Save the cathedral of Mren

The cathedral of Mren is an Armenian church built in 7th century, nowadays situated on the Turkish territory close to Armenian borders. This masterpiece of world art and the product of the ‘Golden Age’ of Armenian Architecture is now in danger of collapse.

Bearing an inscription naming the Roman emperor Heraclius, and unique sculpted relief image of Heracilius returning the True Cross to Jerusalem, Mren preserves precious material evidence. For one of the most dramatic and poorly documented moments in history. It is also the largest domed basilica in the region, and one of the best examples of the Architectural achievements of the seventh century.

The cathedral is in a bad condition today, it may not be standing for much longer. Border restrictions make it also more difficult to visit the place and estimate the danger of the collapse. Photographs from the 1990s show the progressive collapse of south facade. Now the entire south aisle is in rubble on the ground.

Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) Research fellow Dr. Christina Maranci, who works on the Medieval Armenian Architecture in Historiography wrote the article: ‘The Humble Heraclius: Revisiting the North Portal at Mren’. Maranci is the Arthur H. Dadian and Ara Oztemel Associate Professor
of Armenian Art and Architecture at Tufts University. She received her Ph.D. from Princeton University in the department of art and archaeology in 1998. She raised the issue of the Mren Cathedral regarding to the necessity of preserving the monument not only as one of the oldest examples of Armenian architecture but also as cultural heritage of global importance.

Our SOS Culture project team is concerned and though motivated to raise awareness among the people about the precarious condition of this precious monument. The cathedral of Mren has stood for over a millennium, bearing world history on its walls. Its collapse would represent a tragic loss of human knowledge and the lack of the possibility to restore the cultural Assets of Armenia outside of the country borders.  

Pictures by Gagik Arzumanyan
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