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Scientific Conf. at UCLA Devoted to Jerusalem Armenian Community

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  • Scientific Conf. at UCLA Devoted to Jerusalem Armenian Community

    SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE OF CALIFORNIAN UNIVERSITY OF LOS ANGELES DEVOTED
    TO JERUSALEM OF GREAT SUCCESS LOS ANGELES, November 29 (Noyan
    Tapan). Ph. D. Richard Hovhannisian, the Head of the Department of
    Contemporary Armenian History of the Californian University of Los
    Angeles (UCLA), devoted the 15th scientific conference of the
    "Provinces and Towns of Historical Armenia" series organized by him to
    Jerusalem. As is well known, the previous scientific conferences of
    this series concerned Western Armenia and other areas of today's
    Turkey populated by the great number of the Armenians: from
    Van-Vaspurakan till Constantinople and from Izmir till the Black Sea,
    as well as Nor Jugha.

    The scientific conference, which was presided over by Archbishop
    Torgom Manukian, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, was also held
    under the patronage of other departments of the Californian
    University: the Center of Middle East Researches, the Center of
    European and Eurasian Researches and the International Institution, as
    well as under the patronage of the "Srbots Targmanchats Sanuts" Union
    of Jerusalem on November 6-7.

    On November 6 morning, when Ph. D. Hovhannisian was opening the
    seminar with an opening address, the hall with capacity of 450 places,
    was crowded.

    John Garsuel (Malaga, Spain) made a report about the Armenian mosaics
    of Jerusalem. After 13-year laborious work he described 2,000 samples
    of them, publishing the two-volume edition devoted to them (1972).

    Former dweller of Jerusalem Abraham Terian (New York) touched upon the
    collection of the manuscripts of the St. Hakobiants cloister, their
    number made 3.9 thousand. He said that the first written document
    concerning the presence of the Armenians in Jerusalem dates to the 6th
    century.

    Klod Mutafian's report (Paris-Nord University, Paris) entitled
    "Armenian Princes and Jerusalem Kings of the10th-12th Centuries", as a
    matter of fact, was devoted to the Armenian princesses of Cilicia:
    Arta, Morpia, Melisant, who became Jerusalem queens after their
    marriage. According to Mutafian, Melisant's possible meeting with
    Catholicos Grigor III Pahlavuni (1141) might be a reason for the
    reconstruction of the St. Hakobiants cloister.

    Sergio Laporta (Jerusalem) spoke about the relations between Mets Haik
    and the Jerusalem Patriarchate (the 14th century). The attempts of the
    Catholicosate of All Armenians of Cilicia for joining the Romanian
    Church were the reason of the opposition of the conservative clergymen
    of Eastern Armenia. Jerusalem was part of this opposition. In 1311,
    its head Bishop Sargis rose against the decisions of the 1307 Adana
    Synod, separated from the Cilician Kingdom and the Catholicosate,
    started cooperating with the Mamelukes and founded the
    Patriarchate. So, according to the speaker, Jerusalem preserved the
    Orthodox nature of the Armenian Church.

    Roberta Ervain ( New York) made a report on Patriarch Grigor Paronter,
    one of the most interesting persons of Jerusalem (1613-1645). He
    enlarged Armenia's presence in Jerusalem through the purchase of new
    territories, fundraising, organization of pilgrimages. By his own
    example he restored the spiritual atmosphere at the cloister by
    approving a 8-hour prayer. Grigor Paronter also established the
    community of celibate women and men.

    Emma Kostandian (the National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan) told about
    the relations between Khrimian Hayrik and Jerusalem. In particular, in
    1852, Khrimian Hayrik visited Jerusalem and wrote the "Invitation to
    the Promised Land" poetical work. Being the Patriarch of
    Constantinople, Khrimian Hayrik was in correspondence with the
    Patriarch of Jerusalem. Khrimian Hayrik was expelled by the Turkish
    authorities to Jerusalem in 1890. He left Jerusalem in 1892, when was
    elected Catholicos of All Armenians.

    Vahram Shemmasian (the Californian State University, Northridge) made
    a report, which was full of figures and facts concerning the fate of
    4,000 Armenians from the string of death of the Genocide who survived
    in Palestine. They were moved to the migration area of the Said harbor
    on the eve of the English capture and lived there till 1919 autumn,
    when they received an opportunity to come back to their birthplaces.

    On November 7, the scientific conference re-opened with the report of
    Vardan Matevosian (Der Salvador University, Buenos Aires, and the
    Hovhanian Gymnasia, New Jersey) that was devoted to Patriarches
    Eghishe Durian and Torgom Gushakian, two progressive figures of
    Jerusalem of the 11th century.

    Armenian of Jerusalem Petros Ter-Matosian (a person working for
    doctor's degree of the Columbia University, New York) presented the
    history of the Armenians of Palestine of 1917-1948, when their number
    reached from 3,000 to 15,000 on the eve of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

    Another Armenian of Jerusalem Oshin Keshishian, editor of the
    "Armenian Observer" English-language weekly newspaper (Glendale
    College, Los Angeles), in his speech spoke about the literary work of
    Jerusalem, presenting the creative activities of Duryan, Oshakan,
    Berberian, Yeghivard, Shen Mahi, Aneli, Vahram Mavian and others.

    Participants of the sitting were informed about the current situation
    of the Armenian Community of Jerusalem. Silva-Natali Manukian (the
    California University, Los Angeles) presented the project of the
    restoration of the "Gyulbenkian" Matenadaran of the Patriarchate,
    which started in 1995.

    Last rappaurteur Sosi Andezian (the National Center of Scientific
    Studies, Paris, and the French Studies Center, Jerusalem) made a
    report entitled "The Central Role of Jerusalem for the Armenians of
    the World".

    After the report Hindlian several times stressed his viewpoint that it
    is high time for the Patriarch, who mentioned that the forces of the
    unity are insufficient for the resolution of problems, to turn to the
    Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and other Armenian instances for the
    achievement of joint aid.

    In his concluding speech Ph. D. Richard Hovhannisian said that this
    series will be interrupted next April, because an international
    symposium will be organized on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of
    the Armenian Genocide at the California University of Los Angeles on
    April 2-3.

    Participants of the symposium were received by the Srbots Targmanchats
    Sanuts Union on November 5 evening, and by members of the Armenian
    educational establishment at Alek Baghdasarian's apartment on November
    6 evening.

    After the symposium participants with other invitees were present at
    the reception dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Society for
    Armenian Studies held at the "Charles Young" hall of the
    University. The reception was organized in honor of founders of the
    Society Tigran Gulumjian, Richard Hovhannisian (the only present),
    Nina Garsoyan, Robert Thomson and late Avetis Sanjian.
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