Turkish treasure hunters target Armenian church, cemetery

October 14, 2016 By administrator

treasure-hunters Turkish treasure hunters have targeted the Surp Mariam Astvatsatsin Armenian church in the village of Kovanli of Bitlis province, Ermenihaber.am reports citing the head of the Armenian minority union, Aziz Dagci.

According to him, holes with up to 3m depth have been found near the church and the adjacent cemetery. Similar barbarisms were previously perpetrated in certain areas of Mush and Sassoun.

According to Dagci, the treasure hunters sought to find gold and historical valuables from the church and the cemetery, which belong to the Armenian community of Turkey.

Armenian church in Turkey under treasure hunters’ target

January 20, 2016 By administrator

An Armenian church in Turkey’s northeast has been reduced to ruins because of a hole dug by treasure hunters.
Left to the mercy of fate, the St Astvatsatsin church of Erzincan (historical Armenian Yerznka) is now under treasure hunters’ target, the Turkish-Armenian publication Agos reports.
Efforts have now been undertaken towards protecting the historical site.
A resident of the village, Tolga Gurun, has called attention to the problem, saying that the church has been under spotlight since the robbery of its icons five years ago.
The local authorities had earlier issued an instruction for rebuilding the church, but no steps were taken after the regional governor’s replacement.
Recent studies revealed signs of collapse on the building’s second floor. Earlier reports suggested that the church would resume its original image after the renovation.

The Armenian Church mcho Arakelots the Mush region (Turkey) Turkish victim treasure hunters …

May 26, 2015 By administrator

The Armenian Church of Arakelots monastery (Holy Apostles) of Mush (Western Armenia, now Turkey) continues to deteriorate, victim Turks treasure hunters. According to the Turkish newspaper Milliyet, the last monastery church mcho Arakelots located near the town of Arak in the province of Mush is half destroyed, with box gold diggers or “treasure of the Armenians” who dug in the church basement and the walls threaten to collapse. They also dug under Armenian graves.

Arakelots had significant meaning for Armenians. He said that 23 graves were desecrated and that, even inside the church a large hole had been dug. He also filed a complaint against theft of materials of the Armenian Church, including outdoor ornamental stones.

Krikor Amirzayan