Özet:

From the sixteenth century onwards, Ankara developed in parallel with its weaving sector that invigorated the economic life in the city; resulting in the growth of its Armenian population who acted as intermediaries to European merchants. Due to the activities of missionary priests in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, many families in the city converted to Catholicism, and the Armenians of Ankara were separated into Gregorians, Catholics and Protestants. The subject of this study is the Gregorian Armenian monastery mentioned by travelers. It served as a spiritual center due to Ankara’s status as a holy place and was known by many different names: the Ankara Surp Asdvadzadzin (Holy Mother of God) Vank, Saint Marie and the Garmir Monastery (The Red Monastery)”. It did not survive and has never been the subject of a monographic study. The Surp Asdvadzadzin Monastery was known to be still active in 1914, and it was the oldest Armenian monastery in Western and Central Anatolia. The core structures of the monastery are thought to have been built in the twelfth century, although there are no definitive data to confirm this. The main structures were erected or renovated around the mid-eighteenth century. The monastery was devoted to the Virgin Mary and built on the shores of the Çubuk River, which corresponds to today’s Etlik district. The eighteenth and nineteenth century travelers emphasized that the structure was located in the suburbs, with agricultural activity and orchards around it. From 1915 onwards, it was turned into a “prison camp” for prisoners of war from World War I, and then burnt or demolished. Although nothing remains of the Surp Asdvadzadzin Monastery, its depictions in paintings and etchings give important information about the structure. With the help of sources like the Ottoman Archives of the Prime Ministry, missionary reports, travelers’ accounts, Armenian sources, contemporary newspapers, paintings, etchings, photographs and postcards, this study not only examines structures that have disappeared, but also aims to present a well-rounded history of the city.

Anahtar Kelimeler: