METALLIC CROSS WITH HEIGHT OF 2.5 M MADE FOR AKHTAMAR ISLAND’S CHURCH

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 11 2007

ISTANBUL, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Hurriyet Turkish
newspaper published a large report on the metallic cross made on the
initiative of Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople for Akhtamar’s
Surb Khach Church and presented a big picture of the cross.

Architect Zakaria Mildanoghlu said that the metallic cross was made
by specialist of Armenian church architecture Varazdat Haroutiunian by
similarity with the former cross and has 2.5 m height. But Mildanoghlu
as a specialist considers that the cross should have been made
from stone.

Touching upon the story of the former cross, the newspaper reports
that though some icons of the church were moved to Tavris, the cross
was not among them and he considers it probable that it had been lost
after falling down during the earthquake.