ARMENIAN ARCHITECTS CONTRIBUTE THEIR MITE IN TURKEY’S BEAUTY

Azg/arm
18 Feb 05

Armenian Museum-Institute of Architecture has assembled huge material
on Armenian architects living and working in Diaspora that will
be compiled in 27 volumes. The first volume -“The Iranian-Armenian
Architects” â~@~S is ready.

The book of Ashot Grigorian, head of the museum, titled “Armenian
Architects of Constantinople” will be issued this year on occasion
of 90th anniversary of Armenian Genocide. “We thought that there
were not Armenian architects in Istanbul after 1915 before we
went on research. To our great surprise we found out that the
Armenians of Turkey kept on studying architecture abroad and built
many unique constrictions. Researches disclosed that the word
â~@~Xarchitectâ~@~Y came into use only after the WW II replacing
the word â~@~Xconstructorâ~@~Y. Interestingly most of them were
Armenians. We find a group of constructors beginning from 1900s and
professional architects appear thereafter. Besides architects and
town-planners there is also the profession of architect-decorator in
Istanbul. Most of the Armenians specialized in these 3 professions
have their own workshops and offices. Many of them are members of
Turkish Union of Architectures and even of various international
unions”, Grigorian says.

He tells that the architects from Palian dynasty were famous in
Constantinople in 19th century and they are considered founders of
Turkish architecture. Turks never denied this fact. Grigorianâ~@~Ys
book is introducing 100 Armenian architects from Constantinople and
presents the history of Armenian architecture in Turkey. The prologue
of the book will be translated in English and Turkish.

Ashot Grigorian says that it is hard to preserve Armenian
features in the works of Armenian Diaspora architects as they were
brought up in other culture and that differs them from architects
in Armenia. Works of the most of Diaspora architects, especially
buildings designed for Armenian community, bear features of Armenian
medieval architecture. Local and Diaspora architects are highly
valued for combining national characteristics with modern trends,
Grigorian thinks.

By Ruzan Poghosian

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