SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE OF CALIFORNIAN UNIVERSITY OF LOS ANGELES DEVOTED
TO JERUSALEM OF GREAT SUCCESS LOS ANGELES, November 29 (Noyan
Tapan). Ph. D. Richard Hovhannisian, the Head of the Department of
Contemporary Armenian History of the Californian University of Los
Angeles (UCLA), devoted the 15th scientific conference of the
“Provinces and Towns of Historical Armenia” series organized by him to
Jerusalem. As is well known, the previous scientific conferences of
this series concerned Western Armenia and other areas of today’s
Turkey populated by the great number of the Armenians: from
Van-Vaspurakan till Constantinople and from Izmir till the Black Sea,
as well as Nor Jugha.
The scientific conference, which was presided over by Archbishop
Torgom Manukian, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, was also held
under the patronage of other departments of the Californian
University: the Center of Middle East Researches, the Center of
European and Eurasian Researches and the International Institution, as
well as under the patronage of the “Srbots Targmanchats Sanuts” Union
of Jerusalem on November 6-7.
On November 6 morning, when Ph. D. Hovhannisian was opening the
seminar with an opening address, the hall with capacity of 450 places,
was crowded.
John Garsuel (Malaga, Spain) made a report about the Armenian mosaics
of Jerusalem. After 13-year laborious work he described 2,000 samples
of them, publishing the two-volume edition devoted to them (1972).
Former dweller of Jerusalem Abraham Terian (New York) touched upon the
collection of the manuscripts of the St. Hakobiants cloister, their
number made 3.9 thousand. He said that the first written document
concerning the presence of the Armenians in Jerusalem dates to the 6th
century.
Klod Mutafian’s report (Paris-Nord University, Paris) entitled
“Armenian Princes and Jerusalem Kings of the10th-12th Centuries”, as a
matter of fact, was devoted to the Armenian princesses of Cilicia:
Arta, Morpia, Melisant, who became Jerusalem queens after their
marriage. According to Mutafian, Melisant’s possible meeting with
Catholicos Grigor III Pahlavuni (1141) might be a reason for the
reconstruction of the St. Hakobiants cloister.
Sergio Laporta (Jerusalem) spoke about the relations between Mets Haik
and the Jerusalem Patriarchate (the 14th century). The attempts of the
Catholicosate of All Armenians of Cilicia for joining the Romanian
Church were the reason of the opposition of the conservative clergymen
of Eastern Armenia. Jerusalem was part of this opposition. In 1311,
its head Bishop Sargis rose against the decisions of the 1307 Adana
Synod, separated from the Cilician Kingdom and the Catholicosate,
started cooperating with the Mamelukes and founded the
Patriarchate. So, according to the speaker, Jerusalem preserved the
Orthodox nature of the Armenian Church.
Roberta Ervain ( New York) made a report on Patriarch Grigor Paronter,
one of the most interesting persons of Jerusalem (1613-1645). He
enlarged Armenia’s presence in Jerusalem through the purchase of new
territories, fundraising, organization of pilgrimages. By his own
example he restored the spiritual atmosphere at the cloister by
approving a 8-hour prayer. Grigor Paronter also established the
community of celibate women and men.
Emma Kostandian (the National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan) told about
the relations between Khrimian Hayrik and Jerusalem. In particular, in
1852, Khrimian Hayrik visited Jerusalem and wrote the “Invitation to
the Promised Land” poetical work. Being the Patriarch of
Constantinople, Khrimian Hayrik was in correspondence with the
Patriarch of Jerusalem. Khrimian Hayrik was expelled by the Turkish
authorities to Jerusalem in 1890. He left Jerusalem in 1892, when was
elected Catholicos of All Armenians.
Vahram Shemmasian (the Californian State University, Northridge) made
a report, which was full of figures and facts concerning the fate of
4,000 Armenians from the string of death of the Genocide who survived
in Palestine. They were moved to the migration area of the Said harbor
on the eve of the English capture and lived there till 1919 autumn,
when they received an opportunity to come back to their birthplaces.
On November 7, the scientific conference re-opened with the report of
Vardan Matevosian (Der Salvador University, Buenos Aires, and the
Hovhanian Gymnasia, New Jersey) that was devoted to Patriarches
Eghishe Durian and Torgom Gushakian, two progressive figures of
Jerusalem of the 11th century.
Armenian of Jerusalem Petros Ter-Matosian (a person working for
doctor’s degree of the Columbia University, New York) presented the
history of the Armenians of Palestine of 1917-1948, when their number
reached from 3,000 to 15,000 on the eve of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
Another Armenian of Jerusalem Oshin Keshishian, editor of the
“Armenian Observer” English-language weekly newspaper (Glendale
College, Los Angeles), in his speech spoke about the literary work of
Jerusalem, presenting the creative activities of Duryan, Oshakan,
Berberian, Yeghivard, Shen Mahi, Aneli, Vahram Mavian and others.
Participants of the sitting were informed about the current situation
of the Armenian Community of Jerusalem. Silva-Natali Manukian (the
California University, Los Angeles) presented the project of the
restoration of the “Gyulbenkian” Matenadaran of the Patriarchate,
which started in 1995.
Last rappaurteur Sosi Andezian (the National Center of Scientific
Studies, Paris, and the French Studies Center, Jerusalem) made a
report entitled “The Central Role of Jerusalem for the Armenians of
the World”.
After the report Hindlian several times stressed his viewpoint that it
is high time for the Patriarch, who mentioned that the forces of the
unity are insufficient for the resolution of problems, to turn to the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and other Armenian instances for the
achievement of joint aid.
In his concluding speech Ph. D. Richard Hovhannisian said that this
series will be interrupted next April, because an international
symposium will be organized on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide at the California University of Los Angeles on
April 2-3.
Participants of the symposium were received by the Srbots Targmanchats
Sanuts Union on November 5 evening, and by members of the Armenian
educational establishment at Alek Baghdasarian’s apartment on November
6 evening.
After the symposium participants with other invitees were present at
the reception dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Society for
Armenian Studies held at the “Charles Young” hall of the
University. The reception was organized in honor of founders of the
Society Tigran Gulumjian, Richard Hovhannisian (the only present),
Nina Garsoyan, Robert Thomson and late Avetis Sanjian.