THE INTEREST TOWARD TIGRANAKERT IS INCREASING DAY BY DAY
http://karabakh-open.info/en/interviewen/2861-en583
Tuesday, 08 January 2013 16:56
The state historical and cultural enclosure Tigranakert was created
by the NKR government decree N937 dated December 23, 2008.
In 2005 the Artsakh expedition of the Institute of Archaeology and
Ethnography of Yerevan found the traces of the vast Hellenistic
settlement built in 1st century BC on the south-western slope of
Mount Vankasar and the valley adjacent to it and in 2006 it began the
exploration activities. The city of Tigranakert which was discovered
in Artsakh is the only settlement after Armenian King Tigran II the
Great /95-55 BC/ the location of which is precisely definite and
which is being explored.
Besides the valuable historical and cultural monuments the flora of
the enclosure is quite rich and some species are even included into
the Red Book. The interest towards the enclosure is yearly increasing
and each day is has dozens of visitors.
What the state historical and cultural enclosure Tigranakert presents
to its visitors we tried to find out from director of the enclosure
Anahit Lorentsyan.
- I must say that the enclosure has its guide who thoroughly presents
to the visitors the whole territory of the enclosure together with
all its historical and cultural monuments: the Reinforced district
with the Citadel, the Ancient district, the Central district with the
early Christian chapel, the Ancient and early Christian tomb valleys,
the early Christian worship complex, the early Christian temple of
Vankasar, the reservoir adjacent to the royal springs, a number of
other buildings and the royal park.
Since May, 2010, due to the efforts of the Department of Tourism
the archeological museum has been functioning here and everything
discovered during the explorations are exhibited in it. I must say
that the exhibits of the museum were refreshed in 2012.
-Mrs. Lorentsyan, can you sum up the results of the previous year
and say how many visitors you had during the year.
- From May 8, 2010, till December 20, 2012, the museum and the
enclosure had 46812 visitors among them 4846 foreigners and 7200
Diaspora Armenians.
In 2011 we had 13973 visitors among them 895 foreigners and 1100
Diaspora Armenians. As for 2012, I must say the growth tendency is
quite noticeable; we had 17839 visitors among them 951 foreigners
and 1252 Diaspora Armenians. This year we were pleased to have 310
conscripts among our visitors and welcomed this as an important step
in the military education of the conscripts.
- What are the foreigners mainly interested in?
- They are more interested in the ancient town with its culture and
crafts. Everywhere they search Armenian roots trying to compare the
data and facts published by the Armenian and Azerbaijani parties. They
are generally interested in an Armenian man and his world and
in the Artsakh people, in particular. They always underline the
simplicity, humaneness and hospitability of the Artsakh people with
special cordiality, gratitude and very often with astonishment. Some
foreigners such as Mark from Germany, Sylvie from France just fell
in love with our country. Being a physician by profession Mark has
excellent knowledge about our culture and history, and he studies
something new during each of his visits. During his last visit he was
greatly interested in the cave chapel and the ancient funeral rituals.
As for Sylvie, she visted Artsakh 4 times and began to master both
West and Eastern Armenian.
- If you were to apply to your new and old visitors what would you
tell them?
- To foreigners I would say they are always welcome if you visit our
country with pure and honest intentions, as for our native people,
I would ask them to be more careful and why not even proud when
stepping on each inch of the land in the enclosure realizing that
here are the remains of our ancestors.
Armine Hairapetyan
http://karabakh-open.info/en/interviewen/2861-en583
Tuesday, 08 January 2013 16:56
The state historical and cultural enclosure Tigranakert was created
by the NKR government decree N937 dated December 23, 2008.
In 2005 the Artsakh expedition of the Institute of Archaeology and
Ethnography of Yerevan found the traces of the vast Hellenistic
settlement built in 1st century BC on the south-western slope of
Mount Vankasar and the valley adjacent to it and in 2006 it began the
exploration activities. The city of Tigranakert which was discovered
in Artsakh is the only settlement after Armenian King Tigran II the
Great /95-55 BC/ the location of which is precisely definite and
which is being explored.
Besides the valuable historical and cultural monuments the flora of
the enclosure is quite rich and some species are even included into
the Red Book. The interest towards the enclosure is yearly increasing
and each day is has dozens of visitors.
What the state historical and cultural enclosure Tigranakert presents
to its visitors we tried to find out from director of the enclosure
Anahit Lorentsyan.
- I must say that the enclosure has its guide who thoroughly presents
to the visitors the whole territory of the enclosure together with
all its historical and cultural monuments: the Reinforced district
with the Citadel, the Ancient district, the Central district with the
early Christian chapel, the Ancient and early Christian tomb valleys,
the early Christian worship complex, the early Christian temple of
Vankasar, the reservoir adjacent to the royal springs, a number of
other buildings and the royal park.
Since May, 2010, due to the efforts of the Department of Tourism
the archeological museum has been functioning here and everything
discovered during the explorations are exhibited in it. I must say
that the exhibits of the museum were refreshed in 2012.
-Mrs. Lorentsyan, can you sum up the results of the previous year
and say how many visitors you had during the year.
- From May 8, 2010, till December 20, 2012, the museum and the
enclosure had 46812 visitors among them 4846 foreigners and 7200
Diaspora Armenians.
In 2011 we had 13973 visitors among them 895 foreigners and 1100
Diaspora Armenians. As for 2012, I must say the growth tendency is
quite noticeable; we had 17839 visitors among them 951 foreigners
and 1252 Diaspora Armenians. This year we were pleased to have 310
conscripts among our visitors and welcomed this as an important step
in the military education of the conscripts.
- What are the foreigners mainly interested in?
- They are more interested in the ancient town with its culture and
crafts. Everywhere they search Armenian roots trying to compare the
data and facts published by the Armenian and Azerbaijani parties. They
are generally interested in an Armenian man and his world and
in the Artsakh people, in particular. They always underline the
simplicity, humaneness and hospitability of the Artsakh people with
special cordiality, gratitude and very often with astonishment. Some
foreigners such as Mark from Germany, Sylvie from France just fell
in love with our country. Being a physician by profession Mark has
excellent knowledge about our culture and history, and he studies
something new during each of his visits. During his last visit he was
greatly interested in the cave chapel and the ancient funeral rituals.
As for Sylvie, she visted Artsakh 4 times and began to master both
West and Eastern Armenian.
- If you were to apply to your new and old visitors what would you
tell them?
- To foreigners I would say they are always welcome if you visit our
country with pure and honest intentions, as for our native people,
I would ask them to be more careful and why not even proud when
stepping on each inch of the land in the enclosure realizing that
here are the remains of our ancestors.
Armine Hairapetyan