Church of the Holy Archangels

Holy Archangels

has been the

parish church

catering to the

spiritual and

religious needs of

the kaghakatsi

community who

look upon it as

their own

personal gateway

to heaven.

                Jirair   Tutunjian,    a    Vanketsi journalist    living    in    Canada,    has travelled   extensively   around   the world       on       assignment,       has contributed         the         following intriguing   piece   on   a   book   about New   Julfa   merchants   written   by   a Simeon   of   Poland   and   translated by    historian    George    Bournoutian of Iona College, NY.                 Recently,   historian   George Bournoutian    of    Iona    College    in N.Y.   visited   Toronto   to   talk   about the   exciting   chapter   of   the   New Julfa    merchants,    who    travelled across   Iran, Afghanistan,   Pakistan, India,         Bangladesh,         Burma (Myanmar),   Thailand,   Hong   Kong, Singapore,   Dutch   Batavia   and   to the   Philippines   before   Europeans monopolized the East-West trade.                After   the   speech,   I   bought from   Mr.   Bournoutian   a   rare   copy of   "The   Travel Accounts   of   Simeon of    Poland."    Mr.    Bournoutian    had annotated     and     translated     the book    from    Armenian.    Reflecting the   times,   the   Armenian   Simeon used    was    replete    with    Turkish, Kipchak,   Persian,   Arab   words.   Mr. Bournoutian   has   translated   it   so that     we     can     understand     the polluted Armenian.                As   you   know,   after   the   fall   of Ani     and     the     Seljuk     invasions, many     Armenians--starting     with merchants,      migrated      to      the shores     of     the     Black     Sea,     to Crimea,        Ukraine,        Bulgaria, Rumania,   Moldavia,   Russia   and   to Poland.    At     one     time     we     had thriving     communities     in     these cities     before     we     were     finally assimilated    assimilated    because of    poverty,    oppression,    racism, and war.                Simeon   of   Poland   (his   parents were   from   Crimea)   was   born   in Zamosts,   Poland,   in   1584.   A   few years   younger   than   Shakespeare. He    was    well    educated    and    was fluent   in   Armenian.   In   his   early '20s,     he     undertook     a     12-year journey     (partly     pilgrimage)     to Constantinople,        Asia        Minor, Venice,   Rome   (where   he   met   the Pope),   Egypt,   Jerusalem,   Aleppo, Mush,    etc.    He    kept    a    detailed diary    of    his    travels.    When    he returned     to     Poland,     he     got married    and    joined    the    clergy. Nothing   is   known   about   him   after 1636.                I   thought   you   would   like   to   put in   your   archives   some   of   the   facts he    wrote    about    Palestine    and Jerusalem     of     the     early     17th century.      He      is      occasionally inaccurate   (an   amateur   reporter on   the   run),   but   over   all,   his   book is   an   accurate,   precious   and   rare record.     He     devotes     about     60 pages to the Holy Land.                Here   are   some   interesting facts from the book:             "From   Gaza   to   Ramla   took   half a   day   on   horseback.   Ramla   was the    main    port.    "From    there    to Jerusalem       were       two       small crossings.     Those     pilgrims     who journey   by   sea   also   come   ashore in    Ramla.    They    gather    in    one place   and   wait   until   the   arrival   of interpreters      of      the      prelate (Patriarch)   of   Jerusalem   to   escort them.     There     were     large,     but empty    churches    and    no    yerets. There   were   a   few   Greek   and   five to six Armenian households."                "From   Ramla   to   Jerusalem   the route   is   covered   only   with   cliffs and    rocks.    At    the    foot    of    that mountain,     there     was     an    Arab village,    where    they    collected    a quarter      [kurus]      from      every person.   On   top   of   the   mountain was    the    tomb    of    the    Prophet Samuel."                Simeon   describes   his   entry   to Jerusalem       in       these       words: "Meanwhile,           the           entire brotherhood      of      the      Church, bishops,   vardapets,   and   kahanas put   on   their   robes   and,   with   all the   parish   priests   carrying   torches and     lamps,     censers,     banners, incense,   and   candles   come   out   to greet      the      pilgrims.     All      the kahanas     and     clergy     are     given chasubles    and    albs    as    they    are then   enter   the   city,   singing   joyous sharakans     and     religious     songs. When   they   come   to   the   doors   of the   church,   the   patriarch   comes out   and   escorts   them   inside   the church.     Bowing     to     the     grown before    the    altar,    they    then    kiss the   right   hand   of   the   patriarch. He   then   gives   them,   according   to their   rank,   a   place   to   stay:   one gets   a   separate   room;   another   is placed   with   two   or   three   others. They   do   the   same   with   the   beasts of burden.                "In   [the   Monastery   of]   Surb Hagop   there   are   365   cells,   built from    stone    and    lime.    By    the cathedral,    there    are    also    two small   churches,   that   of   Surb   Toros and   Surb   Arakel.   The   monastery has   two   large   stables,   enough   for 1,000   horses,   and   three   gardens and    mills    that    are    operated    by horses.                "The   houses   have   two   storeys, with   lower   and   upper   floors.   The monastery    has    forty    wells;    it    is surrounded    by    a    high    and    wide stone   wall   with   large   iron   gates, which   resemble   those   of   a   city. Beyong    the    gate    is    the    three- storey   mansion   of   the   Patriarch. Each street has a different name.                "I   witnessed   great   order   there, both    in    the    church    and    on    the outside;    for    there    were    fifteen abeghas,    two    vardapets,    three bishops,    as    well    as    an    expert server   of   the   Mass,   who   invariably conducted   daily   services   in   all   the churches.   There   were   janitors   in the   monastery   who   sat   during   the day    [by    the    gates],    locked    the gates   at   night,   and   gave   the   keys to     the     Baron-Der     (Grigor     IV, patriarch).                "The   Patriarch   has   to   feed   all the   pilgrims   for   three   days,   even if   there   are   1,000   of   them.   On   the first   day   they   give   every   pilgrim two   large   wax   candles;   one   is   left in    Surb    Hagob,    the    other    they take   to   the   Church   of   the   Holy Sepulcher.   Every   man,   depending on   his   means,   gives   one   or   two kurus;    some    give    two    or    three kurus.     After     three     days     the housing    dues,    as    much    as    they can   afford:   they   take   much   from the   bishops,   vartabeds,   and   the wealthy,    little    from    the    poor, much    from    the    rich    and    little from     the     poor.     Not     only     the monks   but   even   the   poor   had   to donate   something.   They   then   ask everyone   what   he   had   promised or    vowed    to    do:    a    karasnits,    a Mass   in   memory   of   the   dead,   or an    animal    sacrifice    [which    they have    to    pay    for];    or    whatever they    have    promised;    a    cross,    a chasuble,   or   something   else,   has to be donated."                (By   the   way,   in   the   years preceding      Simeon's      visit      to Jerusalem,   the   Patriarchate   was in   deep   financial   trouble.   To   pay the   various   taxes   imposed   by   the Turks,   the   Patriarch   had   borrowed 40,000        kurus        from        local merchants    and    handed    precious religious    and    historic    object    as "raheen."       Finally,       a       dozen Armenian    merchants,    led    by    an Aleppo   merchant   and   New   Julfa merchants,   raised   the   money   that was    due.    The    Patriarch    handed over    the    money    to    the    people who   were   owed   the   huge   debt. The   religious   and   historic   objects were returned).                "To   enter   the   Holy   Sepulcher, pilgrims   had   to   pay   one   para.   .   . The   Church   of   Holy   Sepulcher   is larger     than     Hagia     Sophia.     Its dome   is   covered   with   tin.   They say    it    was    covered    with    gold before,   but   the   infidels   removed it.    .    .    Surb    Prkich    Monastery Monastery,   which   was   surrounded by   a   wall   and   which   had   sixty   new stone rooms."                     "The    terrain    surrounding Jerusalem     is     very     rocky,     with cliffs,   and   no   water.   The   earth   is not   visible   at   all,   but   the   land   is very    fruitful    and    abundant    with fruits        and        produce.        The mountains   and   plains   are   totally covered    with    olive    trees.    The fruit   is   so   sweet   and   tasty   that you     cannot     find     similar     fruit anywhere    else.    There    are    large and        superb        melons        and watermelons,          very          large pomegranates,     good     figs     and quinces,   sweet   and   tasty...There is    also    a    very    large    variety    of grapes    and    they    are    in    large clusters.   There   is   great   blessing and      abundance      here:      white bread,    white    honey,    delightful butter,     and     according     to     the saying   of   spies   .   .   .   the   roses   have an       unbelievable       scent       and rosewater   is   taken   from   land   to land   as   a   nice   gift   and   donation. They   have   only   white   wine,   there is   no   red--it   is   cheap   and   strong, so     that     one     cannot     drink     it without        diluting        it        with water...the   tastiest   bread   of   all   is the    flat    bread    baked    on    hop pebbles.    Milk,    yoghurt,    clotted cream,   and   butter   are   very   tasty and     available     throughout     the year,    for    it    is    always    summer there,    there    is    no    winter.    The animals    give    birth    twice.    They sow   and   harvest   the   crops   twice   a year.     On     holidays     they     serve lamb,   but   the   meat   of   kid   goat   is by   far   tastier.   We   were   amazed   by its   taste.   Cucumbers,   roses,   and barley   ripen   by   Easter;   the   same is true of other crops."                     "There    are    twelve    local Armenian       families       in       holy Jerusalem.   They   are   all   poor   and are     weavers     and     belt-makers. They     make     collars     and     waist girdles    for    pilgrims,    as    well    as linen     for     shrouds.     There     are twenty   to   thirty   Coptic   families. There   are   also   Greeks,   but   they too are poor..."                "The   other   nations   do   not   have places    or    a    monastery    like    the Armenians;    their    pilgrims    come and   stay   in   inns.   Meanwhile,   the Armenian      Monastery      of      Surb Hagob   is   large   and   spacious   it   can accommodate   even   10,000   souls, for   it   resembles   a   city.   Praise   the Lord!"                About   the   Dead   Sea:   "There, we   saw   the   land   of   Sodom,   where the   stones   burned   like   wood   and they   cooked   food   on   them.   They burned     and     turned     black     as charcoal."                About   the   River   Jordan:   "The river   is   large   and   speedy,   like   the Khotyn.   The    group    broke    up    by the    river    and    undressed.    Those who   could   swim   jumped   into   the river,    others    bathed,    holding    on to   tree   branches   and   the   shore; others   tied   themselves   to   ropes. The    old    gathered    the    water    in cups     or     poured     it     over     their heads.    Despite    all    of    this,    two were   carried   away   by   the   swift waters of the river."                After   the   Patriarch   paid   the church's    debts,    Patriarch    Grigor "first     renovated     and     improved many   Armenian    churches    in    the city    and    its    environs,    twelve    in number.    In    the    monasteries    of Surb         Hagop,         Hreshtakapet (Archangel),   and   Surb   P'rkich,   he built    rooms    for    guest    and    the sick,   stone   cells   for   the   brothers, nice      gates      and      proportional refectories,    orchards,    vineyards, flower       garden,       and       other buildings.   He   renovated   the   365 cells     in     Surb     Hagob     and     its church.     During     his     time,     the Armenian   Patriarchate   thrived;   in fact,      it      became      rich      and magnificent. "                     "He    constructed    vaulted cloisters    and    fenced    them    with impregnable   walls   with   well-built, magnificent   towers. They   include: Surb    Prkich,    Surb    Hreshtakapet, Surb    Toros,     Surb    Arakel,     Surb Sarkis, and others."                There's   a   great   deal   of   other interesting     information     in     the book.    Although    the    Jerusalem- Hold    Land    section    is    generally positive,   Simeon   doesn't   hesitate to    criticize    Armenians    in    other communities    for    their    lack    of faith,   for   corruption,   for   lack   of proper     patriotism.     He     has     no problem       attacking       wayward clergy,   no   matter   how   high   their position.   (By   the   way,   he   financed his   12-year   pilgrimage   (1610)   by copying         holy         books         in Constantinople,   Jerusalem   .   .   .   I believe he was paid per page.                     We    owe    a    great    debt    to Simeon--now      lost      in      history, together   with   our   communities   of Eastern     Europe,     and     to     Mr. Bournoutian    who    has    translated the book.