28/03/2015 13:55
Groundbreaking conference at Columbia University highlights monuments and memory, ancient city of Ani
Scholars from around the world participated in an in-depth and timely academic conference, “Monuments and Memory,” focusing on buildings and material culture in the aftermath of mass violence, with a special consideration on the ruins of the medieval city of Ani in eastern Turkey, at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs in a standing-room only event spearheaded by Professors Peter Balakian and Rachel Goshgarian, Massis Post reports.
Focusing on Grigoris Balakian’s “The Ruins of Ani” published in 1910, Peter Balakian, Donald M. Constance H. Rebar Professor of the Humanities at Colgate University discussed the history of Ani depicted in G. Balakian’s book, which he said shed light on Armenian intellectual thinking of the time. According to G. Balakian, the churches of Ani were foundations of gothic architecture in Europe and were of the highest artistic merit. Peter Balakian noted that Ani is today a place of cultural destruction and Turkey needs to tend to this issue, which could be the beginning of some restitution.
Rachel Goshgarian, Assistant Professor of History at Lafayette College, spoke about Armenian structures and the people who lived or are living with them in and around Ani. She noted that the Kars Church remains in the center of the city but it was converted into a mosque very early on while other area monuments have been neglected, destroyed or repurposed.
The World Monument Fund, a New York-based non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting endangered ancient and historic sites around the world, is working with the Turkish Ministry of Culture to encourage more attention be paid to these Armenian monuments.