99 - all you should know about the Genocide April, 2014 | Page 90

But there is a truth which you do not realize the
first time that you visit Kars. This is the only city
in Western Armenia where you can still see the
Armenian past on its streets. The main structure,
with its strength and typical Armenian nature, which
does not allow the Armenian biography of this city to
be completely forgotten, is the Arakelots Monastery
of Kars. I do not give in to my feelings and cover up
my emotions, but it is very difficult to accept the
fact that you have to take off your shoes before you
enter the church and that there are carpets on the
floor inside. The bell tower had collapsed years ago.
The church functions as a mosque, but two newer
mosques have also been built right next to the
Arakelots Monastery, each bigger than the other,
as if holding this Armenian jewel in their arms. The
Arakelots Monastery is an imprisoned giant today,
surrounded by mosques, lying beneath the shadow
of the Turkish flag flying above the fortress.
One can visit the local history museum in the city,
next to which tourists are shown the famous Kars
train wagon, where the future of the Kars region
was decided in 1921. This is where Askanaz Mravian
and Poghos Makintsian, who represented the
Armenian SSR, lost Kars, Ardahan, Ardvin, Oltin,
Sarighamish, Surmalu and Nakhijevan forever. In
exchange, Turkey gave Batum to Georgia.
The house of Yeghishe Charents is still standing
in Kars, but it has no caretaker and is in a state of
half-ruin. There are several versions about where
Charents’ house is located. This one is the most
probable, but I think it does not really matter which
of the half-ruined Armenian houses is the real one.
The whole Armenian city is half-ruined. The Turkish
Kars is new and strong, the erstwhile Armenian
capital is virtually non-existent.

ERZRUM

This is the largest city in the region with a
population of 300,000. In contrast to Kars, there
are many women in hijabs and headscarves in
Erzrum. The city has long streets, completely filled
with short tables and the unemployed men who
occupy them. According to statistics, there are