Page:«Armenia og armenierne.» (Bodil Biørn okt. 1944).pdf/3

 Armenia and the Armenians.

Armenia is located in the northeastern corner of Asia Minor towards Caucasia. It is a mountain country with powerful mountain ranges and high mountain peaks, of which the majestic Arrarat rises over 5000 meters above sea level. Armenia is a wonderfully beautiful and fertile country, and you can feel that the garden of paradise was here. Euphrates and Tigris have their source in the mountains of Armenia, and Euphrates with its tributaries flow through the land. Araxe, the river of Armenia, also has its source up there.

Here you will find several large lakes, of which Lake Urmia and Lake Van are the largest. Lake Van is very beautiful with its blue water. Armenia is rich in springs, spreading everywhere in the mountains. Between the mountains there are large, fertile valley areas where grains, tobacco, fruit trees, melons, grapes, etc. are grown.

Armenia was almost as large as Norway before it was divided, but it was divided between Turkey, Russia and Persia, and the Turks occupied the largest and most fertile part of the country. From ancient times, Armenia has been the scene of major historical events, and many peoples from Asia have wandered through the country.

Armenians are among the oldest people on earth. Already around 600 years BC, many believe even long before that time, they inhabited the land around Ararat and founded a great kingdom there.

Their ancestor was Haig, and after him the Armenians call the country Haiastan, but the neighbors called it Armenia after a great Armenian king of Aram. Armenia was previously a kingdom that was the largest under Diagranes the Great. He founded Digranagerd (Diyarbakır) and ruled over 30 million people.

Armenia's central location between the great empires has made it an apple of discord, so it has often been the victim of the ravages of war. There has also been a Lesser Armenia down in Cilicia, and it was the last Armenian owned. It was captured by the Turks in 1375, and their last king Levon VI was captured and deposed. It was this land the Armenians hoped to get back after the world war, but the great powers did not keep their promises.

The Armenians are an intelligent, diligent and frugal people who, with tenacious perseverance, have stayed upraised despite terrible hardships, distress and persecution. 80% of them are farmers, but there are also many educated people. - probably no Armenian people would have existed today if Christianity had not taken root so early.

Thaddaeus and the apostle Bartholomeus have both been to Armenia preaching the gospel, and Christian churches were formed there already then. Supposedly they both died a martyr’s death there.

The real apostle of Armenia is Grigor Lusavorich - the Illuminator - because he brought the light of the gospel to Armenia. By wonderful circumstances, he was called by God to be the Armenian apostle. Together with King Tiridates, who ruled Armenia and had been converted to Christianity through Grikor, he went around the country as Olav the Holy One in Norway. The pagan altars and sacrificial sites were demolished and in their place churches and monasteries were built. Grigor Lusavorich had a wonderful vision: He saw that the Savior descended and showed him how the first church in Armenia was to be built, and on that site the cathedral " Etschmiadsin " - "the only begotten descended" - was built overlooking