Turkey has launched a project to conserve an ancient Armenian cathedral and church in what is seen as a gesture of reconciliation toward its neighbor.
Turkey and Armenia have been locked in a bitter dispute for decades over the killings of Armenians in the last years of the Ottoman Empire. Efforts to normalize relations have been dealt a setback by the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Azerbaijan is a close ally of Turkey.
Turkey, however, says it is committed to improving ties with Armenia, and has already restored the 10th-century Akdamar church, perched on a rocky island in Lake Van in eastern Turkey. It has also allowed once-yearly worship at the site as a gesture to Armenia and its own ethnic Armenian minority.
Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay said Tuesday the new project was being launched in partnership with the World Monuments Fund to conserve the remains of the cathedral and the Church of the Holy Savior in Ani, 40 kilometers from the eastern Turkish city of Kars.
According to the New York-based World Monuments Fund, Ani - "one of the world´s great cities in the 10th century" - was once the site of hundreds of religious buildings, palaces, fortifications and other structures. Today it stands abandoned, and the remnants of its celebrated buildings are in a precarious state. The site, in an earthquake-prone area, has been listed on the World Monuments Watch since 1996.
"Ani, which is of global significance, presents particularly complicated challenges," Günay said. "We hope that giving new life to the remains of once-splendid buildings, such as the Ani Cathedral and church, will bring new economic opportunities to the region."
The Turkish government recently completed restoration of the Church of Tigran Honents´ and the Mosque of Manucehr, converted from a church by invading Selçuk Turks at Ani, which is situated right on the Turkish-Armenian border.
The area was long off-limits in a militarized zone, which has been gradually demilitarized since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Today, it attracts tourists from around the world. “The new conservation work will primarily aim to strengthen the Ani Cathedral and the Church of the Holy Savior against temblors,” said Bonnie Burnham, the president of WMF.
The culture minister did not say whether Turkey would also allow prayers at Ani once the restoration is complete.
Osman Kavala, head of the Anadolu Kültür, a non-governmental culture organization that helps coordinate the partnership with the WMF, said preparations for the actual restoration work are expected to cost $1 million lone. He said the restoration is likely to start as early as 2012 and is expected to take four years
Note : I hope this will help to build a good relationship based on understanding eachother with our neighbour.