Author: Lara Antonian

Ruins of a 3000 Year Old Armenian Castle Found in Lake Van Turkey

Lara Antonian
MARCH 3, 2020 ARCHAEOLOGY WORLD TEAM LEAVE A COMMENT
Ruins of a 3000-year-old Armenian castle found in Lake Van – Turkey

The 3,000-year-old remains of an ancient fortification have been discovered at the bottom of Turkey’s largest lake. The underwater excavations were led by Van Yüzüncü Yıl University and the governorship of Turkey’s eastern Bitlis Province.

The castle is said to belong to the Iron Age Armenian civilization also known as the Kingdom of Van, Urartu, Ararat and Armenia. The lake itself is believed to have been formed by a crater caused by a volcanic eruption of Mount Nemrut near the province of Van. The current water level of the reservoir is about 150 meters higher than it was during the Iron Age.

Divers exploring Lake Van discovered the incredibly well-preserved wall of a castle, thought to have been built by the Urartu civilization. Experts had been studying the body of water for a decade before it revealed the fortress lost deep below its surface.

The 3,000-year-old remains of an ancient fortification have been discovered at the bottom of Turkey’s largest lake. Divers exploring Lake Van discovered the incredibly well-preserved wall of a castle, thought to have been built by the Urartu civilization
Underwater Fairy Chimneys in Van lake.

The discovery was made by a team of researchers, including Tahsin Ceylan, an underwater photographer and videographer, diver Cumali Birol, and Mustafa Akkuş, an academic from Van Yüzüncü Yıl University. 

Legends among the area’s population spoke of ancient ruins hidden in the water, and the Van team decided to investigate. Over the course of ten years, they captured images of pearl mullets, microbialites, corals and even a sunken Russian ship, but their prize remained elusive.Their search has now paid off, uncovering castle stonework that has been protected from the ravages of time by the lake’s highly alkaline waters. It is thought the stone structure was built by the Urartians, as the rocks used were favoured by civilization. 

The castle, as well as a number of villages and settlements in the area, were built at a time when water levels were much lower than they are today.

Speaking to Hurriyet Daily News, Mr. Ceylan said: ‘Many civilizations and people had settled around Lake Van.

‘They named the lake the “upper sea” and believed it hid many mysterious things.

‘With this belief in mind, we are working to reveal the lake’s secrets.

‘It is a miracle to find this castle underwater.’

The Kingdom of Urartu was an ancient country in the mountainous region southeast of the Black Sea and southwest of the Caspian Sea.  Today the region is divided among Armenia, eastern Turkey, and northwestern Iran.

Mentioned in Assyrian sources from the early 13th century BC, Urartu enjoyed considerable political power in the Middle East in the 9th and 8th centuries BC.

The Urartians were succeeded in the area in the 6th century BC by the Armenians. Urartu is an Assyrian name and the people called Urartians called their country Biainili. Their capital Tushpa was located at what is now known as Lake Van.

Most remains of Urartian settlements are found between four lakes: Çildir and Van in Turkey, Urmia in Iran, and Sevan in Armenia, with a sparser extension westward to the Euphrates River.

Map of historic Armenian with Lake Van at its center.


Provincial governors summoning village mayors, forcing that YES win in referendum, Armenia opposition MP says

Lara Antonian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 29 2020

                        

We are already receiving reports from various provinces that the provincial governors are summoning the village mayors and forcing that YES win in their province [in the forthcoming referendum on constitutional amendments]. Gevorg Gorgisyan, secretary of the opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament, told this to RFE/RL.

Gorgisyan added that they have already received such reports from 3 or 4 provinces, but did not want to say which provinces they are.

He expressed the hope that the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Suren Papikyan, who also heads the YES campaign headquarters for the upcoming referendum, does not make secret calls to the provincial governors, other than public calls, and that the referendum would be conducted in accordance with the letter of the law.

Armenia to impose emergency shutdown of Iran border in latest covid-2019 countermeasure

Lara Antonian

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 19:32,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenia will shut down its border with neighboring Iran for two weeks in a latest countermeasure to prevent the novel coronavirus outbreak from entering Armenia.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a statement that the emergency decision will be made in pursuance of Article 16 of the Law on State Border.

“Particularly, the Iran-Armenia air communication and the entry of people to Armenia through the Meghri Border Crossing Point will be suspended”, he said.

The ban will be effective for two weeks.

Pashinyan said that the Commission on Preventing the Spread of Coronavirus, the government’s task force operating since January 31, will convene a session on Monday to discuss further measures, possible scenarios and related actions.

“In any case I find it necessary to underscore that there are no reasons to spread panic. Such actions are harmful in all cases,” the PM said.

 

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Armenia close Iran borders for coronavirus

Lara Antonian
Jerusalem Post
Feb 23 2020
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF  

FEBRUARY 23, 2020 18:24
Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Armenia announced on Sunday that they would close their borders with Iran as a precautionary measure to halt the potential spread of coronavirus after the neighboring country reported 43 cases of the disease.
All highways and railways will be closed as of 5 p.m. (14:00 GMT) on Sunday and flights from Iran suspended, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told reporters. Eight people have died in Iran, the highest death toll from the new coronavirus outside of China.
The Office of the National Security Council in Afghanistan announced on Sunday that it would suspend all passenger movement by air and ground to and from Iran. The import of poultry products from its neighbor has been suspended as well. The Afghani ministries of Finance and Interior will work to prevent the smuggling of masks outside of the country and set aside resources for public health.
Pakistani authorities closed the border crossing with Iran in Taftan on Sunday as well, according to Radio Pakistan. The transit gate and joint markets at the border have been closed, and trade and travel have been suspended. Precautionary and protective measures are being taken in Taftan, including a 100-bed tent hospital that is being established to deal with the emergency situation along the Pakistan-Iran border.
In addition, Armenia is also closing its border with Iran for two weeks and suspending air traffic after reports of coronavirus cases there, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a Facebook post on Sunday.
Iran has confirmed 15 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total to 43 with a death toll of eight. Most of the infections have been in the Shi'ite Muslim holy city of Qom.
https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Turkey-closes-Iran-border-due-to-coronavirus-outbreak-report-618495

Artsakh reports around 190 Azerbaijani ceasefire violations in one week

Lara Antonian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 22 2020

Azerbaijani military breached the ceasefire along the Artsakh-Azerbaijan Line of Contact around 190 times in the past week.

In the period from February 16 to 22, the adversary fired more than 1,800 shots towards the Armenian defense positions from firearms of different calibers, the Artsakh Defense Ministry reported.

The Defense Army’s frontline troops continue to fully control the situation and take necessary steps for the reliable protection of their combat positions.

Culture: Yerevan to host festive procession dedicated to Great Barekendan

Lara Antonian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 22 2020
Society 17:53 22/02/2020 Armenia

The Armenian Apostolic Church will mark the eve of Great Barekendan with a festive programme, the Ararat Patriarchal Diocese reported in a press statement. On February 23, at 13:30 the festive procession dedicated to Great Barekendan – Armenian religious holiday – will start from St. Sargis church of the Ararat Patriarchal Diocese of AAC. The participants will walk along Mashtots avenue to Freedom square where a festive programme is planned.

The programme features national dances and songs, thematic and theatrical performances, demonstration of games and contests among them.

As the Ararat Patriarchal Diocese reports the Great Barekendan celebration has turned into one of beloved holidays in capital Yerevan that brings together children and adults. The event is organized with the support of Yerevan Municipality.

This year the period of Great Lent starts on February 24. It lasts 48 days beginning from the Eve of Great Lent (Barekendan) to the Eve of the Feast of the Easter. The word Barekendan means “good living” or “good life”, as we are called to live cheerfully, joyfully, and to be happy on these days preceding fasting periods.

"Yes" campaign headquarters will raise funds for the campaign for the Constitutional referendum

Lara Antonian
Arminfo, Armenia
Feb 19 2020

ArmInfo. In the coming days, the "Yes" campaign headquarters will organize a fundraising campaign for the constitutional referendum campaign. This was announced by the  coordinator of public relations of the Civil Contract Party Vahagn   Aleksanyan.

 The latter noted that preparatory work was underway at this stage. Fundraising will take place on February 25.  Aleksanyan also emphasized that precisely with these funds the campaign of the "Yes" headquarters will be financed.

It should be noted that on February 6, the parliament adopted a  referendum decision at which Armenian citizens will decide whether  they agree to amend the Constitution of the country. On April 5, a  constitutional referendum will be held in Armenia, at which the issue  of judges of the Constitutional Court will be decided. Many MPs and  human rights activists said that this decision is unconstitutional,  since initially the MPs had to send their proposal to the  Constitutional Court. After that, two campaign headquarters were  formed, which campaign to vote "for" these Constitutional amendments  and "against" them.  According to the decision adopted on February 11  at the CEC meeting, the campaign will be held from February 17 to  April 3.

Nikol Pashinyan to present Armenia-2050 vision

Lara Antonian
MediaMax, Armenia
Feb 14 2020
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yerevan /Mediamax/. During the working visit to Germany, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan delivered a comprehensive speech at Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) in Berlin on February 13.
 
Mediamax has selected particularly noteworthy remarks by the Prime Minister, which you can read below.
 
On corruption
 
Revolutions are usually followed by formation of a new government and fight against the corruption inherited from the previous authorities. However, for Armenia, there is no past and present corruption. Since 2018, several deputy ministers I appointed have been detained and just a few weeks ago head of Urban Development Committee was arrested on corruption charges. The latter is the highest-ranking official to be arrested in the history of the third Armenian republic.
 
On vision and education
 
In the nearest future I will present our strategic vision for Armenia for 2020-2050. It includes a point, which indicates that education must become national lifestyle in the Republic of Armenia.
 
We believe that the attitude toward education has to change in Armenia. Education is a process that lasts your whole life, and it should become an integral and unquestionable part of our daily work.
 
On Constitutional Court and the referendum
 
Our country has long had its judiciary controlled by the government. Our task is not to establish our own control over the judiciary, but to create guarantees that the judiciary can be truly independent and unbiased.
 
If the outcome of the referendum is positive, the president and the government together with the assembly of judges will nominate candidates for judges to the Constitutional Court, and we will have a Constitutional Court which adheres to our Constitution. The agenda of the parliament of Armenia also includes amendments to the Judicial Code, which indicate that all newly appointed judges, including candidates for Constitutional Court judges, must undergo integrity testing at the Commission on Prevention of Corruption.
 
On democracy
 
Democracy is irreversible in Armenia.
 
Democracy, the rule of law, protection of human rights, good governance and transparency are demands that come from the mentality of our people. Therefore, democracy has a solid foundation in Armenia, built with the perceptions, mentality and culture of our nation.
 
 
 
 
 

Armenia, Russia stand in the same frontline on key matters – Ambassador Kopyrkin

Lara Antonian

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 13:21,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 10, ARMENPRESS. The representatives of the Russian Embassy in Armenia led by Ambassador Sergei Kopyrkin visited today the statue of renowned Russian poet and diplomat, the great friend of the Armenian people, Alexander Griboyedov to lay flowers and a wreath on the occasion of the professional day of Russian diplomats.

Talking about the current level of the Armenian-Russian relations, the Ambassador told reporters that these relations are at the highest level.

“That status is quite clear: we are allies, strategic partners, and the Armenian and Russian peoples are brothers. This is also reflected in our diplomatic relations. The relations between our diplomatic services are really very close”, the Russian Ambassador said.

The Ambassador and his staff also visited the central cemetery in Yerevan to lay flowers at the tombs of famous Armenian diplomats who had a great contribution in diplomacy.

“With these rich history and traditions, I think we are doomed to close cooperation, in a good sense, especially when we have many common issues and interests. In this complex world Armenian and Russian diplomats stand in the same frontline on key matters. This is very important, and Russia appreciates that”, Ambassador Kopyrkin said.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan