PAGAN RITUAL HELD ON MOUNT NEMRUT
Daily Sabah, Turkey
July 4 2014
A group of 34 Armenian tourists held a religious ceremony after they
watched the sun rise over the spectacular Mount Nemrut in Adıyaman. As
a part of their Anatolia tour, the pagan tourists arrived to the
district of Kahta, where Mount Nemrut is located. The group climbed to
the top of the mountain reaching up to 2,606 meters. Armenian people
residing in Kahta accompanied the tourists.
The religious ceremony led by a priest known as a "kurm" started with
heating a number of knives in a special bowl. It ended in roughly an
hour after the rites were completed, and then the participants were
offered some tastes of traditional Armenian cuisine. In his statement
to reporters, tourist Gagik Hayrabetyan said Mount Nemrut and Van
province are two important sacred places for Armenian pagans. "For
us, Mount Nemrut symbolizes peace. We will continue our religious
ceremonies every year on this divine landscape," he said.
The group includes people from different professions such as
businessmen, authors, soldiers, doctors and musicians. The Armenian
tourists wished peace for all mankind. As one of the most popular
travel destinations, Mount Nemrut is the temple-tomb and house of
the gods built by the late Hellenistic King Antiochus I of Commagene.
http://www.dailysabah.com/travel/2014/07/05/pagan-ritual-held-on-mount-nemrut
Daily Sabah, Turkey
July 4 2014
A group of 34 Armenian tourists held a religious ceremony after they
watched the sun rise over the spectacular Mount Nemrut in Adıyaman. As
a part of their Anatolia tour, the pagan tourists arrived to the
district of Kahta, where Mount Nemrut is located. The group climbed to
the top of the mountain reaching up to 2,606 meters. Armenian people
residing in Kahta accompanied the tourists.
The religious ceremony led by a priest known as a "kurm" started with
heating a number of knives in a special bowl. It ended in roughly an
hour after the rites were completed, and then the participants were
offered some tastes of traditional Armenian cuisine. In his statement
to reporters, tourist Gagik Hayrabetyan said Mount Nemrut and Van
province are two important sacred places for Armenian pagans. "For
us, Mount Nemrut symbolizes peace. We will continue our religious
ceremonies every year on this divine landscape," he said.
The group includes people from different professions such as
businessmen, authors, soldiers, doctors and musicians. The Armenian
tourists wished peace for all mankind. As one of the most popular
travel destinations, Mount Nemrut is the temple-tomb and house of
the gods built by the late Hellenistic King Antiochus I of Commagene.
http://www.dailysabah.com/travel/2014/07/05/pagan-ritual-held-on-mount-nemrut