“Why Don’t You Admit That Sultanahmet, Dolmabahçe, and Akdamar Have Been Built By An Armenian Architect?” – Garo Paylan

“Why does Turkey deny that an Armenian architect has built the Dolmabahçe Palace?” Garo Paylan

Garo Paylan, a member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (the Turkish parliament) from the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party, recently participated in parliament’s discussions on the budget of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

According to Ermenihaber, Paylan, referring to the Armenian cultural heritage of Turkey, stressed that the appropriated culture is presented improperly.

“Why don’t you say that Dolmabahçe Palace and Akhtamar are ours? While studying at the college, we were taken on an excursion to Dolmabahçe, and the guide said that ‘the palace was built by Italian architect Baliani.’ I believed it but returned to the college and found out that the palace was built by Armenian architect Karapet Balyan.

Can you imagine, a perception exists where an Italian architect is preferable to an Armenian! In many places in Istanbul, the handwriting of the eminent Balyan family has been left.

Why do you deny it? Why don’t you admit that Sultanahmet, Dolmabahçe, and Akdamar were built by our, Armenian architects?” said Paylan.

Ermenihaber