Akdamar Surp Hac Church Turkey at service, remain museum

July 1, 2010 - PRLog -- The Surp Haç Church in Akdamar island near the Eastern citys of Van is getting ready for the readying for the first religious service in many decades.

The preparations for the service are conducted in collaboration and peace with Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, the chief of the spiritual committee of the Armenian Church in Turkey, says Van Gov. Münir Karaoğlu.

The church's opening for the religious service will be temporary, he says. "

The origin and meaning of the island's name is unknown, but is often attributed to an old Armenian legend. According to the tale, an Armenian princess named Tamar lived on the island and was in love with a commoner. This boy would swim from the mainland to the island each night, guided by a light she lit for him. Her father learned of the boy's visits. One night, as she waited for her lover to arrive, he smashed her light, leaving the boy in the middle of the lake without a guide to indicate which direction to swim. They say his dying cries of "Akh, Tamar" (Oh, Tamar) can be heard to this day at night. The legend was the inspiration for a famous Armenian poem by Hovhannes Tumanyan.

Akdamar (meaning "white vein" in Turkish) is the official name of the island, but the original "Akhtamar" pronunciation is still used by many of the Kurds who live in the area (there is no "kh" sound in Turkish, but there is in Kurdish).


http://www.tourexpi.com/en-tr/news.html~nid=27954

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