1600-year-old Armenian cemetery in Turkey’s Kale region of Mus province has been turned into ruins with the complete connivance of the authorities.

As reported by Akunq.net, in 1915 the densely populated Armenian city Mus had 299 churches, 94 monasteries, 53 sacred sites and 135 schools with 5,669 students.  Hayrettin Aslan, Head of the Armenian Union of Tourism, drew attention to the fact that attempts are made to clean not only the traces of the Armenian presence, but also the historic memory of the city. He says that the Armenian alphabet was created in Mus.

“Before the slaughter, the Armenians and Kurds used to peacefully live in this city. If we want to live today in an atmosphere of peace, love and respect, we must stand and defend Armenian history,” Aslan said, noting that currently the Armenian cultural monuments are on the verge of disappearance.

“If instead of destruction, the monuments are restored, tourists will flow to Mus from all over the world, and the identity of the city will be retained in line with its economic development,” he concluded.