Eye on Armenia
I know Armenia is the first Christian country. Later it was part of Ottoman Empire, where the massacres of Armenians took part, Raid, a young orientalian from Slovenia told.
During the conversation we found that he is well informed about Armenia.
Many people have heard about Armenia but most of them do not know where Armenia is located. Usually they even think that Armenia is a Muslim country.
Armenia is a small country with about 40.000 km2 kilometers territory, located in the Middle East. It is surrounded by Turkey, Iran, Georgia and Azerbaijan. It is a mountainous country with a rich nature and culture. Though Armenia is located in a region mostly Muslim by itself, it is a Christian country.
“This is my first time in Armenia. I am interested in Armenian history. I want to know everything about this country. I think Armenia is the cornerstone of Europe, but on the other hand I think that Armenia is also influenced by the Islamic culture”, Heinrich, pensioner from Karlsruhe, Germany, told.
Armenia is the first country which adopted Christianity in the year of 301. The Armenian Church differs from Roman Catholic as well from Eastern Orthodox churches. It was founded in 1st century AD by apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew.
“Before reading about Armenia, I was thinking that it’s a Muslim country”, – Josemi, a young man from Spain said.
In 405 AD on the base of Greek and Aramaic alphabets Armenian monk Mesrop Mashtots created Armenian alphabet, which contains 39 letters. The alphabet was made to translate the Bible.
”I know that Armenians are reading so much, – Olga, a librarian from Moscow, Russia expressed her opinion about Armenia, they are honoring book as the icon. Armenians were protecting books sacrificing themselves”.
No comment: in Genocide Museum
Located on the crossing of the East and West and the North and South, Armenia has a history full of developments. Armenia witnessed many wars, but the most tragic page of Armenian history is the 1915, when 1.5 million Armenians were massacred and thousands were exiled by the Ottoman Government.
”We are trying to present the Armenian genocide not only as an Armenian history phenomenon, but also as a part of the World history, because it also is a Turkish history and the first genocide of the 20th century, – Dr. Suren Manukyan, Deputy-director of The Armenian Genocide Museum Institute considers, we are avoid to show scenes of brutality, and we are working to present alive people before the genocide, before they were slaughtered”.
”At the beginning of the 20th century Armenia was struggling against Russian Empire for its independence”,- Phillip, a German student said.
In 1918 Armenia regained its independence but shortly after Armenia was annexed by Soviet Russia. That was age of flourish and the age of pain. Many Armenian intellectuals were exiled by Soviet authorities. In 1987, after the repressions, Armenians formed self-defence brigades and waging guerrilla war liberated the greater part of Artsakh (Karabakh) region.
“We are working with foreign broadcasting companies to provide wider information not only on the Armenian genocide but also on the other topics of Armenian history, because Armenians are not only martyred, but also the winning nation”,- Dr. Manukyan concluded.
