Over the decades, the destruction of Armenian monuments in Western Armenia (now known under the geopolitical term and name Eastern Anatolia) hasn’t been carried out too actively. However, the increasing number of mentions of such actions in Armenian and other media allows us to conclude that their scope has expanded quite a bit.
Both Turks and Kurds actively partake in the elimination of the cultural heritage of Armenia in the territory of historical Armenia, which bears the traces of the indigenous presence of Armenians in the air itself. Today, Turks and Kurds try to enjoy the fame of Armenians for free.
The only place that is safe from this vandalism is the antique city of Ani, a former residence of Armenian kings. Ani was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 15, 2016, and now, the Turks cannot wipe out another testimony to ancient Armenian presence no matter how hard they try.
Throughout the rest of historical Armenia, Armenian cultural monuments and churches are now standing in poor condition, said the dean of the Faculty of History of Yerevan State University (YSU) Edik Minasyan.
“What we have seen has been unpromising. Some territories have been turned into pastures and bird markets. However, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, Ani is forcedly taken care of,” said Minasyan during the tour of Western Armenia, in which students from YSU participated. According to him, Turks destroy Armenian monuments in their search for treasures and gold.
