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Today's Zaman, Turkey
May 22 2013
An Armenian from Turkey in Los Angeles...
MARKAR ESAYAN
[email protected]
Last week I visited Los Angeles to attend the fourth Anatolian
Cultures and Food Festival, held between May 16 and 19. I wanted to
write about my impressions before the effects of jet lag took hold and
while my memories were still fresh. I was enthusiastic as this was my
first visit to Los Angeles. I wasn't enthusiastic just because I was
making my first visit to a place or because I would see all the major
historic or religious landmarks of Anatolia within a
60,000-square-meter area in Orange County. I also have many relatives
and friends living in this city and across the state, most of whom I
hadn't seen for years. Perhaps it would be possible to catch up with
some of them on everything during my tight schedule.
When I accepted the invitation from the Pacifica Institute, I didn't
know that Deputy Patriarch Archbishop Aram AteĆ?yan and Bishop MaĆ?alyan
from Turkey were to be in attendance, and it was a nice surprise.
Esteemed AteĆ?yan is a close relative and is my father's namesake. I
also have had a very long friendship with Bishop MaĆ?alyan. I hadn't
seen them for a long time due to my busy schedule. In addition, I was
happy as I would see many journalist friends of mine thanks to this
opportunity.
As a result, there were many Armenians in attendance, and I
contributed to the political and daily debates in my own way. I must
note that the group was very cheerful during the trip. With Turkish,
Armenian and Kurdish songs and jokes made by Mr. Cemal UĆ?Ć?ak in his
unique Laz accent, we once again had a sense of living together and
brotherly feelings, albeit while being far from home.
>From the first moment of the trip to the last minute, everything went
smoothly particularly with respect to the organization of the
festival. I was very impressed to see the discipline and sincerity
with which people worked to make this festival happen. When I arrived
at the festival area, I was glad to witness that many Americans had
come to see a giant replica of Turkey and taste 99 varieties of
Anatolian cuisine.
The organizing committee had worked day and night to come up with a
spectacular event. As I entered the festival area and went through the
Hittite, Urartian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Turkish gates,
I realized that visual elements play an important role in human
memory. It was a really interesting experience for me to understand
once again miles from home that we come from a very rich historic
background and that this is a very precious asset.
The giant replicas of Ephesus Theater, Sümela Monastery, Mardin,
Cappadocia, the House of the Virgin Mary, Zeugma, the Double Minarets
Madrasa, Topkapı Palace and the Fountain of Ahmet III -- located at
the very center of the festival area and offering different drinks
from its faucets -- all took people through a time tunnel. What
impressed me the most was Akhtamar Church. After years of neglect,
this church had been renovated and reopened to visitors, and I had
attended the opening ceremony in Van, feeling happy for the ongoing
change in Turkey. We Armenians have a painful past. We were not only
dispersed around the world as the diaspora, but those who remained in
Turkey are also treated like foreigners in their home country. Those
who have long carried their identity, religion, race and language as a
dangerous burden can really appreciate the beginning of this change in
the state's mentality.
Now, we have the opportunity to exhibit our rich culture in the
biggest state of the world's mightiest country. I believe that we have
a right to understand that it is an asset to live together, stand
together, cherish our differences and enjoy this awareness. Not long
ago, we would have to whisper to each other in Armenian and we would
have concealed our true names. This festival was a good testimony of
the big change in Turkey. Thank you to everyone who contributed to
make this happen. I will pen my other observations later.
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=316196
May 22 2013
An Armenian from Turkey in Los Angeles...
MARKAR ESAYAN
[email protected]
Last week I visited Los Angeles to attend the fourth Anatolian
Cultures and Food Festival, held between May 16 and 19. I wanted to
write about my impressions before the effects of jet lag took hold and
while my memories were still fresh. I was enthusiastic as this was my
first visit to Los Angeles. I wasn't enthusiastic just because I was
making my first visit to a place or because I would see all the major
historic or religious landmarks of Anatolia within a
60,000-square-meter area in Orange County. I also have many relatives
and friends living in this city and across the state, most of whom I
hadn't seen for years. Perhaps it would be possible to catch up with
some of them on everything during my tight schedule.
When I accepted the invitation from the Pacifica Institute, I didn't
know that Deputy Patriarch Archbishop Aram AteĆ?yan and Bishop MaĆ?alyan
from Turkey were to be in attendance, and it was a nice surprise.
Esteemed AteĆ?yan is a close relative and is my father's namesake. I
also have had a very long friendship with Bishop MaĆ?alyan. I hadn't
seen them for a long time due to my busy schedule. In addition, I was
happy as I would see many journalist friends of mine thanks to this
opportunity.
As a result, there were many Armenians in attendance, and I
contributed to the political and daily debates in my own way. I must
note that the group was very cheerful during the trip. With Turkish,
Armenian and Kurdish songs and jokes made by Mr. Cemal UĆ?Ć?ak in his
unique Laz accent, we once again had a sense of living together and
brotherly feelings, albeit while being far from home.
>From the first moment of the trip to the last minute, everything went
smoothly particularly with respect to the organization of the
festival. I was very impressed to see the discipline and sincerity
with which people worked to make this festival happen. When I arrived
at the festival area, I was glad to witness that many Americans had
come to see a giant replica of Turkey and taste 99 varieties of
Anatolian cuisine.
The organizing committee had worked day and night to come up with a
spectacular event. As I entered the festival area and went through the
Hittite, Urartian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Turkish gates,
I realized that visual elements play an important role in human
memory. It was a really interesting experience for me to understand
once again miles from home that we come from a very rich historic
background and that this is a very precious asset.
The giant replicas of Ephesus Theater, Sümela Monastery, Mardin,
Cappadocia, the House of the Virgin Mary, Zeugma, the Double Minarets
Madrasa, Topkapı Palace and the Fountain of Ahmet III -- located at
the very center of the festival area and offering different drinks
from its faucets -- all took people through a time tunnel. What
impressed me the most was Akhtamar Church. After years of neglect,
this church had been renovated and reopened to visitors, and I had
attended the opening ceremony in Van, feeling happy for the ongoing
change in Turkey. We Armenians have a painful past. We were not only
dispersed around the world as the diaspora, but those who remained in
Turkey are also treated like foreigners in their home country. Those
who have long carried their identity, religion, race and language as a
dangerous burden can really appreciate the beginning of this change in
the state's mentality.
Now, we have the opportunity to exhibit our rich culture in the
biggest state of the world's mightiest country. I believe that we have
a right to understand that it is an asset to live together, stand
together, cherish our differences and enjoy this awareness. Not long
ago, we would have to whisper to each other in Armenian and we would
have concealed our true names. This festival was a good testimony of
the big change in Turkey. Thank you to everyone who contributed to
make this happen. I will pen my other observations later.
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=316196