page_title: Armenian monuments in Cyprus
section_title: Magaravank
hierarchical_section_title: Armenian monuments in Cyprus / Magaravank
caption_attribution_description: English: The oldest surviving Armenian inscription in Cyprus Ελληνικά: Η παλαιότερη αρμενική επιγραφή που σώζεται στην Κύπρο
context_page_description: Despite its small size, the Armenian-Cypriot community has plenty of monuments to show:
context_section_description: There are two monuments at Sourp Magar. The first one is a mortar obelisk dedicated to Abbot Mekhitar, his visit there in 1695 and the 200th anniversary of the formation of the Mekhitarist Order. It was originally erected in 1901, as a pile of stones, by the students of the National Educational Orphanage, run by Vahan Kurkjian (Pagouran); the inaugural ceremony was performed on 8 September 1901. Thirty years after this, the monument was re-constructed by 4 former students of the Orphanage (Movses Soultanian, Simon Vanian, Armen Bedevian, Rapael Pilibbossian), with the help of architect Garo Balian, and was unveiled on 2 August 1931 by Catholicos Sahag Khabayan and Archbishop Bedros Saradjian.
  There are two inscriptions in Armenian on the monument; the Armenian inscription on the eastern side of the monument is a poem by Vahan Kurkjian and it reads:
  ՄԽԻԹԱՐԱՅ ԲԼՈՒՐ - Ողջո՜յն քեզ բլուր, բնութեան տաճար, յիշատակ թողումք կոթողդ կարկառ նորընծայ անունդ պահէ՛ դարէ դար, կեցցէ՛ լուսաշող մեծն Մխիթար։ Վ.Քիւրքճեան (MEKHITAR’S HILL - Hail to you hill, temple of nature, may this stone monument be a memorial that preserves your holy name from century to century, long live the radiant great Mehhitar. Vahan Kurkjian)
  The western side of the monument has the following inscription in Armenian:
  8 Սեպտ.1901 – Ի յիշատակ երկհարիւրամեակի Մխիթար Աբբահօր. Աշակերտք Ազգ.Կրթ.-Որբանոցի Նիկոսիոյ. Վերականգնեցաւ նախկին 4 աշակերտաց կողմէ - Մ.Ս.,Ս.Վ.,Ա.Պ.,Ռ.,Փ. 1931 (8 September 1901 – In memory of the two hundredth anniversary of Abbot Mekhitar. The students of the National Educational Orphanage of Nicosia. Restored by 4 former students Movses Soultanian, Simon Vanian, Armen Bedevian, Raphael Philippossian 1931)
  The other monument is a stone column, located at the monastery's square and dedicated to the visit of Catholicos Sahag II there and the opening of the square in 1933; it was unveiled by himself on 8 September 1933. The inscription on the column, in Armenian reads:
  Բացաւ հրապարակս այս արդեամբ եւ ըղձիւք Մեծին Բ. Սահակայ Վեհին Կիլիկիոյ ի յիշատակ այցելութեան ի Վանս, 8 Սեպ. 1933 (This square was opened by commission and desire of the Great Catholicos of Cilicia Sahag II in memory of his visit to this Monastery, 8 September 1933)
caption: The oldest known Armenian inscription in Cyprus
exif: {"Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "96", "Image YResolution": "96", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS4 Windows", "Image DateTime": "2011:09:05 11:46:02", "Image ExifOffset": "164", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "302", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "6065", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "1216", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "1874"}