Saving Anatolia’s Armenian Heritage
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As an Armenian American who has visited Anatolia, Turkey, I enjoyed Susan James’ article “Anatolia, Where the Past Is the Present” (Aug. 11).
Many Armenian Americans trace their ancestry to these areas, which were populated by Armenians for 2,500 years until 1915.
The claim that Anatolia is an open-air museum is correct, at least for now. The Turkish government has a terrible record of protecting its non-Turkic antiquities.
At the turn of the last century, there were more than 2,000 Armenian churches and antiquities in the area. According to an article by Dickran Kouymjian of Cal State Fresno, between 1915 and 1923 about 1,000 Armenian churches and monasteries were destroyed; many others were converted into mosques and barns, used as targets for military practice or left to decay.
James’ article may help Turkey care for all of its historic past.
ARAM BARSOUMIAN
Glendale
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