Iran treats Armenian culture with respect – monument expert

Iran has spared no effort to restore and preserve the monuments of Armenian architecture on its territory, a monument expert said today, highly praising the country’s respectful attitude to the Armenian cultural heritage.

“The Islamic Republic’s attitude to our monuments is simply exemplary. I express my gratitude to Iran for such a high appreciation of our culture and the state-level efforts to restore it. They are a unique neighbor,” Samvel Karapetyan told reporters at a news conference held ahead of an exhibition to showcase the samples of Armenian architecture in Iran.

He said that the initiative to hold the public event was proposed by a cultural center adjunct to the Iranian Embassy to Armenia.

Majid Meshkin, the center’s director also attending the news conference, said he finds exhibition a unique opportunity to shed light on the Armenian architecture. He said they had come up with the idea long ago.

“All our attention to the Armenian architecture is due to the fact that the Armenians are not a guest for the people in Iran; they are not second-class citizens. They are full-fledged citizens whose values must be respected.”

No other attitude is possible for the cultural heritage of the Armenians who have created numerous architectural monuments, Mr Meshkin added. He said that the idea is motivated by the  desire to demonstrate the Armenians’ service to a country where they lived for centuries. In his words, the Islamic Republic treats the Armenian cultural heritage the same way as it treats its own culture.

Mr Meshid proposed conducting such exhibitions annually to showcase the multiple aspects of the rich Armenian culture.