We always assumed it was the self-appointed mission of the Turks to destroy every evidence of the Armenian Genocide. This "project", if it takes place, would come to prove that nothing is sacred anymore and that historical and religious sites can be vandalized, destroyed or removed in the name of "development" and "business" or "profit" even by their very own Armenian owners and landlords, and by the church no less. It is up to us Armenians and Lebanese to speak up and prevent this surreal injustice from taking place.
It has become commonplace in Lebanon for millonaire politicians to privatize public lands and seashores, and even to carelessly remove and destroy historical, religious, cultural, social, and natural heritage and riches in the process. The same fate is threatening the Ramlet el-Bayda seashore as well as the Raouche's Dalieh. However, in this case, it is ironic that the site being so privatized and destroyed belongs to an institution which holds it in religious and cultural significance. It is ironic that the graves to be dug up and relocated for this project are to be dug up by the permission of the church to which the owners of the graves belong, that the chapel to be destroyed is to be destroyed by the permission of the church itself to which it belongs!!
A hundred years after the Armenian Genocide, it is more than ever important for us Armenians to hold on to our social, cultural, and religious heritage, as well as to our history including the Armenian Genocide, the history of which its Turkish perpetrators are fighting tooth and nail to obliterate and annihilate. It would be totally inconceivable and absolutely beyond comprehension for the Armenian Church to facilitate even in the smallest way to the realization of that Turkish agenda.
Just as the fact that a hundred years have passed does not diminish the seriousness of the crime of the Armenian Genocide or the memory of its victims, so I believe the importance and sanctity of religio
H
Houry Ellezian
11 years ago
Keep the authentic graves alone.
T
Tony sfeir
11 years ago
No need for more privatisation of the beaches or another jet set resort . Badly needed cultural monuments , public space that promotes social cohesion
A
Anonymous
11 years ago
This unthinkable act of erasing forever an important part of the Armenian genocide history by the Armenian Catholicosate of the Greater House of Cilicia, for no other reason but the almight MONEY, is an affront to the blessed memory of Maria Jacobsen who devoted her entire life to saving and preserving the Armenian people and heritage. May God grant wisdom to our Armenian leaders.
O
ohanes oskanian
11 years ago
What a shame. This is sacred ground. I hope the catholicossate comes to its mind .
V
Vahe Oskanian
11 years ago
Featured
By removing this site, you are changing history and contribute to the ongoing denial of the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire. If everything is about money, please inform us and we will collect and buy it and keep it for the world to know the truth.
H
harry beurklian
11 years ago
this is a historical important prove that Armenian genocide was happen by turkish goverment ancesters.
S
susan kasten
11 years ago
stop this! Lebanon doesn´t need another beach resort for the rich, but a protection of its cultural heritage!
M
madeleine rasmussen
11 years ago
Save the cemetery.It is our heritage.It matters to all armenians
H
Harout Kamanian
11 years ago
SHAMEFULL!!!!
D
Dominique Roch
11 years ago
Featured
safeguarding from destruction the Bird's nest cemetery is a moral duty.turning it into a memorial will help keeping the memory alive, honoring the victims so that such crimes against Humanity never happen again
S
sona soghanjian
11 years ago
Where are our representatives?
N
Nishan Kazazian
11 years ago
July 11, 2015
Bird’s Nest was established in Byblos by Maria Jacobsen, a Danish Missionary who saved thousands of orphans during the Armenian Genocide. It is a place that evokes a complex blend of history, location and memory.
I was fortunate enough to visit Bird’s Nest several times as a child with my family during “visitor’s day” in the spring, when the children would perform various athletic activities. I remember at each spring visit there were yellow flowers growing all over this marvelous place by the sea. The laughter of joyous children, playing tug-of-war, reminded me of birds chirping.
By that time, the Birds’ Nest had adapted to the existing needs of the Armenian community now settled in Lebanon and most of the children came from disadvantaged families, were orphans or had abusive fathers who had abandoned the family. We knew the family of our cleaning lady, whose children were in the orphanage.
In the 1970s, the Birds Nest was transferred to the Catholicosate of Cilicia.
Some of the orphans who died early after its establishment are buried in Birds Nest next to Byblos’ 8800 BC archeological ruins which are a Unesco World Heritage site.
Why is there so much outrage about this decision to take apart this complex of memories that still have a story to tell generations to come? These orphans, survivors of the Genocide, were individually buried with each grave uniquely installed and named. However what was supposed to be their final resting places are being desecrated and destroyed with their remains to be placed in a collective mausoleum.
Was this desecration really the only option? Were all others truly explored? How about approaching international organizations and donors to convert this slice of history into an eco friendly park? Could not a production company make a moving film of Maria Jacobsen’s life that could generate interest and income?
Many of us are also distressed because of the larger sociopolitical issue within Lebanon of privat
V
Vigen Nazarian
11 years ago
It is simply immoral. to disturb the graves of children who after so much pain have earned the peace of eternity. Stop this madness. God will not forgive you even if humans do.
T
TOROS SEFILIAN
11 years ago
I demand!
Protect the Byblos Cemetery of Genocide Survivors
R
Richard Hamasian
11 years ago
Please do not let this important historical site be desecrated. In the name of these saints of the Armenian Church please stop.
K
krikor Antabelian
11 years ago
Must protect because the first Orphalen begun from there and cemetry is a holy place even there not been Khatchkar.
R
Rodrig Sepetjian
11 years ago
Stop trying to erase our culture and heritage with something only economically profitable.
Please let the dead rest in peace.
M
Marc Jabre
11 years ago
Despite its colorful and storied history, shared by many different peoples, Lebanon continues to insist on erasing it and replacing it with faceless, discriminatory institutions that do nothing for the public good.
For such a historically spiritual place, Lebanon is losing much of what it should hold most dear.
May these resting souls stay exactly where they are and may the private developers who are ruining the country learn a thing or two from their wisdom.
A
Andy
11 years ago
This is a part of history that should be preserved.
We always assumed it was the self-appointed mission of the Turks to destroy every evidence of the Armenian Genocide. This "project", if it takes place, would come to prove that nothing is sacred anymore and that historical and religious sites can be vandalized, destroyed or removed in the name of "development" and "business" or "profit" even by their very own Armenian owners and landlords, and by the church no less. It is up to us Armenians and Lebanese to speak up and prevent this surreal injustice from taking place. It has become commonplace in Lebanon for millonaire politicians to privatize public lands and seashores, and even to carelessly remove and destroy historical, religious, cultural, social, and natural heritage and riches in the process. The same fate is threatening the Ramlet el-Bayda seashore as well as the Raouche's Dalieh. However, in this case, it is ironic that the site being so privatized and destroyed belongs to an institution which holds it in religious and cultural significance. It is ironic that the graves to be dug up and relocated for this project are to be dug up by the permission of the church to which the owners of the graves belong, that the chapel to be destroyed is to be destroyed by the permission of the church itself to which it belongs!! A hundred years after the Armenian Genocide, it is more than ever important for us Armenians to hold on to our social, cultural, and religious heritage, as well as to our history including the Armenian Genocide, the history of which its Turkish perpetrators are fighting tooth and nail to obliterate and annihilate. It would be totally inconceivable and absolutely beyond comprehension for the Armenian Church to facilitate even in the smallest way to the realization of that Turkish agenda. Just as the fact that a hundred years have passed does not diminish the seriousness of the crime of the Armenian Genocide or the memory of its victims, so I believe the importance and sanctity of religio
Keep the authentic graves alone.
No need for more privatisation of the beaches or another jet set resort . Badly needed cultural monuments , public space that promotes social cohesion
This unthinkable act of erasing forever an important part of the Armenian genocide history by the Armenian Catholicosate of the Greater House of Cilicia, for no other reason but the almight MONEY, is an affront to the blessed memory of Maria Jacobsen who devoted her entire life to saving and preserving the Armenian people and heritage. May God grant wisdom to our Armenian leaders.
What a shame. This is sacred ground. I hope the catholicossate comes to its mind .
By removing this site, you are changing history and contribute to the ongoing denial of the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire. If everything is about money, please inform us and we will collect and buy it and keep it for the world to know the truth.
this is a historical important prove that Armenian genocide was happen by turkish goverment ancesters.
stop this! Lebanon doesn´t need another beach resort for the rich, but a protection of its cultural heritage!
Save the cemetery.It is our heritage.It matters to all armenians
SHAMEFULL!!!!
safeguarding from destruction the Bird's nest cemetery is a moral duty.turning it into a memorial will help keeping the memory alive, honoring the victims so that such crimes against Humanity never happen again
Where are our representatives?
July 11, 2015 Bird’s Nest was established in Byblos by Maria Jacobsen, a Danish Missionary who saved thousands of orphans during the Armenian Genocide. It is a place that evokes a complex blend of history, location and memory. I was fortunate enough to visit Bird’s Nest several times as a child with my family during “visitor’s day” in the spring, when the children would perform various athletic activities. I remember at each spring visit there were yellow flowers growing all over this marvelous place by the sea. The laughter of joyous children, playing tug-of-war, reminded me of birds chirping. By that time, the Birds’ Nest had adapted to the existing needs of the Armenian community now settled in Lebanon and most of the children came from disadvantaged families, were orphans or had abusive fathers who had abandoned the family. We knew the family of our cleaning lady, whose children were in the orphanage. In the 1970s, the Birds Nest was transferred to the Catholicosate of Cilicia. Some of the orphans who died early after its establishment are buried in Birds Nest next to Byblos’ 8800 BC archeological ruins which are a Unesco World Heritage site. Why is there so much outrage about this decision to take apart this complex of memories that still have a story to tell generations to come? These orphans, survivors of the Genocide, were individually buried with each grave uniquely installed and named. However what was supposed to be their final resting places are being desecrated and destroyed with their remains to be placed in a collective mausoleum. Was this desecration really the only option? Were all others truly explored? How about approaching international organizations and donors to convert this slice of history into an eco friendly park? Could not a production company make a moving film of Maria Jacobsen’s life that could generate interest and income? Many of us are also distressed because of the larger sociopolitical issue within Lebanon of privat
It is simply immoral. to disturb the graves of children who after so much pain have earned the peace of eternity. Stop this madness. God will not forgive you even if humans do.
I demand! Protect the Byblos Cemetery of Genocide Survivors
Please do not let this important historical site be desecrated. In the name of these saints of the Armenian Church please stop.
Must protect because the first Orphalen begun from there and cemetry is a holy place even there not been Khatchkar.
Stop trying to erase our culture and heritage with something only economically profitable. Please let the dead rest in peace.
Despite its colorful and storied history, shared by many different peoples, Lebanon continues to insist on erasing it and replacing it with faceless, discriminatory institutions that do nothing for the public good. For such a historically spiritual place, Lebanon is losing much of what it should hold most dear. May these resting souls stay exactly where they are and may the private developers who are ruining the country learn a thing or two from their wisdom.
This is a part of history that should be preserved.