Once a flourishing community in Bengal, Armenians have
dwindled in number to such an extent that only one man now represents the
entire community in Dhaka. He is known by his
Anglicised name of Michael Joseph Martin.
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/the-last-of-the-armenians/
When Martin, now in his late seventies, dies, it will
throw into doubt the future of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection, one of
Dhaka’s most beautiful churches.
Martin, whose Armenian name is Mikel Housep Martirossian,
shoulders the
responsibility of preserving the building against the
ravages of the weather and pollution.
The cemetery in the church is akin to a huge history
book, chronicling the history of the Armenian people in the region.
Founded in 1781, the Armenian Church is a historically
significant architectural monument situated in Armanitola in old Dhaka. The
church bears testimony to the existence of a significant Armenian community in
the region in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Following the domination of their homeland by the Persian
powers of the time, Armenians were sent by their new rulers to the Bengal
region for political and economic reasons. They came to Dhaka for business and
traded in
jute and leather. The area where they lived came to be
known as Armanitola.
The now famous church was built on Armenian Street in
Armanitola, then a thriving business district. The site was an Armenian
graveyard before the church was built, and the tombstones that have survived
serve as a chronicle of Armenian life in the area. Agaminus Catachik, an
Armenian, gave away the land to build the church.
In the fifty years following the church’s construction, a
clock tower was built on its western side. It is said that the clock could be
heard four miles away, and people synchronised their watches with the sound of
the tower’s bell. The clock stopped in 1880, and an earthquake destroyed the
tower in 1897.
The church plan is rectangular. Features include an
arched gate and an arched door. There are four doors and 27 windows. The main
floor is divided into three parts: a pulpit enclosed by railings, a middle
section with two
folding doors, and an area separated by a wooden fence
for seating women and children. There is a spiral staircase leading into the
church.
Today, the church is usually closed. It has been the
subject of BBC and AFP documentaries, and has received recognition from the
Bangladesh government as an archaeological site.
Martin, the custodian of the church, came to Dhaka in
1942 during World War II, following in the footsteps of his father who had
settled in the region decades earlier.
In his advanced age, he now worries about who will look
after the church. “This is a blessed place and God won’t leave it unprotected
and uncared for,” he told an AFP interview.
He added, hopefully: “When I die, maybe one of my three
daughters will fly in from Canada to keep our presence here alive.” Sources:
The BBC, AFP, The Independent and works of Muntassir Mamoon and Sushil
Chaudhury.
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder
Not: Yalnızca bu blogun üyesi yorum gönderebilir.