Turks argue over Armenian monuments without mentioning their authors (PHOTO)
http://news.am/eng/news/107120.html
May 28, 2012 | 17:17
The complex of monuments to Armenian pagan gods on the Mount Nemrut in
Turkey remains in the focus of tourists, visiting the state (photos).
Both the guides and the info-tables do not mention anything about
Armenians but only contain information about the names of Greek gods.
King Antiochus I, representative of the younger branch of the Armenian
royal Orontid Dynasty (Yervanduni), built a tomb and status to pagan
gods and himself on Nemrut Mount. The tomb where Antiochus I is
buried, is situated on the pick of the mountain.
Monuments to Aramazd, Anahit, Mihr, Tir and Vahagn, each of them of
about 9 m height, are situated to the West and East from the tomb.
Among the monuments of his own and the gods, Antiochus also built
statues of a lion and an eagle - the symbols of the kingdom - while
the images of Antiochus' ancestors are pictured on the cliffs near the
monuments.
The complex, which is enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage List,
leads to a serious argument between Turkish Adiyaman and Malatya
provinces. The Nemrut is in the territory of Adiyaman, however,
Malatya administration believes that the monuments on the mountain
belong to their province.
As was reported earlier, unfavorable weather conditions, strong winds
and heavy frost, are damaging the monuments.
`We are worried that the statues may be damaged. I would have covered
them with my blanket if I could,' Turkish Minister of Culture and
Tourism Ertugrul Gunay said.
According to the minister, they got many offers how to protect the
statues. However, neither the glass frame, nor the chemical liquid
would protect them from the strong winds. Thus, the best option will
be to transfer them to the nearest museum by helicopters, Gunay
believes.