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Suren Danielyan, Acting Head of the Chair of New and Modern Armenian Literature and its Teaching Methods, Director of the “Spyurk” (Diaspora) Scientific-Educational Center, and Knarik Abrahamyan, Associate Professor at the same Chair and research fellow of the center, were in Polis (Istanbul, used by Armenians and derived from the ending of the historical name of the city Constantinople) for a five-day visit.
The visit was organized by His Beatitude Archbishop Sahak Mashalian, Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, on the eve of the Feast of the Holy Translators and Culture Week. The ASPU representatives also participated in the presentation of the collection of the conference entitled “Istanbul-Armenian Literature from the Middle of the Twentieth Century to Our Days.” The conference was organized jointly by the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Association and ASPU earlier this year.
The ASPU delegation was received by Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople Sahak Mashalian. The guests thanked the Patriarch for the invitation and discussed issues related to the use and teaching of Eastern and Western Armenian. Sahak Mashalian said that the Culture Week should be celebrated properly and in due order, that’s why he has invited scientists this year.
Accompanied by priest Hovakim Serovbian, the guests visited the Patriarch Museum after Hovhannes Kolot, and were received by Roper Hattechyan, editor-in-chief of Constantinople-based “Marmara” Armenian daily. An interesting conversation took place between the teacher-writer and the literary commentator-students. The meeting was also attended by the writer's sons - Ari and Ayg Hattechyan, intellectual Aram Gampurian, deputy editor of the newspaper Makruhi Hakobian, current deputy editor Naira Suzme, master of recitation Silva Komikyan, intellectual Mariam Trameryan. The guests also visited the editorial office of "Marmara" daily, where they discussed the history of the Armenian press, the difficulties and challenges faced.
A visit was also organized to the Kedronakan (Central), Esayan, Surb Khach (Holy Cross) Dprevank and Sahakyan-Nunyan colleges.
The participants agreed that the local Armenian community and Armenian school are facing difficult challenges and hard times. Armenian is only used in the school located next to the Armenian church, just in the courtyard, and that very school is the pulse of Armenian cultural preservation. In that context, Suren Danielyan emphasized ASPU’s efforts, especially within the framework of master's degree programs.
The guests also visited the cemetery at Scutari, the graves of Petros Durian, Mateos Zarifian, Retheos Perperian, Hovhannes Hindlian, the mausoleum of the Palyan family, the museum of the Saint Savior National Hospital, where they got acquainted with the spiritual and secular life of the local Armenians.
Later on, they participated in the presentation of the materials of the conference entitled “Istanbul-Armenian Literature from the Middle of the Twentieth Century to Our Days.” The event was also attended by Levon Zekiyan, Armenian Catholic Archeparch of Istanbul and clergymen, as well as participants of training courses for Diaspora Armenian teachers organized by the ASPU "Diaspora" center in different years.
The ASPU delegates thanked the Patriarch for the invitation and expressed hope that more effective events of the same format will be organized in the future.
