SACRED HIGHLANDS

Interview with historian Artak Movsisyan

-Mr. Movsisyan, your historic book “Sacred Highlands” begins with the epigraph taken from the Gospel: Jesus’ pupils asked him: “What will be the end of us?” and he answered: “Have you opened the beginning to look for the end?. Since independence and especially in the recent years Armenian historical science reverberates much to the genealogy of the Armenian people and generally to the ancient period of the history of the nation often refuting the academic truths.

-The ancient period of the history of the Armenian nation is badly studied. In the Soviet years the tendency of the equality of the nations didn’t allow to confess that next to the nations having a history of centuries Armenia has a history of millenniums. The tree nations of Transcaucasia – the Armenians, the Georgians and the Azeri were considered the heirs of Urartu – the oldest slaveholding country of the territory of the Soviet Union and it was a complete falsification and nonsense. It was just then when the theory of Armenians as newcomers was created. Developing this theory, the Turkish came to a new nonsense: according to them the newly arrived Armenians have annihilated the Turks of Urartu and have settled in their country. After the Independence the Armenian historians could and had to reestablish the justice revealing the glorious pages of the ancient history of the Armenian nation as many evidences are preserved concerning to it. Not to sin against the justice I must mention that in the Soviet years some steps have been taken in that direction in the diaspora, but the small opportunities and potential of the diaspora haven’t allowed to make a full and complete theory. Now with the efforts of the specialists of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia the four volume books of the history of the Armenian nation are being made. It will represent the traversed road of the Armenian nation more deeply and completely from the ancient periods the today.

-In your book “Sacred Highlands” an effort has been made to gather the information preserved in the written sources of Western Asia where the Armenian highlands are represented as sacred territories, and also an effort has been made to reestablish the image of Armenia in the spiritual perceptions of Western Asia. Why, on what evidences is Armenia considered to be the residence of the Gods, the centre of the universe and the world?

-The most famous subject concerning to the mentioned statements is preserved in the Bible. The main argument of the location of the heaven, according to which the rivers Euphrates, Tigris, Gihon and Pishon flow out, undoubtedly shows that the heaven and the trees of life and wisdom rising in the centre, have been in the Armenian Highlands. In a word, according to the Bible the centre of the creation of the God is Armenia.

-Are there other books which mention about it? Are there more or less important and authoritative opinions besides the Bible providing that view outside the territory of Armenia?

-In an ancient Mesopotamian text the son of the God Haya creates the space and causes the flow the rivers Tigris and Euphrates from the initial mountain. In the Sumerian tale the establishment of the new world system takes place in the Armenian highlands. The written monuments of the city-state Ugarit founded by the Semitic tribes affirm the same. This numeration can be continued. Perhaps we shall also mention that in the Armenian ideas Masis has been perceived as a Space mountain. Here is one of the riddles written by Hovhannes Tsortsoretsi:

According to the great definition of God

It’s the pyramid and the base of the world

It’s the house created by God

Not tread upon the feet of the people.

In this sense European traveller William Rubnik’s information is very valuable. According to him it was forbidden to climb Masis among the Armenians as Masis was the Mother of the World. A fragment is depicted in the book from the map published by Philip Buashe in 1783 in which according to the Bible the first era of the human history is represented. The earthly heaven “Eden is marked in Armenia, south – west of Ararat and in the Gospel published in London in 1634 there is an image where the tree of life is situated on a territory called Armenia.

-The history of humanity starts from Armenia again for the second time – Noah’s Ark stands on Mount Ararat.

-Numerous records have been preserved about the world destroying flood in the tales of the nations living in different continents, but the oldest tale about the flood is Sumerian and the Akkadian tale from the epic poem Gilgamesh is almost the same in details as the tale of the Bible. Armenia is presented as a saving territory in the reports of the High Priests of the temple of Babylon’s greatest God Bell – Berosos, Aleksandr Bazmavep, Abyudenos, Hieronimos of Egypt, Nikoghayos of Damaskus, Hovsepos Plavios, Evsebeos Kesaratsi, and so on. In the Sumerian text about the flood the following characterization is given to the nation of Aratta country: “They remained steadfast in the flood when it wiped everything”. Aratta is the first state of the Armenian Highlands witnessed in the 28th century BC and it is comparable and identical with the Bible with its place and the legend connected with the flood.

In the series of Biblical about Armenia (heaven, rebirth of humanity, a country of eternal holy place of the God and people) the symbol of the bearer of wisdom and immortality must be underlined. The striving for immortality and the search for eternal life have been the constant companions of the man. In an ancient Mesopotamian legend Uru gives Gilgamesh – the hero who looks for immortality, the guides of the road of the Aratta country and reaches the spring of life. We can undoubtedly testify that in the ancient perceptions of Western Asia and in the era of Hellenism a system of ideas about immortality has existed according to which the symbol of the eternal life is kept in the Armenian land. According to a Sumerian text the origin of wisdom and art is also connected with the Armenian land. Wisdom and art were brought from Aratta.

-Mr. Movsisyan, let’s talk a little about your book “The writing culture of Pre-Mashtotsian Armenian” and “Armenian Inscriptions”, which were published in 2003. Some Armenian scientists affirm that before Mashtots we haven’t had writing and literature arguing that even one line of it hasn’t been discovered till today.

-Denying the existence of writing systems before Mashtots is just a result of ignorance. I don’t consider that matter argumentative as the reality is proved by numerous facts. The Armenians have used twelve writing systems and moreover, they have created five of them and they have imported seven. Several hundreds of inscriptions in pre–Mashtots writing have reached us. The inscriptions are just being deciphered. There are samples of Armenian inscriptions in Mesopotamia, Armenian Highlands, Egypt, and China. They are regal records and different data. It’s natural that in the 20s Hrachia Acharyan couldn’t have the material which today gives us the opportunity to speak about the writing systems before Mashtots. But today it’s ridiculous to repeat Acharyan ignoring the evident facts.

-I think that it will interest the soldiers a lot to know since when the history of Armenian military art has begun.

-The first records are connected with the first Armenian state Aratta (3rd millennium BC). It’s spoken about the meeting held in “the house of Arshavanks” (Արշավանքների տուն); it can be identified with the main headquarters of the modern army. Armenian state system and military history are undividable and have a history of 5000 years. I highly appreciate the researches of the historian Suren Martikyan about Armenian military art. The four volume book of the Armenian history will certainly touch upon the Armenian military art in details.

-In one of the latest scientific meetings about Indo–Europeanism which was held in Washington Asia Minor and the Armenian Highlands were considered Indo–European fatherland.
Mainly the Turks have put into circulation the conception of Great Anatoly so as not to mention the Armenian Highlands. As to the West, giving way to Turkish strivings it repeats this at times. The conception Great Anatoly is not scientific, it is wrong.

-I think a general conception of universal historical science is not formed today and it’s natural that the opinions are not unequivocal. But the international scientific meeting of Washington was quite authoritative and representative. We should also mention that the number of views considering Armenia Indo–European fatherland is not few in the world. In this sphere the proofs are numerous and undeniable.

-2010 was the 95thanniversary of the Genocide and my last question is about the study of the genocide. Do you think that the Armenian historians have thoroughly and fully studied and arranged the materials connected with the Genocide? Is it presented to the world properly?

-To tell the truth I am not a specialist of that field but I have no reason to think that the documentary materials connected with the Genocide aren’t fully arranged and studied. Years ago Armenia returned Germany the cultural values which were brought from there during the war and the Germans returned Armenia more than 50 photographic films kept in the archives of their country which were connected with the Genocide. Those materials are very important as during World War first Turkey was the ally of Germany and nobody can doubt the authenticity of the materials kept in German archives. They have a great probative value. But however surprising it may be, the photographic films haven’t been studied and publicized till today.

-Mr. Movsisyan, today Armenian historical science develops a new conception, tries to reveal the details of the history of its own nation.

-The appreciation of own history and national values is necessary especially for the young people, so that we have a strong and patriotic generation inspired with national self-consciousness, faithful to national sources, standing firmly on their native land.

GAYANE POGHOSYAN