The Tigran Honents Church of Ani Becomes "Georgian Chalcedonian"

The National Park-Museum of Sculpture of Gyumri expressed concern over the Tigran Honents Church of Ani and stated that the policy of Turkey about the falsification of historical facts and incomplete reconstruction of the mentioned church thrusts a wedge into the culture and friendship of neighboring countries. In order to combat the distortion of history, a petition was started at the website change.org.

The organization called on the Turkish Ministry of Culture, UNESCO, the United Nations, and the European Heritage Convention Committee to get focused on such Turkish policies.

The organization wrote:

“Being a historically Armenian capital and residence for various nations, Ani remains an Armenian landscape, which is documented in historical information and our present lithography. The 17 frescoes of the church contain images that depict the torments of the first patriarch and the founder of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Gregory the Illuminator, and are the vivid proof of the church’s national and religious belonging. By announcing that Ani is a historic area of cultural diversity, Turkey deviates the attention of the international community from our main demands; and thus creates an environment to conceal them. But we are particularly concerned by the fact, that, while being reconstructed, the church has been proclaimed as Chalcedonian, and this is escalating disputes and conflicts in Georgian – Armenian age-old friendship. We demand from the Turkish responsible institutions of the sector that they:

- avoid declarations about the historical adscription of the church

- add “Armenian Christian church” name into the sign put nearby the church

-finish and do not cut short the church dome construction, and announce the process and objectives for further work.

- avoid escalating cultural conflicts between Armenia and Georgia. The issue has received wide public attention because of the sign installed nearby the church that presents the church as Georgian Chalcedonian.

We are confident that our Georgian brothers have a friendly approach to this issue and are ready for reinstating historic justice that can be reached through professional and public debate and dialogue. We live in a region where any problem can be solved through dialogue if we just face them.”

"Asbarez," February 3, 2016