Gisak

Gherla, Romania

ARMENOPOLIS — THE ARMENIAN CITY THAT ROSE IN THE HEART OF EUROPE 🏛️ Long after the fall of medieval Armenia, when kingdoms had disappeared and countless Armenian families had been scattered across foreign lands, one remarkable community achieved what few exiled nations ever could. They built an entire city. Not a village. Not a trading post. A city designed by Armenians, governed by Armenians, and shaped by Armenian culture. Its name was Armenopolis — Հայաքաղաք, the Armenian City. Hidden in the rolling hills of Transylvania, in present-day Romania, Armenopolis became one of the greatest achievements in the history of the Armenian diaspora. Its founders were descendants of Armenians who had once lived in the glorious city of Ani and later in the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. After generations of migration through Crimea and Moldova, they finally found a place where they could build a new future without forgetting their ancient past. Under the leadership of Armenian Catholic Bishop Oxendius Vărzărescu (Օշենտիոս Վըրզարեան), the community negotiated directly with Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I. In 1700, the Armenians received official permission to establish their own town—a privilege almost unheard of in Europe at the time. What followed was extraordinary. Armenopolis became the only city in the region constructed according to a carefully planned urban design created specifically for its Armenian founders. Broad avenues, elegant Baroque buildings, orderly streets, beautiful squares, and magnificent churches transformed the settlement into one of the architectural jewels of Transylvania. At its heart rose the breathtaking Holy Trinity Cathedral, one of the most impressive Armenian churches ever built in Europe. It stood not only as a place of worship, but as a monument to a nation that refused to disappear. The Armenians of Armenopolis quickly became renowned as merchants, bankers, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs. Their commercial networks stretched across Central Europe, and their prosperity became so great that they even provided financial loans to the Imperial Court in Vienna. Their influence extended far beyond commerce. One of Armenopolis' native sons, Cyrill Demian, later moved to Vienna and, in 1829, received the first patent for the modern accordion—an invention that would forever change the sound of folk, classical, and popular music across the world. This was the Armenian spirit in action. Even after losing kingdoms... Even after exile... Even after centuries of displacement... Armenians continued to build cities, create art, develop trade, inspire innovation, and enrich every society they called home. Armenopolis was never merely a place on a map. It became a symbol of resilience. A triumph of identity over adversity. A reminder that while kingdoms may fall, civilizations endure through their people. Today, Հայաքաղաք — the Armenian City — remains one of the most remarkable monuments to the Armenian diaspora in Europe, a lasting testament to a nation that transformed exile into achievement and memory into civilization. History remembers not only those who conquered lands—but also those who built them. Armenopolis is one of those enduring Armenian legacies.

May Lord protect everyone and keep all innocent lives safe 🙏. ✝️68 AD. Hidden in the mountains of #Iran 🇮🇷. One of the oldest surviving 🇦🇲✝️ #Christian churches on Earth-built on the martyrdom site of an apostle. The #Armenian Monastery of Saint Thaddeus was founded in 68 AD according to sacred tradition on the very spot where Saint Thaddeus, one of the twelve apostles, was martyred and buried This makes it an apostolic-era sanctuary where Armenians have prayed since the 1st century, long before Armenia became the first Christian nation in 301 AD. Its walls have witnessed empires rise and fall. They all came and went, but the Armenian prayer never stopped. The current structure is a mosaic of centuries. The oldest surviving parts, around the altar apse, date from the 7th century, with some traditions linking earlier origins to the 4th century or the apostolic era. After an earthquake destroyed much of it in 1319, the monastery was extensively rebuilt in the 1320s under Bishop Zachariah. Further repairs occurred over the centuries, including in the 17th century. In the early 19th century, under the patronage of Father Superior Simeon, a large western extension (a narthex-like structure) was added, deliberately echoing the design of Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church. In 2008, UNESCO inscribed the Monastery of Saint Thaddeus (together with the Monastery of Saint Stepanos and the Chapel of Dzordzor, all in Iran's northwestern provinces) on its World Heritage List as the "Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran." This recognition highlights their outstanding universal value in Armenian architectural and decorative traditions, cultural diffusion, and pilgrimage heritage. Every year, thousands of pilgrims-Armenians and others-still journey to this remote mountain valley to kneel where an apostle is believed to have fallen. The annual three-day pilgrimage in July venerates Saint Thaddeus and Saint Sandukht (a royal convert martyred with him).

The cheetah is fully relaxed, the tourists are quietly filming like it’s the best show they’ve ever seen, and the only person vibrating with tension is the guide, still pouring out that nonstop stream of “everything’s fine” while his knuckles go white on the wheel, while imaging his epitaph.

Overwhelmed by the heat, the cheetah found some shade and showed no fear of the people nearby 🐆

@EasyVerdict @MakichyanA You’re asking us to accept the demographic claims of the very government whose actions are under examination. Historians don’t work that way.

@Kisag @MakichyanA Ottomans were collecting tax from citizens, So numbers are more real than Christian missioners. Same in Syria. They calculated Syriac population wrong.

One hundred years later, after committing genocide and massacring 1.5 million indigenous Armenians, Turks still play the victims, even though there are literally no Armenians left in what was once Western Armenia.

BREAKING: The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem blasts Israel after the Knesset abandoned a proposed Armenian Genocide recognition vote, allegedly due to foreign influence by Azerbaijan, a country responsible for the ethnic cleansing of more than 120,000 Christian Armenians.

@yusufka86282687 @MakichyanA “Everything is a lie” is not a historical methodology. The Ottoman archives, German and American diplomats, Austrian officials, American missionaries, and numerous survivors all somehow conspired to invent the same story? That’s an extraordinary claim.

@MakichyanA Boş ve yalan yaygaralarla suçlarınızı saklayamayacaksınız

@OguzKagan2033 @MakichyanA So a population largely consisting of women, children, the elderly, and men who had already been disarmed and executed, while the survivors were being marched into the Syrian desert, somehow managed to exterminate over 2 million Turks? Did their pets join the campaign too?

@MakichyanA Arrêtez de faire l'histoire à l'envers, ce sont ces arméniens qui se font passer pour des Turcs qui ont exterminés plus de de 2 millions de Turquie en volant leur village et maison...

You’re assigning collective guilt to an entire people for the actions of some individuals during a world war. Thousands of Armenians served in the Ottoman Army, and the overwhelming majority of Armenians were civilians. Collective punishment of an entire population, including women, children, and the elderly is neither justified nor supported by historical evidence.

@MakichyanA Hainlerin sonu budur. Rus ordusu geliyor diye komşularını katledersen sonucuna da katlanırsın. şimdi siktir git, dedenden hesap sor, bu ihaneti neden yaptınız, bak adamlar kökümüzü kuruttu de.

You’re conflating the actions of some Armenian political and volunteer groups with the fate of the entire Armenian civilian population. A limited number of Armenians fought alongside Russia during World War I, just as many Armenians also served in the Ottoman Army. That does not justify or explain the empire-wide deportation and mass deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenian civilians, including women, children, the elderly, and soldiers who had already been disarmed. Collective punishment is not a historical or legal defense.

@MakichyanA Fool Arshak Armen Administrator Tbilis Com, Declared war Against Ottomans on sept.1914 then took 1 million Ruble money from Russia then purchased 180K rifles then established 6 Regiments for attacking Anatolia! Armen losses were 350K but Turkish losses were 600K you never speak?

Your argument assumes the Ottoman census is the definitive measure of the Armenian population. It isn’t. Ottoman census figures have long been questioned by historians, and multiple contemporary sources produced different estimates. Pointing to one disputed census table doesn’t invalidate the overwhelming documentary, diplomatic, eyewitness, and demographic evidence for the Armenian Genocide.

@MakichyanA Seriously bro. Could you pls explain me how did we manage to kill 1.5 million Armenian when we had 1.230.000 (including catholic Armenians) ?

462 days, and counting…

In Landmark Vote, U.S. House Committee Demands Azerbaijan Release All Armenian Hostages Illegally Held in Baku 🇺🇸🇦🇲 ➖➖➖ In a landmark vote, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee has demanded that Azerbaijan release every Armenian hostage it holds, immediately and without conditions. The 44 to 7 vote on Wednesday, July 22, puts Congress on record after years of pressure from Armenian Americans, reports the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). The vote came on an amendment to H.R. 9087, backed by the Armenian National Committee of America and led by Congressional Armenian Caucus Vice Chair Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) with the support of Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL). It builds on the amendment's favorable consideration by the Committee on June 10. "Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 44-7 in favor of my amendment calling on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian POWs," Sherman told ANCA following the vote. "I am proud to have put Congress on the record and will continue fighting to free Armenians unjustly and illegally held, tortured, and abused by Azerbaijan." "We thank Congressman Sherman, Chairman Mast, and all those who voted to adopt this much-needed and long-overdue measure," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "The Committee did the right thing. Azerbaijan's release of Armenian hostages, the safe return of Artsakh refugees, and the withdrawal of Azerbaijani occupation forces from Armenian territory, these are preconditions for peace, non-negotiable requirements of any durable settlement, not bargaining chips for Baku to force yet more unilateral Armenian concessions." Joining Rep. Sherman and Chairman Mast in support of the amendment were Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI), Jim Baird (R-IN), Andy Barr (R-KY), Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Ami Bera (D-CA), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Jim Costa (D-CA), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Julie Johnson (D-TX), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), William Keating (D-MA), Young Kim (R-CA), George Latimer (D-NY), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Brian Mast (R-FL), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Kweisi Mfume (D-MD), Carol Miller (R-WV), Cory Mills (R-FL), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), James Moylan (R-GU), Johnny Olszewski (D-MD), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Aumua Amata Radewagen (R-AS), Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Dina Titus (D-NV), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), and Ryan Zinke (R-MT). Voting against the measure were Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Randy Fine (R-FL), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Scott Perry (R-PA), Keith Self (R-TX), and Joe Wilson (R-SC). Representatives Sarah McBride (D-DE) and Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) were absent from the vote. The amendment declares it is the sense of Congress that Azerbaijan should immediately and unconditionally release all Armenian prisoners of war and political prisoners. It cleared committee markup on June 10 with Chairman Mast's support after Sherman agreed to modify the text by unanimous consent, striking a paragraph directing enforcement of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. "I would love to work with you further on this amendment and possibly dividing it up and working on this in additional ways," Mast told Sherman during the markup. Sherman agreed, and Mast offered his backing. "Representative Sherman, I offer my support for this amendment," Mast said. "Thank you for working with me so immediately to adjust the text of the amendment." Sherman had urged the committee to act on the strength of documented abuses in Azerbaijani captivity. "Given documented executions of Armenian POWs by Azerbaijani forces, including several executions which were horrifically recorded and distributed on social media, as documented by Human Rights Watch, it is vital that the United States clearly advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian POWs," Sherman told the committee in June. Sherman also tied the release of hostages to the administration's regional diplomacy. "As President Trump continues his efforts to secure lasting peace in the South Caucasus, securing the release of Armenian POWs and political prisoners would be a significant step toward this achievement," he said. Azerbaijan continues to unlawfully detain 19 Armenians, seized in the aftermath of the 2020 war and Baku's September 2023 assault on Artsakh, which emptied the region of its entire Armenian population. Among them is the former political and military leadership of Artsakh, all sentenced in Baku on charges Armenia has described as fabricated. Former Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan, former Defense Army Commander Levon Mnatsakanyan, former Deputy Commander Davit Manukyan, and former National Assembly Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan received life sentences. Former Presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan were each sentenced to 20 years. Madat Babayan and Melikset Pashayan received 19 years each, Garik Martirosyan 18 years, Davit Allahverdyan 16 years, and Erik Ghazaryan, Gurgen Stepanyan, and Vasili Beglaryan 15 years each. While H.R. 9087 did not clear the Committee in its current form, the Sherman amendment's adoption puts the influential Congressional panel on record in support of the immediate release of Armenian hostages. ANCA is encouraging Armenian Americans to contact their Representatives and urge continued support for the amendment's language and full enforcement of Section 907 as consideration of the legislation moves forward.

Insights: A Reality Check for Aliyev @molon_labe97

Blessed Sunday. Do not skip Church.

@MaanMooney @DinkUmDo52 @miradreaamy True, lol! I sensed that was coming.

@Kisag @DinkUmDo52 @miradreaamy You know, being able to date me, dates you . . .😉

Bunu çözersen, IQ seviyen ortalamanın üstündedir. Doğru cevabı bulabilir misin?

Sharp and smart commentary from the ANCA’s Elizabeth Chouldjian. @anca_elizabeth @ANCA_DC

@ANCA_DC What vile congressman would vote ‘no’.

Forty-four to seven. To free Armenian hostages. That was the vote this week in the US House Foreign Affairs Committee. To pass a bipartisan measure – pushed by Congressman Brad Sherman and backed by Chairman Brian Mast. The good news is that a solid majority of Republicans and Democrats got it right – over 85%. That’s a tribute to your work – educating legislators. Because of you, Members of Congress know what a real peace requires. That Azerbaijan releasing hostages represents a basic obligation under international law. A core requirement, a necessary precondition, of peace Not an Azerbaijani bargaining chip to force yet more unilateral Armenian concessions. That’s true as well for the safe return of Armenian refugees to Artsakh The withdrawal of Azerbaijani occupation forces from Armenian territory And the protection of Armenian heritage and our Christian holy sites The bad news is that seven of them got it wrong. We’ve taken a strong step forward. But we’ve got a long road ahead. We won’t rest until our hostages are home. Join with the ANCA in holding Azerbaijan accountable and strengthening Armenian security – online, in your communities, and in Washington, DC.

🚨 LETTER SENT TO PRESIDENT ALIYEV Today I formally submitted an official humanitarian request through the website of the President of Azerbaijan. I respectfully asked that Armenian detainee Ludwig Mkrtchyan be allowed -immediately - to make a phone call to his wife, Hranush Shahbazyan. 💔He has not spoken to her in more than a month. In their last conversation he told her he felt so weak that he collapsed. They took him for heart imaging… and then total silence. His medical condition is alarming: leukocytes almost double the normal level, widespread inflammation, and severe heart damage. A 56-year-old man, already held for nearly six years under false charges, is now cut off from his family while his health continues to deteriorate. One call will not free him. But it is the minimum of human dignity. I have done my part. The official letter has been sent. Now the authorities must act. Let Ludwig call his wife. Now. Luciana Minassian Attorney | SOAR Buenos Aires #FreeArmenianPOWs #LudwigMkrtchyan #LetHimCall #HumanRights