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Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
July 15 2013
Diyarbakır's Surp Giragos Church set to have Armenian museum
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu Vercihan
A part of the Surp Giragos Church will be opened as an Armenian
museum. Officials make a call to the Armenian community to make
contributions
A part of the Surp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakır will be
opened as a museum for the history of the Armenians from the
southeastern province.
Ergün Ayık, head of the Surp Giragos Church Foundation, told the
Hürriyet Daily News that a building within the church's complex would
be transformed into the Diyarbakır Armenians History Museum.
Ayık said that upon his meetings with Diyarbakır Mayor Osman Baydemir
and the Diyarbakır Culture and Tourism Directorate, the Armenian
Culture and Arts section of the Diyarbakır City Museum, which is to
open in a newly renovated historical building, would be opened within
the Surp Giragos Church.
The church was renovated and opened for services two years ago thanks
to donations from the Armenian community and Diyarbakır Metropolitan
Municipality. Stating that the interior design of the Armenian museum
would be handled by the municipality, Ayık said the museum's security
would also be provided by the same office.
"The cleaning, electricity and water costs will be catered by the
municipality, as well as the 24-hour surveillance of the church
complex," said Ayık. "Thus, our foundation will be freed of an
important amount of costs."
Call to Armenians
The foundation president said the museum would be formed from personal
belongings and called for the Armenians, who possessed objects from
their ancestors, to send them to the Surp Giragos Church Foundation.
He added that as the building was going to be constructed according to
the collected objects, potential donors should make haste in shipping
their belongings.
Concerning the objects to be displayed, Ayık said belongings from
Armenian artistic, cultural and economic life - including old letters,
commercial documents, music pieces, household appliances, clothing,
paintings, carpets and rugs, stalls and craftsmen's tools - would be
exhibited in the museum.
He said the collected belongings would be transferred to the inventory
of the foundation pending the signing of a protocol for the museum.
Ayık said that until four years ago, the only remaining trace of
Diyarbakır's Armenians was two ruined churches in the city, adding
that Armenians had lived in the region for "thousands of years" and
had built a "big kingdom."
"I wish with my whole heart that the happiness and positive mood
deriving from invigorating the past that was fading into oblivion and
paying the debt of conscience we owe to our ancestors will be felt by
a greater part of our society," Ayık said.
July/15/2013
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/diyarbakirs-surp-giragos-church-set-to-have-armenian-museum.aspx?pageID=238&nID=50702&NewsCatID=341
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
July 15 2013
Diyarbakır's Surp Giragos Church set to have Armenian museum
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu Vercihan
A part of the Surp Giragos Church will be opened as an Armenian
museum. Officials make a call to the Armenian community to make
contributions
A part of the Surp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakır will be
opened as a museum for the history of the Armenians from the
southeastern province.
Ergün Ayık, head of the Surp Giragos Church Foundation, told the
Hürriyet Daily News that a building within the church's complex would
be transformed into the Diyarbakır Armenians History Museum.
Ayık said that upon his meetings with Diyarbakır Mayor Osman Baydemir
and the Diyarbakır Culture and Tourism Directorate, the Armenian
Culture and Arts section of the Diyarbakır City Museum, which is to
open in a newly renovated historical building, would be opened within
the Surp Giragos Church.
The church was renovated and opened for services two years ago thanks
to donations from the Armenian community and Diyarbakır Metropolitan
Municipality. Stating that the interior design of the Armenian museum
would be handled by the municipality, Ayık said the museum's security
would also be provided by the same office.
"The cleaning, electricity and water costs will be catered by the
municipality, as well as the 24-hour surveillance of the church
complex," said Ayık. "Thus, our foundation will be freed of an
important amount of costs."
Call to Armenians
The foundation president said the museum would be formed from personal
belongings and called for the Armenians, who possessed objects from
their ancestors, to send them to the Surp Giragos Church Foundation.
He added that as the building was going to be constructed according to
the collected objects, potential donors should make haste in shipping
their belongings.
Concerning the objects to be displayed, Ayık said belongings from
Armenian artistic, cultural and economic life - including old letters,
commercial documents, music pieces, household appliances, clothing,
paintings, carpets and rugs, stalls and craftsmen's tools - would be
exhibited in the museum.
He said the collected belongings would be transferred to the inventory
of the foundation pending the signing of a protocol for the museum.
Ayık said that until four years ago, the only remaining trace of
Diyarbakır's Armenians was two ruined churches in the city, adding
that Armenians had lived in the region for "thousands of years" and
had built a "big kingdom."
"I wish with my whole heart that the happiness and positive mood
deriving from invigorating the past that was fading into oblivion and
paying the debt of conscience we owe to our ancestors will be felt by
a greater part of our society," Ayık said.
July/15/2013
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/diyarbakirs-surp-giragos-church-set-to-have-armenian-museum.aspx?pageID=238&nID=50702&NewsCatID=341
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress