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Pilgrimage in Anatolia and Armenia

 Pilgrimage in Anatolia and Armenia

The writer of this article, Miss Burcu Gultekin, is a Ph.D. student working on her thesis. She traveled with the Diocesan pilgrimage to historic Armenia and submitted the following day-to-day account of the trip.The pilgrimage in Anatolia and Armenia is the outcome of the process initiated by the Turkish Armenian Business Development Council (TABDC) and the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America two years ago.We are all happier because this historical trip takes place in 2001. 150 US Armenian pilgrims arrived in Istanbul on June 5. The pilgrims traveled in the footsteps of Saint Gregory, across southeastern and eastern Anatolia before going to Yerevan.

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June 7: Morning

The plane carrying the 150 pilgrims from Istanbul to Kayseri has just landed TABDC has planned to travel with the 4th group. We are about 80 people and we will travel in two buses. The first stop is Malatya; the next stops are Arapkir, Elazig, Mush, Diyarbakyr, Bitlis, Van, Dogubeyazyt, Igdyr and Kars. We will leave our friends at the Turkish-Armenian border. My purpose is to share our feelings with you. I will do my best to avoid any comment and just try to bring to you the very moments full of emotions. I invite all of you to cross Anatolia from Kayseri to Kars with our Armenian pilgrim friends.

June 7: Arrival in Kayseri, visit to Cappadocia

A full-day visit to Cappadocia. Saint Gregory started his long journey from Caesarea. The national and regional media are waiting for us: TABDC was convinced that such an important event as our pilgrimage in Anatolia has to be given media coverage. Nevertheless we didn’t expect the media to pay such great attention to us. This attention by the media makes everyone feel even more responsible: it has become impossible for us to act as tourists even in such a place as Cappadocia: We are very well aware of our mission from the very beginning of the trip. The TV journalists have joined us in our visit to Cappadocia. Armen, Lusine and Father Vertanes Kalayjian are very much at ease when speaking in front of the TV cameras. The journalists can’t hide their surprise when they hear some of our friends expressing themselves in Turkish. 97-year-old Lusine tells us about her life story: She lives in Philadelphia. Her family left Gaziantep and went to Aleppo when she was 9 months old. The reason she took part in this trip? “My mother, father and I were born in Antep. I have never been to Antep yet. I would like to go and see, if I go to Antep I can see if any Armenians still live there.” She adds that arguing about the past won’t bring anything to either Turks or Armenians. Father Kalayjian’s family comes from Kilis, he spent his childhood in Hatay. Father Kalayjian feels very sorry that his Turkish is so poor: “I know that my Turkish is not that polite!”. Armen tells us about the importance of this trip: “We have been separated from our roots. Turkey has been a forbidden land for all of us for a very long time. Today, the political changes open new windows of opportunity. To come and see the country, to meet the people of the country…when you go back, you are a different person. It becomes quite impossible to hate a person that you know and to whom you feel that much close.” Some of us are from a small village called Tomarza. Being in Kayseri and being so close to the village where their parents came from and not going there is not possible! The governor of Tomarza welcomes the group and allows them to hold a religious service in the old church.

June 8: Morning in Kayseri

It is 8:30 a.m. and we have to leave early to be on time at the religious services in the Armenian church of Kayseri. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, who arrived in Istanbul the day before, is going to lead the ceremony. The Patriarch of Istanbul is also in Kayseri to take part in the services. The warm welcoming messages of the governor and mayor of Kayseri open the services. Some Armenians from Istanbul have decided to come to Kayseri on this special day. I can’t take my eyes off the man standing next to me: he seems very much touched by the ceremony and he is not in our group. I go up to him and ask where he is from. He says he lives in Istanbul and that his family was from Marash and adds that he has never been to Anatolia before: “If only you could understand what this ceremony means to me!” He is right, I wouldn’t have imagined that it could have been so exceptional for someone living in Istanbul to come and pray in a church in Kayseri. A family, which is apparently Muslim, has been following the ceremony from the very beginning. They explain to me that their daughter is sick and that they would like the priest to bless her. The father of the girl, who has been listening to the religious services in Armenian, suddenly looks at me and says: “How great it would be to speak several languages!” The service is about to end. In the garden, two young women have come with the same request: they are also waiting for the priest to bless them. Two of our group, speaking fluent Turkish, take them by the hand and introduce them to the priest. I go up to three men standing next to the entrance and ask them if they live in Kayseri. Yes, they are from Kayseri: “I haven’t been in this church for a very long time, it has changed a lot. It’s so beautiful. There is usually no religious service in this church. We heard that some visitors were coming and we wanted to see them,” one of them explains to me. I start giving them some information about our trip. A man who has kept silent wants to know if anyone of us speaks German: “I speak German very well,” he adds and goes on welcoming us in German. Two Armenians from Istanbul and one from California, standing next to me, get into conversation with us. They say that their parents were born in Kayseri. I take a step back and listen to them carefully: “Do you know our Hagop?” is the way the conversation starts. In a few minutes, they come up with a long list of mutual friends. As the three men are about to leave, one of them turns to me and whispers: “What you are doing is very important, please go on and bring us more guests!” I have no time to answer while watching him leave. I look around and see Nita and her husband: “Do you speak German?” I ask them. I am so touched. Nita holds my hand: “You will always be with me and you will be my translator. My father was born in Kayseri,” she bursts into tears. “I am sorry, don’t worry, I am all right.” The buses leave Kayseri, the next stop is Malatya.

June 8: On the way to Malatya

Malatya is 220 miles from Kayseri. One of the travelers wants to know if someone will have any objection if we go to Van via Diyarbakyr instead of Mush. A 70-year-old lady stands up and tries to speak as loudly as she can with a trembling voice: “No, it’s impossible! My father was from Mush, it’s the only reason why I decided to come. I will go on foot to Mush, if I have to!” Exclamations! An Armenian church on the left side…but unfortunately not enough time to stop… The lahmajun shopkeepers and the apricot sellers can’t believe their ears as they hear our friends speaking Turkish with a regional accent: “They are not tourists!” they exclaim. We are in Malatya. Two young boys working in the reception area of the hotel are talking with a 60-year-old woman who lives in Boston. “Teyze sen nerelisin?” (Where do you come from, aunt?) They learn that she was born in Marash. “Is there anyone from Malatya in the group?” they ask and the conversation goes on. The president of the Industrialists and Businessmen Association of Malatya welcomes us at the restaurant where we are to have dinner. Those who are from Malatya want to take a picture with the president. Before leaving, the president repeats that he wants all of us to come again to Malatya and stay longer. Tomorrow, we will leave at 8:00 a.m. The next stop is Arapkir.

June 9: Morning

We will leave Malatya after the religious service. The church was built in the 18th century. Someone raises the issue of renovation and makes a call to the Diaspora: “We have to take the first step, let’s collect some money among us.” The services start. I am wondering when the last time was that so many people have gathered in this church, and the last time Gregorian chants have resonated. Everything is suddenly so intense that it becomes even difficult to breathe. I am wondering why I am so upset and I realize that many are about to burst into tears and others cannot even wait for the end of the services, the pain has just become unbearable. I realize that I have begun to share the pain: no need to understand, feelings seem enough…The children of the district are listening to the services carefully. We want to buy some refreshments. The shopkeeper, an old lady, says: “My grandmother also belonged to them [Armenians].” There is a monastery on the road to Arapkir. After a 10-minute walk we reach the monastery. The view is amazing, but we are so moved by what is left from the monastery that we can hardly contemplate the nature. The monastery is falling into ruins. We are trying to pull pieces of the wreck from the front of the monastery, and to pick up the stones obstructing the entrance. “OK, one last piece and we will have finished the restoration,” one of us says. The bus makes a last stop near a hotel. The regional press is here. They are very much interested and they do their best to be helpful. We are told that there is an Armenian church and an old cemetery in the surroundings.

June 9: Afternoon: Arapkir

Our arrival is a real event in the daily life of the village. Lunch gives us a good opportunity to converse with the villagers. They seem very much interested in those of us fluent in Turkish. I realize that there are more and more people speaking Turkish in the group. The villagers would like to know if there is anyone from Arapkir. When we answer “yes, there is,” the elder ones seem very much moved. An old man remembers his youth, the time when the population of the village was half-Turkish and half-Armenian. He has tears in his eyes. A past, which is still alive. We wonder if anyone knows Abp. Khajag Barsamian, who was born in Arapkir in 1951. Everyone tries to identify the Barsamian family. Two Armenian families are still living in Arapkir, but there is no doubt that the most famous Armenian of Arapkir is Sarkis. Sarkis is 90 years old; he lives in a beautiful house. Sarkis and his friend Hovsep are so happy and excited when they see us! This excitement doesn’t make him forget the basic rules of hospitality. He wants us to have lunch. ” No, Sarkis, we’ve just come to meet you, and, don’t worry, no host could have entertained 80 guests, especially in case of a surprise visit!” We are all in the garden. No barriers separate the past from the present anymore. Sarkis’s neighbors come to meet us. I hear one of the three policemen in civilian clothes saying to Sarkis: “It must be a happy day for you, Sarkis; look, you have so many guests!” Raffi and I start talking with the neighbors. I realize for the first time how good Raffi’s Turkish is. “I am also from Arapkir. The last time I came here I was 17, it was for my sister’s wedding,” says Raffi. A few questions are enough to refresh the neighborhood relations…Everything proves to be so easy… Sarkis is singing with the group. Emotions keep growing and it becomes so hard to fight against tears. “What is happening is really incredible!” I agree with my friend. We say goodbye to Sarkis. I have the feeling that the whole population of Arapkir is waiting for us near the buses. “You want all of you to come back, and stay longer.” I am doing my best to answer the questions of the regional press and the children of the village, but the bus is leaving, I promise them that I will come again with the whole group, and I start running to catch the bus.

June 9: Evening: Harput

We are in Harput. There is nothing left from either the famous Protestant school of Harput, or from the old Armenian district. One of the two women we have been talking with says: “I used to live in Elazig in an Armenian house; if you wish, we can go and see it.” An old lady sitting in front of a house is crying. She explains in Turkish that she was born in Harput, her family left Harput and went to Aleppo when she was 10. She remembers every detail, the house which is behind us, the steep street on the left. “The government said that the border was open, we left everything behind us, we didn’t even take a dress,” she adds. A 40-year-old man is picking up some soil. His father was from Harput, so he would like to put the soil on his father’s grave. He reminds me of a man who was traveling with his godfather’s ashes, to take them to Tokat, his godfather’s birthplace.

June 9: Evening: Elazig

An academic from Fyrat University and the members of the Young Businessmen Association of Elazig are attending our dinner. The group starts singing Armenian songs. I am listening to the academic from Fyrat University speaking with the one who certainly knows Anatolia the best in our group. They are making a list of words with an Armenian etymology and that are used in the region.Tomorrow, we will be divided into two groups. One bus will go to Van via Mush and the other one via Diyarbakyr. There are people from Diyarbakyr and from Mush. TABDC will be with those going to Mush.

June 10: Morning: Palu

Upon the insistence of a few persons from Palu, the bus stops here for half an hour. There is a woman among us who is looking for her aunt. When her mother was 10, she became separated from her sister who remained in Palu. The villagers are very helpful. They take us to the place of an old lady. Unfortunately, she can’t help us; she’s just told us that her mother was Armenian, had been found in a garden and adopted by a Turkish family. We thank her and the bus leaves Palu.

June 10: On the road to Mush

A small group of 20 persons wants to go and see the old monastery located in a small village near Mush. Our minibus is surrounded by the children of the village. They are surprised when I tell them that I am Turkish. The monastery that they were expecting to see was one of the holiest places after Etchmiadzin, but there is nearly nothing left of it except a few remnants. We notice that a few stones from the monastery have been incorporated in some houses of the village, as building blocks. The beauty of the road between Bitlis and Van helps us forget our bitterness .

June 11: Van – Akdamar (Aghtamar)

We plan to go to the island of Akdamar just after lunch. Three small boats are waiting for us. The weather is sunny, we are getting closer to the island. We are waiting impatiently for the moment when the Akdamar church will be visible. Finally! The captain of the boat tells us not to stand up to take pictures…It is the most impressive Armenian monument that I have ever seen. I am with the first group entering the church. Impossible to stay put! After the first shock, a long silence…Difficult to find the right words, too many emotions, impossible to utter the slightest words. I move slowly at a corner and watch those who are following us. No one can hide emotions, even the priest seems strained before the office. Candles are being lit by trembling hands. The religious service is over. No one wants to hurry up. Some people go for a walk around the island; others prefer to carefully examine every detail of the church. It’s time to go back to the boat. On the way, many come to me and speak in a low voice, as if they would like to tell me some secret. I pick up the same words and expressions: “I can’t believe that I am here!” “I never thought I could come here one day!” “After having seen it for such a long time on posters, finally!” “I have studied Armenian history at school. I have been dreaming of Akdamar. I never thought I could have the opportunity to see it one day. We are living a miracle! It’s part of our identity, that’s why there are so many emotions, it’s such a special day for us!”…

June 12: Morning: On the road to Kars

We are about to leave Van to go to Kars via Dogubeyazyt and Igdyr. The hotel is on the Van lakeside. I see a woman with a bottle walking toward the lake. Barbara is a playwright. She has written a play about Lake Van, it is the first time she saw the lake, she will bring the bottle to her studio. Barbara didn’t want to come to Turkey because she was totally indifferent to Turkey, the country just didn’t exist for her. Her brother wanted her to come with him. The bus is leaving. We are getting closer to Dogubeyazyt. I know that Mt. Ararat is not very far away. It is sunny and we can easily see both of the peaks! Finally the buses stop and then a big rush… We are in a meadow. I have never been so close to Ararat before. I realize that some in the group are seeing Ararat for the first time; others are seeing it for the first time from this side. Those who live in Armenia are convinced that the side of the mountain that we are contemplating isn’t that impressive. We cannot make up our minds and do not want to choose between the two sides. We are having lunch in a restaurant with a view of Ararat. We are just happy, eating and singing. “These are songs that we usually sing at the table,” explains a friend sitting next to me. For sure, the setting is just perfect! We are driving north. Armenia is a few miles away. We can see Yerevan. We are near Digor. Arpachay River separates us from Armenian villages.

June 12: Evening: Kars

A very special welcome at Kars! The mayor of Kars joins us for dinner. The regional and national media is also waiting for us at the hotel. The mayor has invited the Caucasus folk dancers of Kars. We realize that it’s very hard to find any differences between Turkish and Armenian folk dancing. The mayor proposes to go and plant trees for brotherhood on the way to Ani. The proposal is immediately accepted.

June 13: Morning: Ani

The last day in Turkey. We have special permission: for the first time there will be an Armenian Airlines flight connection between Kars and Yerevan. Flying time 15-20 minutes! Arrival at Ani brings a huge disappointment! We won’t be allowed to take any pictures and the religious service is also forbidden, because Ani is on the border in the military zone. TABDC tries to negotiate; communication with Ankara is very bad. And finally the long- awaited answer: we will be allowed to take a group picture and to hold church services in the cathedral! These services have become very meaningful even to me. They give life to old monuments, a kind of a new revival and a way to immortalize each and every special moment and the emotions that we share that bind us. And the local population usually pays much attention to these services. After the ceremony, there is a gathering in front of the cathedral for a group picture. The picture is to be published in the daily newspaper, Milliyet, on the 14th of June . Back to the buses and last destination: Kars airport.

June 13: Kars Airport

The mayor of Kars and high representatives from the security department are at the airport. The four groups, after traveling around Anatolia, meet at the airport; it is a historical day for the small airport of Kars. Unfortunately TABDC won’t go to Armenia with the group. We are on the take-off strip, near the plane. Difficult to keep cool. This event was definitely not a touristic trip, nor a traditional pilgrimage. We are all very well aware that the event has far-reaching implications: we have all been actors and missionaries. It took a certain amount of courage for all of us: our success is the result of this joint endeavor. We would like to show our gratitude especially to the Diocese of the Armenian Church. Our aim is, by contributing to the development of both Anatolia and Armenia, to raise awareness of the diversity of Anatolia, to help to acknowledge the existence of an Armenian past in Anatolia, and to send positive messages to Armenia, Turkey and to the Diaspora. We will encounter many hindrances. However, I will always remember the very last words of a friend, who had never accepted to talk with a Turk before this pilgrimage tour. He kisses me, says goodbye and adds: “Only you, you can do something. We, we are too emotional!”

News Source:  By Burcu Gultekin TABDC – Europe Coordinator – June.5.2001

05.06.2001

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