Christians Under Attack

Chairman of MHP office in Kars Oktay Aktash stated the preparations for a Friday prayer in the Cathedral will be over on September 30, Turkish Milliyet reports.

He stressed the Tourism Ministry granted a permission to say a prayer in the Fethiye mosque (Cathedral of Ani). On august 16, 1064, the Seljuk ruler Alparslan conquered Ani, brought down the cross of the cathedral and said a Friday prayer. Aktash said they will do the same after 946 years.  “Everything is ready for the prayer,” the Turkish nationalist said.

As reported previously, Chairman of the Nationalist Movement Devlet Bahceli has decided to start parliamentary election campaign by uttering a prayer in the Cathedral of Ani on October 1. The MP made such a decision to counterbalance the liturgy in Surb Khach (Holy Cross).

The Cathedral of Ani is an original pearl of Caucasian architecture. Ani was once the capital of a medieval Armenian kingdom that covered much of present day Armenia and eastern Turkey.

The Cathedral was founded by the order of King Smbat II and was completed under the patronage of the wife of King Gagik I, Queen Katranide. The cathedral was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.It was built by a talented architect Trdat, whose 10th century monuments have been argued to be the forerunners of Gothic architecture which came to Europe several centuries later.

 

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