Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
December 9, 2017 Saturday


Barrack, castles, mosques: Balyan family left a significant trace in
Istanbul's architecture


YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The Balyan family has left a
significant trace in Istanbul’s architecture. Armenian specialists
have studied the archival documents reached from Italy to Armenia and
the history of the architectural works of the Balyans has been summed
up in the “Treasures of the gardens of the Armenian People: Balyans”
book.

Chief Scientific-Secretary of the A. Tamanyan National
Museum-Institute of Architecture Ashot Grigoryan told a press
conference in ARMENPRESS that hundreds of buildings have been built in
Istanbul by the Balyan family.

“The Balyans were very famous architects in Turkey, but their Armenian
ethnicity was rejected for many years. They were presented as Italian
architects. We have found the Balyans’ archive in Italy and
transferred it to Armenia with a great difficulty. Initially, it
seemed we could study it very quickly and publicize it, but when we
started the work, we understood that it’s quite a hard work. The
archival documents were written in French, Turkish, Western Armenian
most of which were difficult to read. These documents have not been
circulated in any way for more than 100 years”, Ashot Grigoryan said.

The DolmabahçePalace of Istanbul, as well as a barrack, castles,
mosques, reservoirs have been built by the Balyans. Ashot Grigoryan
said the Balyans cooperated with the Armenian specialists and they
mainly worked with Armenians during the construction of buildings.
Some of these buildings have been burnt for different reasons, some
have been changed, but most of them have been maintained.

At the moment the book is being translated into Turkish to be spread
within the Turkish universities and academic circles.

“A little was talked about the Balyans in Armenia. Thanks to the
translations the whole world should be aware that many buildings in
Istanbul have been built by Armenians. The book solves a problem of
recognition and preservation of the Armenian culture”, Ashot Grigoryan
said.