsedminaret;apalacethatprobablydatesfrom
the 13 th century; the foundations of several other
palaces and smaller residences; the recently
excavatedremainsofseveralstreetslinedwithshops;
etc.
CAVEVILLAGE
Directly outside of Ani, there was a settlement-zone
carved into the cliffs. It may have served as "urban
sprawl" when Ani grew too large for its city walls.
Today, goats and sheep take advantage of the caves'
cool interiors. One highlight of this part of Ani is a
cave church with frescos on its surviving walls and
ceiling.
AniislistedinUNESCO’sWorldHeritageSites.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ani

MonasteryofHripsimianVirgins

Lion’sGate

ThechurchofStGregoryofTigranHonents

TheCathedral

ThemosqueofManuchihr

StGregoryoftheAbughamrentsis

CHURCHOFTHEHOLYREDEEMER

AncientArmeniancavedwellings

DOĞUBAYAZIT
URARTIANCASTLE
Doğubayazıt is the easternmost district of Turkey,
bordering with Iran, at an elevation of 1625 m. The
town is a settlement with a long history and lies
15kmsouthwestofMountArarat.
The area has had a rich history with monuments
dating back to the time of the Kingdom of Urartu
(over 2700 years ago). The Kingdom of Urartu was
centered in modern-day eastern Turkey, southwest
Armenia, and northwestern Iran. Urartu enjoyed
considerable political power in the region in the 9 th
and 8 th centuries BCE. Similar to Assyrian in
language and culture, their capital was Tushpa
(modern-day Van, Turkey). Before the Ottoman
Empire the site was referred to by its Armenian
name Daruynk. In the 4 th century the Sasanians
failedtocapturetheArmenianstrongholdandroyal
treasury at Daruynk. Princes of the Bagratid
dynasty of Armenia resided at Daruynk and rebuilt
the fortress into its present configuration with
multiplebaileysandtowerscarefullyintegratedinto
the ascending rock outcrop. When King Gagik
Arcruni reoccupied the fortress in 922 A.D. it
became the seat of a bishop. It was subsequently
conquered and reconquered by Persians,
Armenians, Byzantines, and Seljuks, all of whom
wouldhaveusedtheplaintorestandrecoupduring
their passages across the mountains. The castle of
Daruynk was repaired many times throughout this
history, although it is now named after the Turkish
warlord Celayırlı Şehzade Bayazıt Han who ordered
oneoftherebuildings(in1374).Ultimately,thetown
was renamed Beyazit itself in the 16 th century.The
widelydispersedvillageofBayazit,wasoriginallyan
Armenian settlement and populated by Kurds in
1930andYazidisfromtheSerhatregion.Butin1930
the Turkish army destroyed it in response to the
AraratRebellion.Anewtownwasbuiltintheplain
below the old site in the 1930s (hence the new name
"Doğubayazıt",whichliterallymeans"EastBeyazıt").
ISHAKPASHAPALACE
Ishak Pasha Palace, on the Silk Route near the
Iranian frontier, is situated on a high and vast
platform of strategic importance on an area of 7600
squaremeters.
Built over an entire century by generations of the
Pashafamily,theMiddleEastern-inspiredarchesand
domesofthesprawlingpalacehavesurvivedforover
400 years. Sitting near the Iranian border, the
architectural design of the palace is heavily
influencedbyitsneighboringArmenianandIranian
cultures. The palace was outfitted with a dizzying
arrayoffacilitiesandamenitiesincludingabakery,a
mosque, dungeons, and even a harem, all with a
central heating system. It has been decorated with
white and black stones and consists of 366 rooms,
twocourtyards,mosque,tombsandharem.
The landscape around Ishak Pasha Palace is
hauntingly beautiful located in this majestic
mountainous region. This area boasts of several
mountains: Ararat, Little Ararat, Tendürek Dagi,
Kaletepe,Agridagi,andGöllertepe.
AftertheTopkapıPalace,itisthemostfamouspalace
in Turkey and was depicted on the reverse of the
Turkish100newlirabanknoteof2005–2009.

KARS
KarsProvince(Turkish:Karsili,Armenian: Կարսի
նահանգ) is a province of Turkey, located in the
northeasternpartofthecountry.Itsharespartofits
closed border with Armenia. The provincial capital
isthecityofKars.
In ancient times, Kars was part of the province of
AraratintheKingdomofArmenia.Thefirstknown
peoplewerethefollowersofVanand(Վանանդ),for
whom Kars was their main settlement and fortress.
In928,KarsbecamethecapitalofBagratidArmenia.
In968,thecapitalofArmeniawasmovedtoAni,but
Kars remained the capital of the feudal principality
of Vanand. As a result of the Russo-Turkish War of
1877to1878,theprovinceofKarswasincorporated
into the Russian Empire as part of the militarily
administered Kars Oblast and remained so until
1918.
Forashorttime(928-961)Karswasthecapitalofthe
Armenian Bagratid kingdom and it was during this
timethattheCathedral,nowknownastheChurchof
the Apostles, was built. Shortly after the Bagratid
capitalwastransferredtoAni,Karsbecame(in963)
aseparateindependentkingdomknownasVannadthe
Armenian name for the Kars region. This
kingdomwastooutlivethatofAni.
After the Seljuk Turks captured Ani, the last
Armenian king of Kars ceded his city to the
Byzantine Empire in 1064, getting in return the city
of Amasya and lands in northern Cilicia. The
Byzantines were no more successful in defending
KarsthantheywerewithAni,andsoonlostittothe
Turks (in 1071). In 1236 the Mongols occupied the
region. As with other places, they probably gave a
great deal of autonomy to the majority Armenian
population: an Armenian prince is known to have
beengoverningKarsin1284.
ThegradualRussianconquestoftheCaucasusinthe
18 th century, led to an influx of Muslim migrants,
especially Circassians. Kars became a strategic and
heavily fortified border town protecting the Turkish
Empire's eastern frontier and the road to Erzurum.
The Russians occupied Kars in 1828, in 1855 and
againin1877.
AsubstantialpartoftheMuslimpopulationleftafter
1877, choosing not to live under Russian rule. The
Armenians gradually moved into a new district of
European-style buildings built on a grid plan to the
south of the old medieval city, and most of the old
city walls were demolished. There was a large influx
ofArmeniansfromotherpartsofRussiancontrolled
Armenia, as well as Armenians fleeing the
oppressionandmassacresoftheOttomanEmpire.
By 1918 the Turkish army was cutting a swathe of
destruction across the newly declared Republic of
Armenia,capturingKarsinApril1918andreaching
BakuontheCaspianSea.
In November 1920 the Bolsheviks annexed the little
that was left of the Armenian republic. With
Armenia now under Soviet "protection" the Turks
ceased their advance and even withdrew from some
captured territory, including Alexandropol. The
Bolsheviks wanted good relations with Turkey, and
in 1921 they signed the "Treaty of Kars" ceding the
townofKarstoTurkey.

VAN–ANCIENTKINGDOM
OFURARTU
Urartu is a geographical region commonly used as
theexonymfortheIronAgekingdomalsoknownby
the modern rendition of its endonym, the Kingdom
of Van, centered around Lake Van in the historic
Armenian Highlands (present-day eastern
Anatolia).Thekingdomrosetopowerinthemid-9 th
century BC, but went into gradual decline and was
eventually conquered by the Iranian Medes in the
early 6 th century BC. The geopolitical region would
re-emerge as Armenia shortly after. The peoples of
Urartu are the earliest identifiable ancestors of the
Armenians. Urartu at its zenith had a profound
culturalinfluenceonitsneighborsreachingasfaras
AsiaandEurope.
ThenameUrartu(Armenian: Ուրարտու;Assyrian:
טָרָרֲא Hebrew: māt Urarṭu; Babylonian: Urashtu;
Ararat) comes from Assyrian sources. Urartu is
cognatewiththeBiblicalArarat,AkkadianUrashtu,
and Armenian Ayrarat. The name Kingdom of Van
(Urartian:Biai,Biainili; Վանի թագավորություն)
isderivedfromtheUrartiantoponymBiainili,which
was probably pronounced as Vanele, and called Van
(Վան) in Old Armenian, hence the names
"KingdomofVan"or"VannicKingdom".
TheKingdomofVanwasdestroyedin590BCandby
the late 6 th century, the Satrapy of Armenia had
replaced it. Little is known of what happened to the
region between the fall of the Kingdom of Van and
the appearance of the Satrapy of Armenia.
According to historian Touraj Daryaee, during the
Armenian rebellion against the Persian king Darius
I in 521 BC, some of the personal and topographic
names attested in connection with Armenia or
Armenians were of Urartian origin, suggesting that
UrartianelementspersistedwithinArmeniaafterits
fall.IntheBehistunInscription(c.522BC),aswellas
theXVInscription(c.486–465BC),refertoArmenia
and Armenians as synonyms of Urartu and
Urartians. The toponym Urartu did not disappear,
however, as the name of the province of Ayrarat in
the center of the Kingdom of Armenia is believed to
beitscontinuum.
AccordingtoHerodotus,theAlarodians(Alarodioi),
presumably a variation of the name Urartian/
Araratian, were part of the 18 th Satrapy of the
AchaemenidEmpireandformedaspecialcontingent
in the grand army of Xerxes I. According to this
theory, the Urartians of the 18 th Satrapy were
subsequentlyabsorbedintotheArmeniannation.
In a study published in 2017, the complete
mitochondrial genomes of 4 ancient skeletons from
Urartu were analyzed alongside other ancient
populations found in modern-day Armenia and
Artsakh spanning 7,800 years. The study shows that
modern-dayArmeniansarethepeoplewhohavethe
leastgeneticdistancefromthoseancientskeletons.
The written language that the kingdom's political
elite used is retroactively referred to as Urartian,
which is attested in numerous cuneiform
inscriptions throughout Armenia and eastern
Turkey. It is unknown what language was spoken by
the peoples of Urartu at the time of the existence of
the Kingdom of Van, but there is evidence of
linguistic contact between the proto-Armenian
language and the Urartian language at an early date
(sometime between the 3rd—2nd millennium BC),
occurringpriortotheformationofthekingdom.

MOUNTNEMROUT–TOMBOF
ANTIOCHUSITHEOSOFCOMMAGENE
Nemrut or Nemrud (Turkish: Nemrut Dağı;
Kurdish: Çiyayê Nemrûdê‎; Armenian: Նեմրութ
լեռ) is a 2,134 m-high mountain in southeastern
Turkey, notable for the summit where a number of
large statues are erected around what is assumed to
bearoyaltombfromthe1 st c.BC.
Antiochus I Theos Dikaios Epiphanes
Philorhomaios Philhellen (Ancient Greek: Ἀντίοχος
ὁ Θεὸς Δίκαιος Ἐπιφανὴς Φιλορωμαῖος Φιλέλλην,
meaning"Antiochos,thejust,eminentgod,friendof
Romans and friend of Greeks", c. 86 BC – 31 BC,
ruled70BC–31BC)wasKingoftheGreco-Iranian
KingdomofCommageneandthemostfamousking
of that kingdom. In 1987, Mount Nemrut was
declaredaWorldHeritageSitebyUNESCO .
When the Seleucid Empire was defeated by the
Romansin190BCattheBattleofMagnesiaitbegan
to fall apart and new kingdoms were established on
itsterritorybylocalauthorities.Commagene,oneof
the Seleucid successor states, occupied a land
between the Taurus mountains and the Euphrates.
ThestateofCommagenehadawiderangeof
cultureswhichleftitsleaderfrom62BC–38BC
Antiochus I Theos to carry on a peculiar dynastic
religious program, which included not only Greek
and Iranian deities but Antiochus and his family as
well. This religious program was very possibly an
attempt by Antiochus to unify his multiethnic
kingdom and secure his dynasty's authority.
Antiochussupportedthecultasapropagatorof
happinessandsalvation.
ORONTIDSOFCOMMAGENE
In Nemrut Dagi, opposite the statues of Gods there
arealongrowofpedestals,onwhichstoodthesteles
oftheGreekancestorsofAntiochos.Atarightangle
tothisrowstoodanotherrowofsteles,depictinghis
Orontid and Achaemenid ancestors. From these
steles the ones of Darius and Xerxes are well
preserved.Antiochosexpendedgreatefforttoensure
that everyone was aware that he was related to the
dynasty of the King of Kings, Darius I, by the
marriage of princess Rhodogune to his ancestor
Orontes. The father of Rhodogune was the Persian
king, Artaxerxes. In 401 BC Artaxerxes defeated his
youngerbrother,whotriedtodeposehim.Becauseof
the help Artaxerxes received from Orontes—his
military commander and satrap of Armenia—he
gavehisdaughterinmarriagetohim.
The Orontid dynasty, also known by their native
nameEruandidorYervanduni(Armenian: Երվանդ
ունի), was a hereditary Armeniandynasty and the
rulersofthesuccessorstatetotheIronAgekingdom
of Urartu (Ararat). The Orontids established their
supremacy over Armenia around the time of
the Scythian and Median invasion in the 6 th century
BC.MembersoftheOrontiddynastyruledArmenia
intermittently during the period spanning the 6 th
centuryBCtoatleastthe2 nd century BC, first as
client kings or satraps of
the Median and Achaemenid empires who
established an independent kingdom after the
collapseoftheAchaemenidempire,andlateraskings
of Sophene and Commagene who eventually
succumbedtotheRomanEmpire.

APHRODISIAS–CARIA,TURKEY
AphrodisiasislocatedinsouthwesternTurkey,inthe
fertile valley formed by the Morsynus River, in the
ancient region of Caria and was founded as a citystate
in the early 2 nd century BC. Because the city
sharedacloseinterestinthegoddessAphroditewith
Sulla, Julius Caesar and the emperor Augustus,
Aphrodisias came to have a close relationship with
Rome. It obtained a privileged ‘tax-free’ political
status from the Roman senate, and developed a
strong artistic, sculptural tradition during the
ImperialPeriod.
The sanctuary at Aphrodisias had a distinctive cult
statueofAphroditewhichdefinedthecity’sidentity.
TheAphroditeofAphrodisiascombinedaspectsofa
local Anatolian, archaic fertility goddess with those
oftheHellenicAphrodite,goddessofloveand
beauty.
The proximity of the marble quarries to the city
was a major reason that Aphrodisias became an
outstanding high-quality production centre for
marble sculpture. Sculptors from the city were
famousthroughouttheRomanEmpire.Theywere
well-known for virtuoso portrait sculpture and
Hellenistic-style statues of gods and Dionysian
figures. In late antiquity (4 th -6 th centuries AD),
Aphrodisian sculptors were in great demand for
marble portrait busts and statues of emperors,
governors and philosophers in the major centers
oftheempire–forexample,atSardis,
Stratonikeia, Laodikeia, Constantinople and
Rome. In this period they were the best carvers of
marblestatuesoftheirday.
THESTATUEOF
NEROWITHARMENIA
Nero supports the slumping figure of Armenia
between his wide-striding legs, holding her by her
upper arms. She collapses, sitting back on her left
heel, her right leg stretched out in front, the foot
bracedagainst,itwouldhaveseemed,thesideofthe
columnframingthepanel
Nerowearsashortcloakfastenedwitharound
broochandabaldriccarryinganemptyscabbard.
Armenia wears short, plain boots with ribbon-like
ties shown on the left boot, a cloak fastened on the
rightshoulder,andsoft'Phrygian'capwithsoft,freestanding
peak, modelled carefully in the round. She
has long, wavy hair, untied and reaching over her
shoulders. Her body is naked and well realized in a
compact design. The quiver and bow, normal for
Armenia iconography, are shown in lower relief on
thebackground,leaningagainstthesideofthepanel.
Iconographically, the evocation is clearly of Achilles
and Penthesilea: the striding hero with cloak and
baldricsupportingtheeastern/Amazonqueen.
The statue symbolizes the support of the Roman
Emperor Nero to the King Tiridates the III of
Armenia. In 63 AD after many defeats with the
Parthians, King Tigranes resigned and the throne
passed on to the Prince of Tiridates, the founder of
the Arsacides dynasty of Armenia. His coronation
took place in Rome by Nero himself. Returning to
Armenia and having considerable help from the
Romans,herebuiltthedestroyedcapitalofArmenia
andnameditNeroniatohonortheRomanEmperor.

ClaudiusandBritannia
NeroandArmenia

IRAN

Church of St Stepanos

ST STEPANOS

ARMENIAN MONASTIC ENSEMBLES
OFIRAN
TheWestAzerbaijanProvinceinnorthwestIranhas
a fairly sizable Christian Armenian population, so
the number of churches in this area is no surprise.
The three monastic ensembles, St. Thaddeus (the
oldest dating back to the 7 th century), St. Stepanos,
and the Chapel of Dzordzor, were listed with
UNESCO in 2008. Their significance lies in their
architectural representation of the exchanges
between the regional cultures including Byzantine,
Orthodox, and Persian. The monasteries have
withstood numerous calamities, both human and
natural, throughout the centuries. St. Stepanos,
arguablythemostwell-knownofthethree,standsin
acanyonpastthetwistsandbendsoftheArasRiver
on the Azerbaijan border. These churches are still
placesofpilgrimagefortheArmeniancommunity.
MONASTERY OF SAINT THADDEUS
(THEBLACKCHURCHORKARAKELISA)
Legendhasitthatachurchdedicatedtohimwasfirst
builtonthepresentsiteinAD68.Itwasextensively
rebuiltafteranearthquakedamageditin1319.Some
ofthepartssurroundingthealtardatefromthe7 th c.
Muchofthepresentstructuredatesfrom1811,when
theQajarprinceAbbasMirzaaidedrenovationsand
repairs.
According to Armenian Church tradition, the
Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew traveled
through Armenia in AD 45 to preach the word of
God,wheremanypeoplewereconvertedand
numerous secret Christian communities were
established.
Armenians hold that Qara Kelisa is the world's first
church and was constructed in 68 BC by one of the
apostles of Jesus, Saint Thaddeus, who traveled to
Armenia, then part of the Persian Empire, to preach
theteachingsofChrist.
The church consists of two parts: a black structure
(the original structure was black, and Qara means
black in Turkish), and a white structure, the main
church, which was added to the original building’s
westernwingin1810.
THECHAPELOFCHUPAN
A small, historic Armenian church building in a
mountainvalleywestofJolfa,neartheArasRiverin
East Azerbaijan province, built in the 16 th century
andrebuiltin1836.
MONASTERYOFST.STEPANOS
Saint Stepanos Monastery is the second important
Armenian monastery in Iran after St Thaddeus
Monastery. The monastery was built in 9 th century
AD,butitwasseriouslydamagedbyearthquake. So,
it was refurbished in Safavid period. This monastery
is respected by all Christians and almost all other
religions. However, it actually belongs to Gregory
Christians (Followers of Gregory the Illuminator)
inhabitinginArmenia.
The church's architectural style is a mixture of
Urartan, Parthian, Greek, and Roman styles that
came to be known as Armenian subsequent to the
construction of the fantastic structures of
Echmiadzin, Thaddeus, Akhtmar, and indeed
Stephanos. Thischurch,whichhasfounditsplacein
the hearts of Christians throughout the world and is
visited annually by hundreds of Iranian and foreign
tourists, is located in the abandoned village of Dare
Sham,intheGechlartdistrict.

MonasteryofSaintThaddeus
(TheBlackChurchorKaraKelisa)

TheChapelofChupan

MonasteryofStStepanos

ARMENIAN HERITAGE SITES
TURKEY&IRAN
TURKEY2016-2017/IRAN2019
PHOTOGRAPHY&EDITING
Dimitra Stasinopoulou