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Akhtamar Church, Lake Van, Turkey
Akhtamar Church on the Island of Lake Van before the church restoration.
A close-up of the church.
Church with view of Lake Van. 
Details of the Church. 
Detail of Church's dire condition. 
The deteriorating roof, 2004. 
The Cultural Landscape surrounding Akhtamar Church in need of protection. 
A detail of restoration work in progress, 2005. 
Restoration in full swing, 2005.
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SACRED SITE The Akhtamar Church, on a small island in the middle of Lake Van in Eastern Turkey, could not be more dramatically situated. A Monastery supported the 10th Century Church Complex until it was abandoned in the 19th Century, leaving it to the inevitable ravages of time and the elements. Built by Architect Bishop Manuel in 915-921 and dedicated to the "Holy Cross" the church of Akhtamar was erected during the reign of King Gagik I of Vaspurakan. The unique cathedral is considered a benchmark for scholars in the study of the development of Armenian architecture. Armenian architecture of this period was the inspiration for the Gothic style that later developed in Europe. The crusaders, on their way to liberate Jerusalem from the infidels who occupied the Holy City there, traveled through Christian Armenia, which, at the time, was probably the most advanced civilization in the world. Armenians were the first nation to convert to Christianity and they developed a style of church and cathedral building that, with the aid of the flying buttresses, withstood the frequent earthquakes of the region. The crusaders returned to Europe with models of these amazing structures. The rest is history but the origins are not. GOAL The Landmarks Foundation's first goal was to ensure that the Church of Akhtamar itself be saved. Our second goal is to ensure that the surrounding cultural landscape receive the necessary funds for beautification and preservation. With help from our colleagues internationally, including the efforts of the Historical Heritage Protection Foundation of Istanbul, the Church restoration began in 2005. The protection of the cultural landscape surrounding the Akhtamar Church is now our primary focus. Unfortunately, as is often the case, the cultural landscape and environs were not considered in the government tender so it remains for the Landmarks Foundation to raise these funds and provide the necessary expertise. Surprisingly, no funds have been forthcoming from American-Armenian sources. Although originally Ottoman territory, and often fought over, the Armenian Press consistently refers to the area as "Occupied Southern Armenia." David Phillips noted, "The Church is a world famous example of the spectacular medieval Armenian ecclesiastical architecture. Its restoration will promote rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia particularly if Turkey agrees to open its border with Armenia allowing normal travel, trade, and tourism." ACTION In a stunning victory for preservation, Akhtamar, one of the worlds most remote and revered sacred monuments, has been saved! Decades of political wrangling had kept the structure from being maintained previously. The envelope of this historic building was beginning to fail. The stone conical roof was leaking badly and this was accelerating the decay of the interior. In April 2005, in a move that surprised all, the Ministry of Culture in Turkey allotted a generous 1.9 Million dollars for the stabilization and conservation of the Church. The contract was given to prominent local Kurdish contractor, Cahit Zeydanli. Zeydanli is working according to stringent international standards in conjunction with an advisory architect appointed by the Patriarch of the Armenian Church, His Beatitude Mesrob II, as well as prominent American and Turkish universities. "Armenian architects were consulted to ensure that Akhtamar's reconstruction meets international standards," added David L. Phillips who, with the help of the Landmarks Foundation, led a study at American University involving architects from around the world including Armenia. The Chairman of Istanbul's Historical Heritage Protection Foundation is the former Speaker of Parliament, Savit Osman Avci. The Speaker has been asserting political influence with the present Government. The Landmarks Foundation, together with the Historical Heritage Protection Foundation (TMKV), spearheaded this effort and are working closely with Mr. Zeydanli, the local contractor. An Advisory Board organized by the Landmarks Foundation and the Historical Heritage Protection Foundation consists of archeology and fresco experts as well as Frank Matero, Chair of Historic Preservation at the University of Pennsylvania and Dana Tomlin, Professor of Landscape Architecture and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) at the University of Pennsylvania and faculty at several Turkish Universities. "Cooperation among the University of Pennsylvania, Istanbul Technical University and Yuzuncu Yil University are an important component of this project," said Ms. Verkin Arioba, the Executive Director of the Historical Heritage Protection Foundation. The University of Pennsylvania, in conjunction with the Turkish Universities, will offer a course in which students will analyze opportunities and constraints for the utilization and protection of Akhtamar Island. The course will employ state-of-the-art information technology to document the existing site, to identify its vulnerabilities, to explore its potential, to make recommendations for its future and to anticipate the impact of those recommendations. Now that part one of our goal, to save the Akhtamar Church structure, has been completed, we are excited to work towards the second part of our goal, to protect the landscape surrounding the church. We are actively soliciting funds for this phase of the project. If you are interested in donating to this effort please contact the Landmarks Foundation. |