Treasures of Istanbul Armenian church revealed by US professors

Two professors from the United States have published a book on 18th and 19th century textile treasures held by the Istanbul Armenian Orthodox Church.

Acccording to Hurriyet Daily News, Archaeology Professor Ronald T Marchese and Textile Professor Marlen R Breu published the book after 10 years of in-depth research of the archives and repositories of the church with special permission from Patriarch Mesrop II.

‘The materials that appear in the book have never been studied before,’ said Marchese.

The Turkish Armenian Patriarchate opened its doors to the professors in 1998. The two researchers then spent the next decade examining and cataloguing many of the church’s artifacts, mostly from the 18th and 19th century though some were over 300 years old. Mesrop II, who has been fighting dementia since 2007, authorized the professors to carry out the inaugural study of the church’s textile treasures.  Read more... (223 words)

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