JOYFUL CULMINATION TO AN INSPIRING FIRST PILGRIMAGE primates office

PILGRIMS CONTINUE JOURNEYING HISTORIC ARMENIA

In the ruins of St Sarkis Church In Diyarbakir

It has been over a week now that 16 members of the Armenian parishes of St Sarkis, St Yeghiche and

Cardiff have joined the Primate, HG Bp Vahan Hovhanessian, in our diocesan first pilgrimage to Historic

Armenia. The pilgrims left last Friday to Istanbul where they stayed one night and continued their flight to

Kars, where it all began. Kars was the starting point of a pilgrimage that explored over 3000 kilometers of

driving. As of the date of the writing of this paragraph, the pilgrims have made it from Kars, to Van,

Akhtamar, Bitlis, Diyarbakir, Malatya, Ayntep, Adana and Kayseri. Led by Mr Armen Aroyan, the group

visited the Armenian neighborhoods, churches and schools of these cities. Whenever possible a requiem

service, Hokehankisd, was offered for the souls of the residents and martyrs from that village or city. A

commentary on the background, history and Armenian population of that location, prior to the Genocide,

helped enrich the experience of the pilgrims. In the next issue of the E-Newsletter, we will focus on the

various villages and cities visited by the pilgrims with a brief description of the agenda of the pilgrims, who

are expected to return to London on, Sunday, 13 October.

Armenian House near Cilicia converted to a motel

Saturday, 12 October, was the last night of the first Pilgrimage to historic Armenian cities and villages in

Historic Western Armenia (Eastern Turkey). Inspired by the experience of visiting the birthplaces of their

grandparents and great-grandparent, and learning more about these cradles of Western Armenianism, the

pilgrims spontaneously decided to stay late in the hotel lobby sipping tea/coffee or a glass of wine, and

discussing and reminiscing their beautiful experience of the past 9 days. Words led to a story; stories led to

a discussion; discussions led to a magnificent spontaneous sing-along performance of traditional Armenian

songs, around the piano in the café of the Hotel. The group sang and danced until 2:00AM the morning of

their departure back to London. This was the culmination of 3000 Kilometers of pilgrimage visiting Kars,

Ani, Van, Akhtamar, Bitlis, Farkin, Dyarbakir, Diktranagerd, Palu, Tepe, Malatya, Ayntep, Cilicia, Adana,

Kayseri and Cappadocia, and many smaller villages en route. Every historic Armenian city the pilgrims

stopped they offered a requiem prayer for the souls of the martyrs from that region and the victims of the

Genocide. Click here to read a special report   prepared   by   the   Primate’s   Office. If interested in

forthcoming pilgrimages organized  by  the  Primate’s  Office  please  call  0208  127  8364,  or  click here.

It was a dream-come-true to every one of us, the 16 participants of the First Armenian Church pilgrimage to the historic Armenian cities and villages in Eastern Turkey. Months prior to the date of the pilgrimage, the Primate’s Office, coordinating with Mr Armen Aroyan, tour guide, prepared a list of all the villages and cities where the pilgrims’ parents and grant-parents were born or were deported from. Based on this data the pilgrimage was designed with details and personal attention given to every tiny village or neighborhood on the 3000 kilometer path of the Pilgrimage. After a group prayer at Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport the pilgrims launched on the British Airways flight to Istanbul. The first stop of

the pilgrimage, after meeting with the two USA Armenian pilgrims, was the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul. There the group was received by HE Abp Aram Ateshian. Following His Eminence’s welcoming remarks, and our Primate’s expressions of thanks and gratitude, Aram Srpazan offered a brief review of the history of the Patriarchate and invited the group to take a tour of the Patriarchate complex. That afternoon was the beginning of the historic pilgrimage when the group took a flight to Kars. It was so inspiring to exit the airport and look at buses with signs indicating “Van”, “Ardahan” and other cities we grew up hearing

from our grandparent and their friends. A comfortable bus ride took the pilgrims through the old city of Kars including the Holy Apostles

Church, now used as a mosque, to the hotel. The journey in the following days continued through Ani, where the ruins of 5 churches and the cathedral stand while a mosque is being renovated, then Van where several walls of the old city churches still stand in a “valley of the shadow of death.” That evening the pilgrims travelled on boat to the fairy-tale-like island of Akhtamar and its Holy Cross Church, a beautiful crown on the top of the mountain dominating the island. Despite the regulations, and with tearful eyes, the pilgrims prayed and chanted the hymn Der Voghormya and Ee Vereen. Next day it was Bitlis, where a church

Ruins of the Church in Bitlis

converted to a cigarette warehouse is now locked. Thanks to the Mayor’s visit, however, we were able to enter the church building with trees

growing inside. The journey continued through Farkin and Dikranagerd where the group visited the newly renovated St Giragos Cathedral and its adjacent facilities, thanks to the efforts of benefactor Vartkes who greeted the group and offered a review of the history of the complex. From Dikranagerd it was Palu and Tepe and its surroundings. That night we made it to Malatya: a modern city with highways and buildings, thanks to the booming medical industry in that region. Next day, early morning we visited the Holy Trinity Church with its dome removed. Thanks to the Turkish language of our guide Armen & Bedros,