Surp Guiragós, antiguo templo de Dikranaguerd

Primera iglesia recuperada por los armenios de Turquía Ereván (Hetq).- Se organizarán una serie de eventos para obtener fondos en las comunidades armenias de América y Europa con el objetivo lograr la reconstrucción de la Iglesia Armenia Apostólica Surp Guiragós de Diarbekir (Dikranaguerd) en Turquía. Aunque seriamente dañada y en ruinas, la antigua iglesia armenia tratará ser recuperada merced a un ambicioso proyecto de reconstrucción que fuera lanzado en 2009 por el Patriarca armenio de Estambul. Debe tenerse en cuenta que de más de dos mil quinientas iglesias y monasterios armenios existentes antes de 1915, este templo es el más antiguo de los que quedan de pie en la región de Anatolia. A pesar de que ya no hay armenios en Diarbekir, el Patriarcado armenio de Estambul y la Fundación encargada del proyecto de reconstrucción, planean organizar peregrinaciones durante las fiestas religiosas que los armenios de Estambul y el extranjero visiten la iglesia y asistan a la Santa Misa celebrada por los clérigos armenios que acompañen a los peregrinos. De acuerdo a inscripciones encontradas en las paredes de la iglesia, la primera construcción data de los años 1515-1518 y fue restaurada en 1722 por el Patriarca Bedrós. En 1881 se declaró un gran incendio en Surp Guiragós que destruyó la iglesia casi por completo. Fue reconstruida nuevamente en 1883 con siete altares y un gran espacio físico capaz de albergar a la gran población armenia de la región. Luego de la fundación de la República de Turquía en 1923, Surp Guiragós fue utilizada como un depósito de mercancías textiles y posteriormente a pesar de los esfuerzos que hizo la comunidad armenia de Diarbekir para no perder la iglesia, esta comenzó a deteriorarse gravemente. En 2009 un grupo de armenios nacidos en Diarbekir residentes en Estambul, crearon una fundación bajo los auspicios del Patriarcado Armenio de Estambul, con el objetivo de reconstruir la iglesia, así como iniciar el proceso legal que les permita reclamar la titularidad de la Iglesia y la importante fracción de tierra colindante. Como el templo es considerado un edificio histórico, fue necesario recrear las características de la construcción original. Con el apoyo y asesoramiento de prominentes arquitectos, se prepararon los planos de reconstrucción y se obtuvieron los permisos necesarios para comenzar los trabajos en el otoño de 2009. El gobierno local proporcionó cooperación y apoyo financiero parcial, porque los funcionarios turcos están convencidos de que una vez que Surp Guiragós sea recuperada se transformará en una importante atracción histórica y turística. El proyecto de reconstrucción alcanza a los dos millones y medio de dólares. En tanto, la Fundación logró la devolución de algunas tierras pertenecientes a la iglesia. El reintegro de la titularidad fue posible merced a cambios registrados en los últimos años en la legislación turca y permite en la actualidad obtener ingresos en concepto de alquileres que permiten incrementar el fondo de reconstrucción. A pesar de que el proceso legal para completar el reintegro de las propiedades adyacentes a la iglesia, la Fundación tiene esperanzas en que finalmente el proceso pueda ser concluido con éxito. A diferencia de una o dos iglesias restauradas por el gobierno turco y convertidas en museo, Surp Guiragós será el primer templo restaurado como iglesia armenia por el pueblo armenio para el pueblo armenio.

Fuente: Diario Armenia

Archbishop Dirair Mardikian Enters his Eternal Rest

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services May 11, 2010 12:15 PM

It is with profound sorrow that we inform our faithful that on the morning of May 11, His Eminence Archbishop Dirair Mardikian, Primate of the Armenian Dioceses of Romania and Bulgaria, entered his eternal rest in Sofia, Bulgaria. He was one of the senior members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin and a devoted servant of the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church. His Eminence was 80 years old.

His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Church and the clergy deeply mourn the loss of Archbishop Dirair Mardikian.

Blessed be the memory of the righteous.

ARCHBISHOP DIRAIR MARDIKIAN

Archbishop Dirair Mardikian (baptismal name Dikran) was born on 24 May 1930 in Beirut, Lebanon. He received his advanced education in the Sahakian and Abgarian Colleges of Beirut.

He was a student at the Jarangavoratz Theological Seminary at the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem from 1944 to 1947. In 1947 he immigrated to Armenia with his parents and settled in Yerevan. The same year he enrolled in the Institute of Foreign Languages of Yerevan, attending courses in the Department of English Language. He left the Institute and entered the Gevorkian Seminary at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. He was ordained to the diaconate on November 1, 1951. In 1952 he graduated from the Seminary with honors and was appointed as the Secretary of the Seminary. During his student years in both Jerusalem and Etchmiadzin, he excelled in his studies.

He was ordained as a celibate priest in April, 1955 in the St. Hripsime Church in Vagharshapat by His Grace Bishop Sahak Der-Hovhannisian, and given the priestly name of Dirair. After his ordination, he was appointed to serve as the Armenian spiritual pastor of Baku, Azerbaijan and served as the secretary of the Diocesan Council.

In October of 1956 he received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet) in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, by the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Vasken I, of Blessed Memory.

He also defended his final theses on the subject "The Idea of Peace in the Old Armenian Literature".

In 1957 he was appointed as the Primate Vicar of the Armenian Diocese of Azerbaijan.

In 1958, by the order of His Holiness Vasken I, he paid a pastoral visit to the Armenian Dioceses of Romania and Bulgaria. In the autumn of the same year he was elected the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Azerbaijan. He served in this position up until to 1960. In 1960 he was elected to serve as the Primate of the Armenian Dioceses of Romania and Bulgaria and holds that honorable position up to the present day.

In October of 1964 he was presented with the order of "Astgh" ("Star") and later 7 other orders. He has also been presented with a high order by The World Peace Council.

On November 29, 1964 he was consecrated as a Bishop by His Holiness Vasken I. In February of 1980 he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop by the Pontifical Encyclical of His Holiness Vasken I.

These accomplishments reflect the rich and meaningful social significance of His Eminence’s life and activity.

Notwithstanding his relatively young age, his first spiritual-administrative experience as the religious leader of the Armenians of Azerbaijan, Nagorno Kharabakh and Nakhichevan was both fulfilling and successful.

The inner spiritual-ritual church life was completely reorganized, the number of clergy increased, churches were furnished with choirs, and the number of people attending churches multiplied due to the consideration of Sheikh-Ul-Islam and the Ministry of Religious Affairs. During this time, the spirit of the Armenian Church flourished in this region.

These accomplishments were noted by His Holiness Vasken I, who subsequently sent Archbishop Dirair Mardikian to Romania and Bulgaria at first as a pastoral visitor and later as a Primate of the Armenian Dioceses of the above mentioned countries.



http://www.armenianchurch.org/index.jsp?sid=3&nid=1531&y=2010&m=4&d=11