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72-499: It is home to the 10th century Armenian Holy Cross Cathedral , which was the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Catholicosate of Aghtamar from 1116 to 1895. The origin and meaning of the island's name is unknown, but a folk etymology explanation exists, based on an old Armenian legend. According to the tale, an Armenian princess named Tamar lived on the island and was in love with a commoner. This boy would swim from

144-586: A mosque . These traumatic experiences left Kemal with a speech impediment , which lasted until he was twelve years old. At nine, Kemal began school in a neighbouring village; he continued his formal education in Kadirli in Osmaniye province . Kemal was a locally noted bard even before he began school but was unappreciated by his widowed mother until he composed an elegy on the death of one of her eight brothers, all of whom were bandits. He became interested in writing as

216-626: A banner declaring "The Turkish people are noble. They would never commit genocide". Demonstrators outside the Ministry of the Interior in Ankara chanted slogans against the possibility of a cross being erected atop the church, declaring "You are all Armenians, we are all Turks and Muslims". Historian Ara Sarafian responded to the criticism of the restoration project, stating that the project represented an answer to allegations of cultural genocide. He stated that

288-401: A book of short stories Sarı Sıcak ("Yellow Heat") in 1952. His books initially focused on the lives, sufferings and toil of the people of the Çukurova plain. Kemal used the legends and stories of Anatolia extensively as the basis for his works. In 1955 he received international acclaim with the publication of Memed, My Hawk ( Turkish : İnce Memed ). In this book, Kemal criticised

360-449: A breeze will harm the dome. We plan to invite other specialists to solve this problem.” Although this explanation from the government met with doubts, after the cross was erected on the dome of the church in 2010 (which weighed 110 kg - about half of what the Turkish deputy minister spoke about), after 2011 Van earthquake cracks appeared around the dome of the church. Çandar notes that

432-629: A candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature on the strength of his 1955 novel Memed, My Hawk . An outspoken intellectual, he often did not hesitate to speak about sensitive issues, especially those concerning the oppression of the Kurdish people. He was tried in 1995 under anti-terror laws for an article he wrote for Der Spiegel highlighting the Turkish Army 's destruction of Kurdish villages during

504-463: A compilation of folkloric themes. This book brought to light many long-forgotten rhymes and ballads, which he had begun to collect at the age of sixteen. He penned his first tale Pis Hikaye ("The Dirty Story") in 1944 while serving in the military in Kayseri . His stories Bebek ("The Baby"), Dükkancı ("The Shopkeeper") and Memet ile Memet ("Memet and Memet") were published in 1950. Then he published

576-523: A controversial restoration program. The restoration had a stated budget of 2 million Turkish lira (approximately 1.4 million USD ) and was financed by the Turkish Ministry of Culture . It officially re-opened as a museum on 29 March 2007 in a ceremony attended by the Turkish Minister of Culture, government officials, ambassadors of several countries, Patriarch Mesrob II (spiritual leader of

648-400: A correct approach to the " Armenian question ." Its real aim is not to solve the problem, but to gain points like a wrestler in a contest. How and when it will make the right move and defeat its opponent. That's the only concern. This is not earnestness. The state calls on Armenian historians to discuss history, but does not shy from trying its own intellectuals who have an unorthodox rhetoric on

720-464: A critical stance towards the loss of the island's original name in his article titled "White Vein church and others" ( Akdamar means "white vein" in Turkish). Not all the comments were negative of the restoration of the church by the Turkish government. British historian of Armenian descent, Ara Sarafian considered the opening of the church for service as "a positive step". Armenian Cathedral of

792-540: A cross being erected atop the church, declaring "You are all Armenians, we are all Turks and Muslims". Hürriyet columnist Cengiz Çandar characterized the way the Turkish government handled the opening as an extension of an ongoing " cultural genocide " of the Armenians. He characterizes the renaming of the church from Armenian to Turkish as part of a broader program to rename Armenian historical sites in Turkey, and attributes

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864-575: A dock noted for its complex hydrotechnical engineering, laid out streets, gardens, and orchards, and planted trees and designed areas of recreation for himself and his court. The only surviving structure from that period is the Palatine Cathedral of the Holy Cross ( Armenian : Սուրբ Խաչ եկեղեցի Surb Khach yekeġetsi ). It was built of pink volcanic tuff by the architect-monk Manuel during the years 915-921, with an interior measuring 14.80m × 11.5m and

936-488: A dome with a conical roof. The unique importance of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Cross comes from the extensive array of bas-relief carving of mostly biblical scenes that adorn its external walls. The meanings of these reliefs have been the subject of much and varied interpretation. Not all of this speculation has been produced in good faith - for example, Turkish sources illustrate Islamic and Turkic influences behind

1008-618: A heavy restoration, being opened as a museum by the Turkish government a year later. The architecture of the church is based on a form that had been developed in Armenia several centuries earlier; the best-known example being that of the seventh century Saint Hripsime Church in Echmiadzin . The unique importance of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Cross comes from the extensive array of bas-relief carving of mostly biblical scenes that adorn its external walls. The meanings of these reliefs have been

1080-401: A large Turkish flag flying over the island, it was suggested by some critics that this project really announced the “ Turkification ” of this monument, the initiative being no more than a media stunt." Armenian religious leaders invited to attend the opening ceremony opted to boycott the event, because the church was being reopened as a secular museum. Controversy surrounded the issue of whether

1152-465: A letter-writer, then as a journalist, and finally as a novelist. The Turkish police confiscated his first two novels. In 1950, Kemal was imprisoned for alleged communist activities. He visited Akdamar Island in 1951, where he saw the beginning of the planned demolition of the island's Holy Cross Church . Using his contacts, he helped stop the demolition (the church was restored by the Turkish government in 2005). He then moved to Istanbul to work for

1224-415: A mass is held in the church too. The opening was controversial among some Turkish nationalist groups, who protested at the island and in a separate demonstration in Ankara. Police detained five Turkish nationals who carried a banner declaring "The Turkish people are noble. They would never commit genocide." Demonstrators outside the Ministry of the Interior in Ankara chanted slogans against the possibility of

1296-496: A means to record his work after talking to an itinerant peddler, who was doing his accounts. His village paid his way to university in Istanbul . He worked for a while for rich farmers as a labourer in the Çukurova cotton fields, ostensibly guarding river water against poor farmers' unauthorised use for irrigation. However, he actually taught the poor farmers how to steal the water undetected, by taking it at night. Later he worked as

1368-443: A mess out of it. The initial plans were for the opening of Ahtamar to take place on Apr. 24. A real cunning idea... As it is known to be the " Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in the world," a trump for propaganda would have been used on that day. Then the date became Apr. 11. According to the ancient Armenian calendar, Apr. 11 coincides with Apr. 24. They probably knew this also. They were still pursuing another cunning idea. At

1440-617: A monastic complex, the ruins of which can still be seen to the south of the church. Between 1116 and 1895 Aght'amar Island was the location of the Armenian Catholicosate of Aght'amar. Khachatur III, who died in 1895, was the last Catholicos of Aght'amar. In 1915, during the Armenian genocide , the church was looted, and the monastic buildings destroyed and in July 1916 the Catholicosate

1512-500: A place of worship following the restoration was, for example, claimed to be a wedge separating the monument from Turkey’s Armenian community. The critics, writing for media such as Radikal, Milliyet , or Turkish Daily News , furthermore lamented that permission to re-mount the cross on top of the church was not given. Moreover, they argued, the official name of the museum, the Turkish Akdamar (translating as “white vein”) rather than

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1584-630: A religious funeral service held at Teşvikiye Mosque , attended by former Turkish president Abdullah Gül , political party leaders, high-ranking officials and an enormous assembly of mourners, he was buried on 2 March 2015 beside his first wife Thilda's grave in Zincirlikuyu Cemetery . Kemal was survived by his wife Ayşe Semiha Baban and his adoptive son, visual artist Ahmet Güneştekin . I don't write about issues, I don't write for an audience, I don't even write for myself. I just write. In 1943 Kemal published his first book Ağıtlar ("Ballads"),

1656-412: A restoration opening of a museum-church, without a cross or a bell. Turkish deputy minister for culture, İsmet Yılmaz cited technical reasons for not being able to place a cross atop the dome of the church: “The reconstruction, which was carried out by Italian specialists, makes it impossible for the dome to support the 2-meter, 200-kilogram cross. If we put up the cross without making any changes, even

1728-406: A second one, dated to 1444–were visibly damaged, with large sections of their carvings broken or hacked-off. Only the lower-third of the 1444 khachkar was left, noted as it had been visibly intact when photographed by Bachmann in 1911. The 19th-century tombstone of Khatchatur Mokatsi, still intact in 1956, was later smashed into fragments. Between 20 May 2005 and 21 July 2006, the church underwent

1800-485: A stated budget of 2 million Turkish Lira (approximately 1.4 million USD ) and was financed by the Turkish Ministry of Culture . It officially re-opened as a museum on 29 March 2007 in a ceremony attended by the Turkish Minister of Culture, government officials, ambassadors of several countries, Patriarch Mesrob II (spiritual leader of the Armenian Orthodox community of Turkey), a delegation from Armenia headed by

1872-471: A wrestler in a contest. How and when it will make the right move and defeat its opponent. That's the only concern. This is not earnestness. The state calls on Armenian historians to discuss history, but does not shy from trying its own intellectuals who have an unorthodox rhetoric on the Armenian genocide . It restores an Armenian church in the Southeast, but only thinks, “How can I use this for political gains in

1944-520: A year. A cross had been prepared nearly a year before the opening, and Mesrob II petitioned the Prime Minister and Minister of Culture to place the cross on the dome of the cathedral. Turkish officials said that the base was not appropriate for the cross the Patriarchate brought as it was made to support the original cross. Later, the issue was solved. Since 2 October 2010, the cross sits at the top of

2016-413: Is known to be the “ Armenian genocide remembrance day in the world,” a trump for propaganda would have been used on that day. Then the date became Apr. 11. According to the ancient Armenian calendar, Apr. 11 coincides with Apr. 24. They probably knew this also. They were still pursuing another cunning idea. At the end, it was decided that the opening of Ahtamar, now “Akdamar,” would take place on Mar. 29, as

2088-518: The Agos issue published on the day of the murder of Hrant Dink featured a Dink commentary on the Turkish government's handling of the Akdamar issue, which the late journalist characterized as "A real comedy... A real tragedy..." According to Dink, The government hasn't still been able to formulate a correct approach to the “ Armenian question .” Its real aim is not to solve the problem, but to gain points like

2160-652: The Cumhuriyet newspaper, where he adopted his pen name . In 1962, Kemal joined the Workers Party of Turkey (TİP) and "served as one of its leaders until quitting after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968". In 1967, Kemal established the Marxist magazine Ant together with Dogan Özgüden and Fethi Naci  [ tr ] . The magazine published articles about Engels , Marx , Ho Chi Minh and Che Guevara . In

2232-468: The Armenian genocide and the establishment of the Turkish republic, the church was largely officially ignored and thus exposed to extensive vandalism. During the 1950s, the island was used as a military training ground. The ornate stone balustrade of the royal gallery largely disappeared; comparisons with pre-1914 photographs show signs of damage to the relief carvings. By 1956, two khachkars —one by Catholicos Stephanos, dated to 1340, in addition to

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2304-423: The Armenian genocide . It restores an Armenian church in the Southeast, but only thinks, "How can I use this for political gains in the world, how can I sell it?" The opening was controversial among some Turkish nationalist groups, who protested at the island and in a separate demonstration in Ankara. Police detained five Turkish nationalists protesting against the restoration of the church at Lake Van, who carried

2376-581: The Turkish–Kurdish conflict . He was released but later received a suspended 20-month jail sentence for another article he wrote criticising racism in Turkey , especially against the Kurds. Yaşar Kemal was born Kemal Sadık Gökçeli to Sadık and Nigâr on 6 October 1923 in Hemite (now Gökçedam ), a Turkmen hamlet in the province of Osmaniye in southern Turkey. He was born into the only Kurdish family in

2448-476: The Armenian kingdom of Vaspurakan chose the island of Aght'amar as one of his residences, founding a settlement there. The only structure standing from that period is the cathedral. It was built of pink volcanic tufa(tuff) by the architect-monk Manuel during the years 915–921, with an interior measuring 14.80 m by 11.5 m and the dome reaching 20.40 m above ground. In later centuries, and until 1915, it formed part of

2520-519: The Armenian community of Turkey), a delegation from Armenia headed by the Deputy to the Armenian Minister of Culture, and a large group of invited journalists from many news organizations around the world. Özdemir Çakacak, the governor of Van, described the restoration as "a show of Turkey's respect for history and culture". A Turkish state department museum official added, "We could not have ignored

2592-475: The Deputy to the Armenian Minister of Culture, and a large group of invited journalists from many news organizations around the world. Özdemir Çakacak, the Governor of Van , described the refurbishing of the church as "a show of Turkey's respect for history and culture". A Turkish state department museum official added, "We could not have ignored the artifacts of our Armenian citizens, and we did not." Signs heralding

2664-659: The Holy Cross The Cathedral of the Holy Cross ( Armenian : Սուրբ Խաչ եկեղեցի , romanized :  Surp Khachʿ egeghetsʿi , Turkish : Akdamar Kilisesi or Surp Haç Kilisesi ) on Aghtamar Island , in Lake Van in eastern Turkey , is a medieval Armenian Apostolic cathedral, built as a palatine church for the kings of Vaspurakan and later serving as the seat of the Catholicosate of Aghtamar . During his reign, King Gagik I Artsruni (r. 908–943/944) of

2736-425: The Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The Turkish government stated that it would permit a liturgy to be delivered on 19 September 2010, and the service took place as planned. Some controversy surrounded the issue of whether the cross atop the dome until 1915 should be replaced. Some Armenians said that the renovation was unfinished until the cross was replaced, and that prayer should be allowed inside at least once

2808-470: The aftermath of the military coup in 1971 , the magazine was closed during the crackdown on left-wing politicians. Because of the spate of political assassinations during the 1976–1980 political violence in Turkey , Kemal moved to Sweden for a time. He was often arrested for his political activities. In 1995, he was prosecuted for making separatist propaganda after writing an article for Index on Censorship , because of his support for Kurdish dissidents. He

2880-413: The artifacts of our Armenian citizens, and we did not." Signs heralding the church reopening declared "Tarihe saygı, kültüre saygı" ("Respect for history, respect for culture"). According to Maximilian Hartmuth, an academician at Sabanci University, "the church was turned into a museum rather than re-opened as a place of worship following the restoration was, for example, claimed to be a wedge separating

2952-522: The church reopening declared "Tarihe saygı, kültüre saygı" ("Respect the history, respect the culture"). The initial Divine Liturgy in Holy Cross Church took place on 19 September, 2010. Prior to the opening of the Church, a concert was performed by pianist Şahan Arzruni . According to Maximilian Hartmuth, an academician at Sabancı University , "the church was turned into a museum rather than re-opened as

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3024-434: The church stands and Surp Haç (Holy Cross) for the church itself would suggest this to be a Turkish monument. At the same time only sparing use was made of the word "Armenian" in official statements, With Turkey's Armenian community not granted their request to hold services in the church – and a large Turkish flag mounted at the site, it was argued by some that this project really announced the "Turkification" of this monument,

3096-454: The church. On 8 September 2013, the rite of baptism was carried out for a group of Armenian boys within the cathedral. This was the first time since the Armenian genocide that a baptism was performed in Van. Hürriyet columnist Cengiz Çandar characterized the way the Turkish government handled the opening as an extension of an ongoing " cultural genocide " of the Armenians. He characterizes

3168-489: The content of some of the reliefs, such as the prominent depiction of a prince sitting cross-legged on a Turkic-style, low throne. Some scholars assert that the friezes parallel contemporary motifs found in Umayyad art - such as a turbaned prince, Arab styles of dress, wine imagery; allusions to royal Sassanian imagery are also present (griffins, for example). After 1915, the church has been exposed to extensive vandalism. Before

3240-528: The country this week. The trip revealed more than the government might have intended: Armenian schools in Istanbul where only the Turkish version of history - ignoring 1915 - is taught; Armenian priests who need metal detectors at their churches because of the threat of extremists; and, at the newspaper offices of the murdered Turkish-Armenian writer Hrant Dink, a stream of abusive emails from nationalists. Cengiz Aktar, an academic of Galatasaray University , also took

3312-437: The cross atop the dome until 1915 should be replaced. Some Armenians said that the renovation was unfinished until the cross was replaced, and that prayer should be allowed inside at least once a year. A cross had been prepared nearly a year before the opening, and Mesrob II petitioned the Prime Minister and Minister of Culture to place the cross on the dome of the cathedral. Turkish officials cited technical difficulties related to

3384-409: The destruction? The next day we went there with the military officer. They have already demolished the small chapel next to the church. The military officer became angry and told the workers, "I am ordering you to stop working. I will meet with governor. There will be no movement until I return to the island again". The workers immediately stopped the demolition. We arrived at Van city center. I contacted

3456-487: The dome reaching 20.40m above ground. In later centuries, and until 1915, it formed part of a monastic complex, the ruins of which can still be seen to the south of the church. Between 1116 and 1895 the island was the location of the Catholicosate of Aghtamar of the Armenian Apostolic Church . Khachatur III, who died in 1895, was the last Catholicos of Aght'amar. In April 1915, during the Armenian genocide ,

3528-498: The end, it was decided that the opening of Ahtamar, now "Akdamar," would take place on Mar. 29, as a restoration opening of a museum-church, without a cross or a bell. Çandar notes that the Agos issue published on the day of the murder of Hrant Dink featured a Dink commentary on the Turkish government's handling of the Akdamar issue, which the late journalist characterized as "A real comedy... A real tragedy...". According to Dink, The government hasn't still been able to formulate

3600-414: The fabric of society via a protagonist who flees to the mountains as a result of the oppression of the ağas . One of the most famous writers in Turkey, Kemal was noted for his command of the language and his lyrical descriptions of Turkish rural life. He won nineteen literary prizes over his lifetime and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973. Produced by Fuad Kavur, in 1984,MEMED MY HAWK

3672-420: The initiative being no more than a media stunt. The church is now classed as a secular museum. During the ceremony held to mark the restoration there were images of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk displayed prominently. Armenian religious leaders invited to the opening ceremony refused to attend because the church was being reopened as a secular museum. It has the allowance to hold one religious service per year from

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3744-744: The late 1970s. Italian composer Fabio Vacchi adapted the same novel with its original title into a three-act opera , which premiered at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan , Italy, in 2007. In 1952, Yaşar Kemal married Thilda Serrero, a member of a prominent Sephardi Jewish family in Istanbul. Her grandfather, Jak Mandil Pasha, was the chief physician of the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II . She translated seventeen of her husband's works into English. In 2001 Thilda predeceased Yaşar, dying, aged 78, from pulmonary complications in an Istanbul hospital. She

3816-454: The monks on Aght'amar were massacred, the cathedral looted, and the monastic buildings destroyed. On August 28, 2010, a small solar energy power plant was opened on the island, to provide local installations with electricity. The architecture of the church is based on a form that had been developed in Armenia several centuries earlier; the best-known example being that of the seventh century St. Hripsime church in Echmiadzin , incorporating

3888-470: The monument from Turkey's Armenian community". The critics, writing for media such as Radikal, Milliyet , or Turkish Daily News , furthermore lamented that permission to mount a cross on top of the church was not given. Moreover, they argued the official name of the museum, the Turkish Akdamar (translating as "white vein") rather than the original Armenian Ahtamar – the name of the island in Lake Van on which

3960-400: The newspaper Cumhuriyet . They informed the Ministry of Education about the demolition. Two days later, Minister Avni Başman telegraphed the Van governor and ordered to stop the demolition permanently. June 25, 1951, the day when the order came, is the liberation day of the church." Between May 2005 and October 2006, the church underwent a controversial restoration program. The restoration had

4032-575: The opening. They had to travel 16 hours by bus through Georgia to Turkey, due to the closure of the Turkish-Armenian border by Turkey. Ian Herbert, writing in The Independent , records his own experiences traveling in Turkey on an invitation from the Turkish government in the period of the opening of Akdamar: So desperate is Mr Erdogan 's government to demonstrate its tolerance of Turkey's 70,000 Armenian minority that it took journalists around

4104-406: The original Armenian Ahtamar – the name of the island in Lake Van on which the church stands and Surp Haç (Holy Cross) for the church itself would suggest this to be a Turkish monument. At the same time only sparing use was made of the word “Armenian” in official statements. With Turkey's Armenian community not granted the privilege to hold a service at least once a year - as had been requested - and

4176-468: The refusal to place a cross atop the church as symptomatic of religious intolerance in Turkish society. (This was written before the cross was placed at its place on top of the church in 2010) What do you think “our set” are trying to do? If you ask me, they would like “to appear righteous and benefit politically.” And naturally they make a mess out of it. The initial plans were for the opening of Ahtamar to take place on Apr. 24. A real cunning idea... As it

4248-401: The renaming of the church from Armenian to Turkish as part of a broader program to rename Armenian historical sites in Turkey , and attributes the refusal to place a cross atop the church as symptomatic of religious intolerance in Turkish society. What do you think "our set" are trying to do? If you ask me, they would like "to appear righteous and benefit politically." And naturally they make

4320-511: The restoration of the Akhtamar church, the process of covering the bullet holes are identified as the hardest part of the restoration by academicians and architects. Some claim that the Armenian churches and gravestones have been exposed to vandalism as a part of the Turkish government policy which aims to destroy the Armenian heritage in Anatolia. In 1951 an order was issued to demolish the church, but

4392-412: The restoration of the church, the reliefs on the church wall used as a shooting range. Zakarya Mildanoğlu, an architect who was involved in the restoration process of the church, explains the situation during an interview with Hrant Dink as "The facade of the church is full of bullet holes. Some of them are so big that they can not be covered during the renovation process." During many conferences related to

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4464-427: The revitalization of the site was "an important peace offering" from the Turkish government. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Yasar Kemal Yaşar Kemal ( Turkish pronunciation: [ˈjaʃar ceˈmal] ; born Kemal Sadık Gökçeli ; 6 October 1923 – 28 February 2015) was a leading Kurdish writer and human rights activist from Turkey. He received 38 awards during his lifetime and had been

4536-444: The shore to the island each night, guided by a light she lit for him. Her father learned of the boy's visits. One night, as she waited for her lover to arrive, her father smashed her light, leaving the boy in the middle of the lake without a guide to indicate which direction to swim. He drowned and his body washed ashore and, as the legend concludes, it appeared as if the words "Akh, Tamar" (Oh, Tamar) were frozen on his lips. The legend

4608-498: The structure of the restored building which may not be able to safely hold a heavy cross on top without further reinforcement. The controversial cross was erected on the top of the church on October 2, 2010. The cross was sent by the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul to Van by plane. It is 2 meters high and weigh 110 kilograms. It was put on top of the church after being sanctified by Armenian clergymen. Since 2010, every year

4680-477: The subject of much and varied interpretation. Some of this is speculation – for example, a few sources interpret Islamic and Turkic influences behind the artistic rendering of the reliefs, syncretised with Armenian influences. Some scholars assert that the friezes parallel contemporary motifs found in Umayyad art – such as a turbaned prince, Arab styles of dress, wine imagery; allusions to royal Sassanian imagery are also present (Griffins, for example). Following

4752-457: The village but didn't face discrimination despite his ethnic difference. Kemal had a difficult childhood, and his family had to flee from Van province to Diyarbakır province . From there, they were deported to Adana province . He lost his right eye in a knife accident while his father was slaughtering a sheep for Eid al-Adha . When he was five years old he witnessed his father being stabbed to death by his adoptive son Yusuf while praying in

4824-533: The world, how can I sell it?” Historian Ara Sarafian has answered some criticism of the Akdamar project, stating that, on the contrary, the project represents an answer to allegations of cultural genocide. He has stated that the revitalization of the site is "an important peace offering" from the Turkish government. The Armenian delegation attending the opening, led by the Deputy Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs; Gagik Giurjyan, faced obstacles on their way to

4896-482: The writer Yasar Kemal managed to stop its destruction. He explained the situation to Alain Bosquet as "I was in a ship from Tatvan to Van . I met with a military officer Dr. Cavit Bey on board. I told him, in this city there is a church descended from Armenians. It is a masterpiece. These days, they are demolishing this church. I will take you there tomorrow. This church is a monument of Anatolia. Can you help me to stop

4968-482: Was abolished by the Ottoman Empire . The church remained in disuse through the decades after 1915. When the writer and journalist Yaşar Kemal visited the island of Akhtamar in 1951, he discovered that it was about to be demolished. Using his contacts he helped stop the planned destruction. The church became a noted tourist attraction in the coming decades. In 2005 the structure was closed to visitors as it underwent

5040-603: Was made into a film of the same name , starring Peter Ustinov and Herbert Lom. Although the film enjoyed a Royal Première in London and had theatrical runs in US and Europe, in Turkey it was banned and remains so to this day- 2023. His 1955 novel Teneke was adapted into a theatrical play, which ran for almost a year in Gothenburg , in Sweden, the country in which he lived for about two years in

5112-569: Was sentenced to 20 months and received a suspended sentence in March 1996. In December 2000, he was involved in negotiations over the hunger strikes against the F-Type prisons . On 14 January 2015, Kemal was hospitalised at Istanbul University 's Çapa Medical Faculty, due to respiratory insufficiency . During the afternoon of 28 February 2015, he died in the intensive care unit, where he had been admitted for multiple organ dysfunction syndrome , Following

5184-487: Was the inspiration for a well-known 1891 poem by Hovhannes Tumanyan . The similar-sounding Akdamar (meaning "white vein" in Turkish) has since become the official name of the island. During his reign, King Gagik I Artsruni (r. 908-943/944) of the Armenian Kingdom of Vaspurakan chose the island as one of his residences. He founded a settlement and erected a large square palace richly decorated with frescoes, built

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