EUROPEAN HERITAGE DAYS
armradio.am
05.09.2008 17:07
This year too the cultural heritage safeguards in CoE member states
will assemble their efforts to hold the "European Heritage Days"
jointly launched and conducted since 1991 by the Council of Europe
and the European Commission. In view of the fact that the subject
of religion is recognized by international organizations as future
peace-building and stability factor, International Council on Monuments
and Sites (ICOMOS) decided to declare the year 2008 as worship heritage
year titled "Religious heritage and sacred places." On September
06-07, 2008 Armenia will join the European Heritage Days by a series
of "Armenia Sacra" events thus continuing to promote recognition,
conservation and appreciation of religious heritage.
In Armenia having ancient national cultural roots, like in many
countries worldwide, the religious heritage constitutes the major part
of the cultural heritage; it is the direct expression and platform of
our beliefs, consciousness and historic memory. It is unarguable that
most of us associate "monument" and "sightseeing" understandings with
architectural monuments of worship and the surrounding environment
thereof; religious heritage and sacred places are indivisible from
Armenia’s nature, place-names, customs and national holidays.
Worship monuments and finds, excavated in Armenian ancient places, are
bright examples of ancient world’s religious beliefs (Erebuni Khald
and Soussi temples, Metsamor sanctuaries, Armavir and Artashat towns
and a single monument of pagan architecture in Armenia – Garni temple
dedicated to the worship of Mihr, God of the sun). Abbacy complexes,
khachkars (cross-stone), chapels and churches – stone-embodied
evidences of Armenians’ about two thousand years -long Christian
belief are remarkable not only from the aspect of early Christian
construction art and history of architecture, but also appear to be
the core of the Armenian cultural immovable heritage. The official
list of historical and cultural monuments, adopted by RA Government,
includes 1300 units of Christian worship monuments regardless their
level of conservation. From solitary chapels, located in recluse
places to St. Echmiadzin Mother See, Haghpat, Sanahin or Geghardavank,
inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage list, are under state protection
and auspice. Amongst them are the religious heritage of national
minorities, living in Armenia, i.a., Russian, Greek, Assyrian churches
as well as Muslim monuments (Blue mosque, Argavand mausoleum, Jewish
and Kurdish cemeteries etc.)
Museums of Yerevan and marzes with their special presentations will
join the special series of "Armenia Sacra" events. By respective orders
of RA Ministries of Culture and Nature Protection republican museums,
historic-cultural and reservation-museums will have free of charge
entranc e for public.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
