The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1915-10-08
HEART OF ARMENIA
venerated Monastery in Midst Of
Strife.
Echmiadzln, Seat Of the Prlmate Of
the Gresoriar Armenian Church,
Just Now In a Position of the
Utmost Peril.

Swallowed up in the maelstrom of
the southern Caucasus, which is now
aflame with the strife of the Turks and
the Russians, and near the meeting
point of Persia, Russia and Turkey, is
situated the most treasured and sacred
possession of the Armenian nation, a
nation without country and with the
longest record of bravely borne suf-
fering of any people, and this posses
sion is the monastery and cathedral
of Echmiadzin, the holy see Of Arme-
nian Christians, the heart Of the Ar
menian nation, and the source of that
strength which has held together and
guided the Armenians through centu-
ries of persecution, warfare and mas
sacre," begins bulletin issued by the
National Geographic society.
"Echmiadzin is the seat of the ca
tholicus, or primate, of the Gregorian
Armenian church, the sustaining force
and the inspiration of people whose
lives and labors have been passed for
thousand years under the shadow of
unnatural death. Nearly a thousand
years have gone by since the fall of
the last definite political state Of the
Armenians, yet their church has held
them in their national consciousness,
and has preserved in them their dis
tinguishing racial and social charac-
teristics. Almost every member of the
Armenian nation belongs to the Ar
menian church, which counts its mar
tyrs by the scores of thousands. The
church is more than his religion to the
Armenian; it is his patriotism, his
hope for survival, and the banner un-
der which he has rallied for progress,
education and justice for his people.
Mount Ararat, where Noah landed,
lies just to the south of the venerable
Armenian see. Here runs the Russo
Turkish frontier, while few miles to
the southeast lies Persia. The mon
astery is reared about three thousand
feet above the sea, 40 miles west OF
Erivan, the capital of the Russian gov
eminent in which il is situated. This
Armenian Rome is surrounded by mas
sive gray mud walls, which inclose
the monastery, the cathedral and an
academy. The buildings are arranged
around great quadrangle, in the cen
ter of which stands the cathedral OF
st. Gregory the illumination, a church
of more ancient beginnings than even
far-famed Sancta Sophia Of Constan
tinople. 1t has been the bulwark OF
Christianity against the barbarians OF
Asia since 302, and, though its fight
has been unusually severe, long and
heroic, little is known Of Echmiadzin
among the peoples of the West
Throughout the years during which
the Armenians have been divided be
tween three more or less unfriendlJ
states, Russia, Persia and the Ottoman
empire, and during their centuries o.
still more bitter suffering before the
advent of Russia into the Caucasus
the Armenians have turned to Ech
miadzin for guidance and support il
all their troubles-and the history o
this people generally impresses thu
student as being just one trouble afte
another with little justification TO
hope The ancient gray monster,
, has been the religious, political ant
cultural center of the Armenian world
"The library of Echmiadzin is
treasure-store of Armenian document