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Cihan News Agency (CNA) - Turkey
January 22, 2013 Tuesday
Armenia applies to place Blue Mosque on UNESCO's World Heritage List
ISTANBUL (CIHAN)- Armenia's Culture Ministry has recently applied for
the Blue Mosque, also known as the Gök Mosque, which is located at the
center of Armenia's capital of Yerevan, to be included on the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO)
World Heritage List.
According to the Armenian Armenpress news agency, Armenian Culture
Minister Hasmik Poghosyan announced that the ministry had decided to
apply to UNESCO for the Blue Mosque to be inscribed on the list during
a visit to Iran in 2012. The news agency reported that in response to
the Iranian government's recent move to put Armenian historic
buildings located within its boundaries under its protection, the
minister stated that the Armenian government should also do something
for the Iranian historic buildings located in Armenia. She stated the
recent application to UNESCO regarding the Blue Mosque was made as a
result of this intention.
The Blue Mosque was built in 1765 by the order of Hussein Ali Khan,
governor of Yerevan. The mosque consists of a 442-square meter central
prayer hall, a main dome 20 meters in height with a minaret 24 meters
in height, a library and a madrasa with 28 small cells which are all
arranged around a courtyard. The overall complex occupies 7,000 square
meters. During the Soviet era, the mosque stopped services and was
turned into a museum due to the secularist policies of the government.
The Blue Mosque is the only mosque in Armenia that survived the Soviet
government's policies. In the latter half of the 1990s, the mosque
underwent restoration, which was funded by the Iranian government.
After the restoration, the mosque was reopened to religious services
with the help of the Iranian government.
January 22, 2013 Tuesday
Armenia applies to place Blue Mosque on UNESCO's World Heritage List
ISTANBUL (CIHAN)- Armenia's Culture Ministry has recently applied for
the Blue Mosque, also known as the Gök Mosque, which is located at the
center of Armenia's capital of Yerevan, to be included on the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO)
World Heritage List.
According to the Armenian Armenpress news agency, Armenian Culture
Minister Hasmik Poghosyan announced that the ministry had decided to
apply to UNESCO for the Blue Mosque to be inscribed on the list during
a visit to Iran in 2012. The news agency reported that in response to
the Iranian government's recent move to put Armenian historic
buildings located within its boundaries under its protection, the
minister stated that the Armenian government should also do something
for the Iranian historic buildings located in Armenia. She stated the
recent application to UNESCO regarding the Blue Mosque was made as a
result of this intention.
The Blue Mosque was built in 1765 by the order of Hussein Ali Khan,
governor of Yerevan. The mosque consists of a 442-square meter central
prayer hall, a main dome 20 meters in height with a minaret 24 meters
in height, a library and a madrasa with 28 small cells which are all
arranged around a courtyard. The overall complex occupies 7,000 square
meters. During the Soviet era, the mosque stopped services and was
turned into a museum due to the secularist policies of the government.
The Blue Mosque is the only mosque in Armenia that survived the Soviet
government's policies. In the latter half of the 1990s, the mosque
underwent restoration, which was funded by the Iranian government.
After the restoration, the mosque was reopened to religious services
with the help of the Iranian government.