ARMENIAN SCHOOLCHILDREN TAKE A SERIOUS ATTITUDE TO ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION

PanArmenian
April 21 2009
Armenia

Yerevan Mayor’s Office has announced about inviolability of three
archaeological monuments boundaries, including Erebuni, Krmir Blour and
Shengavit. Those territories will no longer be used as burying grounds.

"Waste disposal on monuments’ territory is currently our key issue. The
household rubbish and construction waste was accumulated here over
decades, forming a thick layer. The Mayor’s Office covered the costs of
waste disposal but this is not yet enough," Director of Erebuni museum
Ashot Piliposyan said. According to him, there is currently 1000 trucks
of construction waste piled up in the territory of "Karmir Blur".

Cleanup works carried out by Armenian servicemen on April 18 in
connection with the International Day of Monuments produced significant
results. But what greatly inspires us is that the children from
school No. 115 (situated at Karmir Blur) elaborated archaeological
monuments preservation program and submitted it to US Embassy in
Armenia. Regardless of results, the fact itself is gratifying. It
inspires us with confidence that the young generation shows care for
cultural heritage," Mr. Piliposyan noted.

Considering economic difficulties, Erebuni Museum Director proposes
that the municipal authorities and other responsible state bodies
remove the waste heap to the nearest ravine.

Since 1936, the citadel situated on Karmir Blur has been thoroughly
studied, and most of the land plots of the ancient city extending
from south to west have been dug out.

The citadel is a huge construction with a spacious yard, with total
area of about 4 hectares. Its walls are built of huge mudbricks,
3.5 m. wide and 4-7m. long. The first floor of the citadel housed
140 various premises of different sizes, including small storerooms
and large wine cellars. Apart from storehouses, the citadel also had
workshops producing sesame oil and beer as well as manufactured cloth
and processed bones. There were also grain storerooms with a capacity
of 750 g.. The wine cellars stored 4000 liters of different wine sorts.