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    Categories: 2020

First Armenian museum opens in Turkey

Panorama, Armenia
June 5 2020
Culture 15:42 05/06/2020Region

Turkey’s first Armenian museum has opened at Vakifli, the sole remaining Armenian village in the Samandag district of the southern province of Hatay.

In the museum, different cultures are also presented besides the Armenian culture, Hürriyet Daily News reports.

Stating that they have been working for the establishment of the Musa Dagh (Mountain) Museum for a long time, Cem Capar, the chairman of the Vakifli Village Armenian Orthodox Church Foundation, said, “This museum has traces not only from the Armenian culture but also from the culture of all the peoples living in Anatolia.”

Vakifli village is known for being the only village of the dwindling community in the country and still maintains Armenian life and culture.

Stating that they have been working with his journalist wife, Lora Capar, to complete the cultural museum project for a long time, he said the museum was established with the objects from the village’s locals.

“We could not make the opening because of the coronavirus outbreak. As we have now entered the normalization phase, we are now opening the museum to visitors. We will make our official opening in the coming days,” he said.

Local clothes, historical items and jewelry are exhibited at the Musa Dagh Armenian Museum and images of traditions are published on screens. 

Emil Lazarian: “I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS