Yerevan's best kept secret?: The Gök (Blue) Mosque

Yerevan's unique mosque is a surprisingly imposing religious complex covering more than 70,000 sq.ft of prime land in the Center of the capital. Being an Iranian mosque, it follows the Twelver Shi'ite branch of Islam, as Shi'ism was proclaimed state religion of the Persia by the Safavid Empire from the early 16th century and on. (Photo: SasunsyDavit)

The tiny Republic of Armenia never ceases to amaze and surprise the world with its vast cultural heritage and important landmarks disproportionate to its size. The landlocked country in the Caucasus in the Highlands of biblical Mount Ararat has an area of under 30,000 km.sq. with a population of around 3 million. Since the fall of the Soviet bloc in 1991 it regained its independence and now is being discovered by visitors and investors from around the Globe.

Understandably the capital Yerevan is the magnet attracting the new investments, developments and the lion's share of all the visitors who comb the country and are left amazed by the vast variety of natural beauties and the cultural heritage that the country has to offer. Yet, quite amazingly, one if the best kept secrets of Armenia's Capital Yerevan seems to evade most tourists, even many locals.

"So you stayed at the Marriott Hotel in the city center. Did you also visit the nearby Blue Mosque?", I would ask out of curiosity.

-"What mosque? There are no mosques we know of in Yerevan" is the most frequent answer I get.

Yet this big Yerevan mosque is right there, just a few hundred feet away from Armenia's "Point Zero", the epicenter of the country: the Republic square (Hanrapetutyan Hrabarag). Moreover, It is a pretty imposing and rather pleasing complex just a heartbeat away from the Opera or the Marriott. I have literally seen thousands of photographs of every relevant and irrelevant structure and site in Yerevan. Every little commemorative palque, statue, fountain, street corner is proudly photographed by the visitors, but I have never seen one photo of this proud Mosque.

No wonder people miss this unique mosque. It is right opposite the main popular produce market on the Mashdots avenue, but it is hidden almost entirely behind rather ugly apartment buildings that surround it completely (see map below).

Yerevan's unique mosque is nicknamed "Blue", surely because of the predominant color of the entrance and the exterior tiles. (Photo: SasunsyDavit)

This only surviving mosque in Yerevan is called the the Gök mosque (Blue or Sky Blue Mosque), known or Kapuyt Mezgit (Կապոյտ մզկիթ) in Armenian. It sits on an imposing 75,000 sq.ft of land, has an inner courtyard, meeting halls as well as a theological school (madrasa). The single brick and tile laden minaret towers over the complex.

The exact origins of the mosque may be little fuzzy, but it was certainly constructed to its present dimensions in around 1764 and completed within the same decade.The mosque is said to have been commissioned under the patronage of the local Governor or ruler Hussein Ali Khan. That was of course a period of yet another Persian dominion over the eastern Armenian territories after it was taken from the Ottoman Empire.  At the time Yerevan was a provincial town, probably with 20,000 inhabitants but was nonetheless influential, with the Armenian Apostolic Holy Seat at Etchmiadzin  just a short distance away. 

Yerevan and Eastern Armenia of course eventually fell under Russian influence and direct rule after 1827 and the Treaty of Turkmenchay, which gave Russia its modern zones of influence relative to Persia and Turkey of the day. This treaty came as a result of the Russo-Persian wars which resulted in crushing defeats for Iran. Turkmenchay is a town in the Azerbaijan province of modern Iran, where the defeated Persians signed and recognized the Imperial Russian dominion over the "Yerevan", "Nakhitchevan" and "Talish" Khanates (administrative provinces under the authority of a Khan). One of the the main results of the treaty was the establishment of the Arax river (Araz, Արաքս)  as the recognized boundary between Russian zone of direct influence and Iran. This is still true today, as Arax forms the actual borders between Azerbaijan and Iran and southern Armenia.

                                     (Click on photo to enlarge for details) 

Yerevan: The Persian mosque called the Gök Jamii (Blue  Mosque) can be seen as the black dot 24 in the center. Note how it is pretty much hidden by all the surrounding Apartments despite its central location. It is only one block away from the Hanraptutyun (Republic) square, the "Point Zero" of Armenia (at the center right in yellow). Marriott Yerevan, formerly "Armenia" hotel is the number 22. Next up is the Ministry of Foreign affairs.

According to some reliable sources, there were around 10 functional mosques in the Yerevan region before the arrival of the Russians. These mosques were eventually abandoned or demolished except of course the Blue Mosque. During the Soviet era, this mosque suffered the same tragic fate as most of the churches in the deeply christian tiny country of Armenia. The communists implemented extreme secular policies, forcibly closing churches and putting all religious institutions under heavy pressure. The Blue Mosque was of course no exception and was in pitiful condition as well during these communist dark ages. After the fall of the Soviet Union the mosque underwent radical and somehow controversial restoration with funding provided by the Iranian Government. Some critics argued the restorations were not truthful to the original spirit of the mosque.

The very intriguing question as to why the Yerevan Blue mosque is surrounded from all sides with apartments buildings and thus literally hidden from view except a rather modest entrance on the Mashdotz avenue?  The first logical explanation would be to assume that there was a certain bigotry or conspiracy on the part of the Armenians to ''neutralize'' the Muslim Mosque from general view. In fact the encirclement of the mosque by apartment buildings is almost complete. But it is very safe to say that there was no "foul play" involved on the part of the Christian Armenians. On the contrary, care was exercised to include the whole complex in the new block without any architectural "dissections".

Armenia's capital:  Yerevan in the shadow of the snow-capped heights of Mount Ararat, where it is said Biblical Noah's Ark landed escaping the Great Flood. Yerevan's modern urban plan is most obvious with this aerial view. The Ararat mountain with its two peaks has always been at the very center of Armenian history and identity and is sacred to its people. Today it lies in Turkey, just across the border. Alexander Tamanian drew the modern Yerevan city plans (bottom)

The simple explanation of the mosque's bizarre encirclement is that Yerevan underwent a major urban plan during the Soviet times. The city center was completely overhauled and redesigned, just the same way say Baron Haussman transformed central Paris arteries during the 19th century. Renowned architects (especially Alexander Tamanian) undertook the major task of modernizing Yerevan and the new general plan was executed (see Yerevan city map above for the modern design). Therefore the Blue mosque happened to fall in the middle of a new grid or block and was surrounded by new buildings along the new avenues. The blue Mosque was preserved.  In any case, destroying it would have been both stupid and criminal.

Yerevan's best kept secret?: The apartment buildings completely encircle the mosque and make it almost impossible for an outside passer-by to see it, even from the major Mashdots or Khorenatsi avenues. Yet this mosque is a joy to see, appreciate and pay a visit.

When I discovered this mosque while trying to find a shortcut from the Mashdotz avenue to my hotel in the mid nineties, the exterior was being repaired by at least six workers albeit with rather primitive methods and equipments. The pace of the works seemed very slow albeit continuous. The mosque is presently functional and is an important meeting point for the local tiny Muslim population and expatriate students studying in Armenian Universities.

Is the Yerevan Blue Mosque a masterpiece in Persian Shiite Islamic architecture? Not so by any stretch of imagination. However it is a historical place of worship that deserves a visit, a photo or two and all the care the Armenian people and Government can give to this unique mosque of the Capital.

The recent referendum in Switzerland imposing a ban on the construction of minarets next to the mosques was a sure indication of the needless and somehow understandable but unnecessary and often ridiculous clashes between these two great monotheistic religions: Islam and Christianity. In this late Swiss episode many protest voices were heard, but similar attitudes of intolerance and exclusion exists all around the world. In Saudi Arabia, for instance, existing churches do not even look like actual churches from the exterior. No crosses are allowed, no visible signs such as stained glasses or statues. Same story on a lesser extent in Kuwait City, where the main Church next to the Sheraton had no cross as not to insult the locals. In some of these these countries the construction and maintenance of any Christian worship place faces more hurdles than the erection of the Great Wall of China!

The landscaping around the perimeter is a disaster, yet seemingly "normal" and somehow acceptable for that part of the world. Fortunately, the "exotic" charm of this mosque is not lost. The brick minaret with staggered patterns is typical of Persian-Mesopotamian traditions.   

The Saudis, for example, have imposed a series of non surmountable pre-conditions effectively banning any church constructions. At the core of all this is their insistence that the Catholic church in particular somehow "recognize the prophet Mohamed", even though unclear in what exact capacity. Such conditions are vague and poisonous. Essential human rights and the freedom of all people to practice their  faith freely must be beyond any ridiculous restrictions from all sides. The same is true to the Muslim communities that may suffer unnecessary conditions, harassment, discrimination and exaggerated sets of rules and regulations here and there. 

In this day and age when religious intolerance is growing like a cancer both in East and West, the World deserves more positive winds of openness, goodwill and a minimum of tolerance. Armenians have had major issues with peoples acting in the name of Islam. Armenians have suffered immensely and have paid the ultimate price of abuses perpetrated against them in the name of religious correctness. This is the reason why the recent restoration and the preservation of this Blue mosque in the middle of Yerevan should serve as an example of tolerance and respect towards minorities to others. Armenian churches are crumbling both in  Turkey and even in Christian Georgia (Capital: Tbilisi), where the central government has to come clean and act responsibly towards its minorities.

In any case, it is very clear that Yerevan is a richer place with this Blue mosque than without it.

The Blue Mosque mosque complex from the back oozes Persian architectural forms, even though not in its purest forms. The finishing is rough, but functionality and cost cutting consideration obviously have prevailed. The  Yerevan mosque should not be confused with the Blue Mosque of Istanbul, the incredible "Sultanahmet" with its six minarets, an architectural masterpiece of the highest order. Another famous "Blue mosque" of course is in Tabriz (Iran) which was heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1779 and only recently mostly repaired.

Minimalistic approach: The interior of the Yerevan Blue Mosque is beautiful in its simplicity yet lacks the "wow" factor. No interior tiles or typical Islamic calligraphy in this part. The Mihrab (the niche in the wall indicating the direction of Mecca) and the Minbar (the pulpit with stairs for the Imam's sermon) are very simple and functional. The carpet has patterns marking individual worshipers allocated floor space and prayer direction.

 

 Yerevan, Armenia circa 1672, then till under Persian suzerainty until 1827. It was a provincial city. In early 20th century and during the Armenian genocide of 1915 thousands of refugees and survivors found refuge there and eventually it became the Capital of the First Republic of Armenia proclaimed in May 28, 1918. It has remained so since and today it has an estimated population of 1.2 million. 

©Krikor Tersakian, Dec. 2009

Editor's notes:  

• Note: Armenia has very rich historical monuments and can be regarded as an open air museum. Day trips from Yerevan can take the visitors to almost all destinations. Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion in AD 301. Thousand year old churches, Stone crosses (Khatchkars) and other monuments are there to be discovered and awe any visitor. Since the fall of the Soviet Union it is an independent state again and an emerging democracy. Three sites in modern Armenia are included on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, having outstanding universal value and meeting the tough selection criteria. Links to the UNESCO website:


• Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin
  
  


• Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots


• Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley

Photo: Geghard or Keghart rock-carved monastery

Iran & China: Contrasting reactions to internal crises

A Muslim Uighur woman walks with her son past security forces in the town of Kashgar, Xinjiang Province. The Government is omnipresent in this remote Autonomous Province in deep crisis but the news media are not banned.

The recent events in China and Iran were significant in the very contrasting ways these two nations handled their respective internal problems. Both the post-presidential election crisis in Iran and the bloody riots in the westernmost Xinjiang province of China were well documented in the international media, albeit with some predictable biases and prejudices.The two events were of course not similar in nature but they went a long way reflecting on the relative stability, self confidence and their "savoir faire".

The clashes in Iran were (and still are) mostly ideological between the existing theocracy and relatively more liberal forces of the opposition. These widespread protest, clashes and reprisals pierced serious holes in the Armour of the Ayatollahs and their secular conservative followers. The legitimacy of the present Theocracy, headed by the Supreme Spiritual Leader Khamenei, was openly questioned and challenged by huge masses despite all the muscled and improvised repressions.

On the other hand China's problems were of ethnic and racial origin in a very remote Xinjiang region as the divide between the Chinese Han and Turkic Muslim Uighurs came to a bloody collision course, not for the first time in recent history. However, China's stability was not threatened nor questioned and surprisingly Beijing showed a great deal of expertise and media Savvy in dealing with the very bloody events.

Lessons were learned in Beijing from past errors, but these same lessons are yet to be learned by Tehran. Both countries were shaken deeply by their internal events, but only a blind would not see that Tehran lost points while Beijing proved that under certain circumstances it can act as an "enlightened" and rather "tolerant" Government.

Protest in Iran (Tehran's Azadi freedom square): The frustration behind the smile.

The circumstances and underlying root causes were very different from China to Iran. However, they gave us a window of truth to get a glimpse of what makes these regimes function and what are their respective tolerance limits in times of internal crisis.The racial conflict and the death of around 200 people between the Muslim Uighurs and the majority Han was ugly and violent by all accounts. The frustration of the Uighurs had boiled over into violence. Beijing acted very differently from the past behavior of hiding the truth, repressing the media, like it had done during the Tienanmen Square uprisings, the various Tibet protests and Uighur treats just prior the Beijing Olympics.

Protest in Washington demanding the release 17 Uighur detainees at Guantanamo Bay - Gitmo. The fact of having such a big number of "terrorist" Uighur Chinese nationals at Gitmo helped the Chinese Government win the public opinion war against its own citizens.

China knew that the western media and the international public opinion would be won over by pushing a few sensitive "buttons": Describing the Uighurs as "anti China separatists" and "Islamic extremists" or "Al Qaeda operatived" was a sure bet. The much publicized detention of more than 15 Uighur Islamic militants at the Guantanamo Bay prison did not help the reputation of the Uighurs and hence greatly facilitated Beijing's game-plan for a concerted heavy handed crackdown without losing the international propaganda war.

Beijing easily labeled the protesting minority and maintained that the attacks were coordinated acts of subversion that must be dealt with vigorously. Therefore it was a relatively easy case to win and Beijing played the cards perfectly. The Chinese authorities were confident and therefore open, approachable and even actively invited the media to go to Xinjiang and report from there with almost no official control or censorship.

Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in far western China has a population of 18 million which includes numerous Turkic-speaking, Muslim ethnic groups. The Uighurs, at 6 million, are the largest group. This non-Han Chinese population does not like being controlled by the Chinese and there are several pro-independence groups mostly articulated along ethno-nationalist lines rather than religious ones. These movements are supported by Uighurs living in the adjacent countries of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and those governments also fear the establishment of another East Turkestan as existed briefly from 1944-1949. Xinjiang is rich in natural resources including oil and is therefore important to the Chinese. A policy of Sinicization has been practiced since 1949. Many people from crowded, eastern China were forcibly moved into the region. Today, incentives and opportunities are given to those who "volunteer" move there. In 1949, ethnic Han Chinese made up 6 % of Xinjiang's population, 40% in 2007.

On the other hand, Iran's Presidential election result was obviously a foregone conclusion even before the first vote was cast. The Islamic Republic, led by Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, carefully selected all the candidates and voters to ensure President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected. Ahmadinejad may have really won the elections, but something was fundamentally wrong with the process. The results were announced within hours after the ballot boxes closed and no one could explain how the tens of millions of votes were counted and processed so rapidly and a winner declared with so much certainty by the Ministry of Interior. Iran is not particularly renowned for a sophisticated computerized votes counting system instantly linking all the regions, cities, towns and villages to Interior Ministry in Tehran!

The tsunami of protests came in with surprising speed and intensity. Millions of Iranians openly defied not only the results, but also the whole Iranian Government. The legitimacy itself of the regime was questioned and ridiculed by millions inside and outside the country. The Government was simply not ready for all that. The magnitude of the spontaneous protests took everybody by surprise. Even the defeated opposition candidate Mousavi himself was overwhelmed by the turn of the events and found himself at the centre of all currents opposition forces. Even the powerful and charismatic cleric and ex president Hashemi Rafsanjani took some time to react but eventually made clear that basically he supports the opposition forces.

Tehran therefore could not act with as much acumen, diplomacy, finesse and openness as the Chinese did. The cracks within the pro government rank and file were dangerously exposed by the rather heterogeneous opposition masses. The non elected religious authorities and their military and paramilitary organisations, like the Basj Militia and the Guardians of the Revolution were basically taken by surprise and reacted in a very ugly way. Mass arrests are going on to this day.

A young Iranian girl holds up photos comparing the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with Adolf Hitler during a protest against the result of the recent Iranian elections (Los Angeles). The Hitler comparison is surely not accurate by any stretch of imagination, but illustrates very well the deep polarization within the Iranian society.

Iran's turmoil was expected sooner or later, and they exposed the monolithic approach of the Government. The heirs to the Islamic revolution of the late Ayatollah Khomeini were deeply shaken but remain resolute. The blow was more direct, more severe and took everyone by surprise. Dealing with dissent is always easier when it is expected and understood. Repressive methods show a lack of preparedness and clear mandates.

Members of Iran's pro-Conservative paramilitary Basj militia. How far will they go to protect the ruling theocracy?

Neither Iran nor China claim to be democratic nor do they practice ''democracy'' the way the Western world defines it. But it can be safely assumed that nominally communist China seems to have understood a few notions and selectively applies them when the circumstances allow. This selective approach is of course better than the open repressions and cover ups of yesteryear. But it does not guarantee a long term policy change under different givens and circumstances.

Has Beijing learned the appropriate lessons? And will the sudden openness exercised by the Government usher a new era for China in terms of Human Rights and Democracy? Probably the answer is "No", but at least China proved that it has learned a thing or two. China is strong and getting stronger. The troubles in Xinjiang are at best peripheral to the central government and present no threat.

Iran, meanwhile, has huge challenges and struggles with any sort of open opposition. Much more openness and inclusiveness is expected from the Tehran government, even though it may turn out to be suicidal for the current leaders and system. The Iranian Revolution that toppled the Shah is showing its age and is seemingly running out of ideas.

The Shah was accused of being a non legitimate and a egocentric repressive ruler who did not care or listen and that he had lost all touch with the realities on the streets. Teheran's present rulers should know better than just the occasional Friday Sermons and open repression on the street and in the private bedrooms of the opposing masses.

Iran is a great nation and surely deserves better.

© Krikor Tersakian July 2009