Travels in Armenia] (24) A panoramic view of Mount Ararat, the sacred site of Noah's Ark, from Horwirap Monastery! Thinking back to the world of the Bible
On the third day in Armenia, we headed for Mount Ararat, the holy place in the "Old Testament" where Noah's ark is said to have drifted ashore.
I arrived in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, the previous evening.
If the weather is good, Mount Ararat can be seen from Yerevan city.
Unfortunately, I could not see Mt. Ararat during my stay because of the haze, but I heard that Mt.
As some of you may have noticed from this map, Mount Ararat is actually in Turkish territory. It used to be the territory of the Kingdom of Armenia, but now it is the territory of Turkey.
Our guide said that for Armenians, Mt. Ararat is like Japan's Mt. Armenians still have mixed feelings about the fact that Mt. Ararat, their spiritual home, is no longer their territory. Indeed, it is a cruel reality that they cannot go there freely even though it is right in front of their eyes.
This reminded me of the Palestinian problem in Israel: in 2019 I visited Bethlehem, where the separation wall was built by Israel and Palestinians were trapped there.
From the hills of Bethlehem, one could see the Dome of the Rock, the holy site of Islam. But Palestinians cannot go there. The local guide spoke of his frustration and regret.
Of course, the problems between Armenia and Turkey cannot be easily applied to Bethlehem. There must be different circumstances there. But this story of Mount Ararat made me feel the problem of not being able to go to the holy place while it is right in front of me.
Well, as soon as we left Yerevan and drove through the suburbs, Mount Ararat came into view. It was closer than I had expected! And indeed, it reminds me of Mt.
We are going to a church called Horwirap Monastery. This is said to be the best spot to see Mount Ararat.
As usual, the monastery stands alone on top of a mountain. From the parking lot, you have to walk up the mountain.
The construction of this cathedral seems to be similar to the architecture of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
It is interesting to note a certain ruggedness that is different from Catholicism, Protestantism, or Russian Orthodoxy.
Although it was early September, there was snow on the top of the large Ararat. Even though it was early September, there was snow on the summit of the Greater Ararat, which would have survived the flood.
Incidentally, the fence in the foreground of the photo is the border line. I had no idea that there was a border line so close by.
After viewing Ararat from the monastery, I got into my car and drove to the famous photo spot.
What a beautiful view of Mount Ararat from the unique atmosphere of the Horwirap Monastery!
Myths featuring Mount Ararat date back to the Sumerian civilization about 3,000 B.C., and the flood legend told there had a great influence on the "Old Testament" Noah's Flood. The flood legend told there greatly influenced Noah's flood in the "Old Testament.
For this matter.(22) "To neighboring Armenia for Mount Ararat, the sacred site of Noah's Ark, and a monastery where time seems to have stood still."As I mentioned in my article "The Mountain of the Dead", this mountain has been the object of people's awe for more than 5,000 years. People more than 5,000 years ago were just as overwhelmed by this mountain as I am today. They felt something sacred. I felt I could understand why this mountain is still revered as a sacred place.
After Mount Ararat, we also visited Etimiazin Cathedral near Yerevan. It is a World Heritage site known as the oldest cathedral in the world. Unfortunately, I could not enter the cathedral because it was under construction when I visited.
And I wanted to come here because "something" was exhibited here.
That is the "Lance of Longinus" and the "Piece of Wood from Noah's Ark.
The Spear of Longinus was a soldier when Jesus died on the cross.longinusThe spear that the "Mere Old Man" used to stab Jesus in the side of the head to confirm his death.
Longinus was blind. However, he was converted when the blood of Jesus entered his eyes and restored his sight, and he was later treated as a saint.
The famous sculpture of Longinus is in St. Peter's Basilica. The artist is Bernini. He is the king of the Roman Baroque. I, too, could not help but gasp at the magnificence of this sculpture.
Now, such a Lance of Longinus exists here in Armenia. This is a wonder. We do not know whether it is genuine or not. However, it is a fact that it is believed to be so and has been handed down to the present.
And it is the same with the piece of wood of Noah's ark.
There is no way to know if they are real or not. However, there is a history that has been carefully preserved because people believe it to be so. This is where the meaning of human activity lies. These two exhibitions were very interesting to me.
Well, my stay in Armenia has thus passed three days.
In fact, from that day on, I was in a crisis of survival of my trip.
I was even dazed when I walked through Etimiazin.
I will talk about what happened to me in the next article.
This was not simply a matter of feeling sick. There was a fundamental problem that lay between me and the country of Armenia.
be unbroken
Next Article.
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