MONUMENTS
LUSAGHBYUR - FOUNTAINS-MONUMENT TO THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS FROM RUMTIKIN
1975
Architect: Rafael
Israelyan
Rumtikin (now the settlement of Felahiye,
Angora province, Turkey) is a village in
Western Armenia. It is located in the central part of the Asia Minor peninsula,
43 km north of the city of Caesarea, on the banks of the Halis River. Until the
beginning of the 20th century, it consisted of two parts: eastern (Turkish,
200-300 houses) and western (Armenian, 750 houses, about 3,000 people). The
surrounding area was rich in monuments: cave dwellings, Bronze Age tombs, the
tower "Devil's House", etc. The most notable monument was the
“Lusaghbyur” sanctuary located in the northwestern part of the village, in
whose white marble basin, according to tradition, Gregory the Illuminator was baptized. The basin resembled the plan of a
single-nave church (altar and prayer hall), and its water had the property of
curing fever.
In 1915, during the first months of the
Great Genocide, the Armenian population of Rumtikin was forcibly deported and
brutally killed. Few survived that hell and returned to the village in 1918,
but were forced to leave it again in 1920. Some settled in Soviet Armenia, the
other part was scattered around the world.
In 1975, on the 60th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, at the
initiative of Rumtikin residents living in the Armenian SSR and abroad, in
memory of the martyred fellow villagers, the "Lusaghbyur" memorial
fountain was built on the right-hand elevated section of the beginning of the
highway leading to Sovetashen (now Nubarashen) by the design of the famous
architect Rafael Israelyan.
A rectangular monument rises on a basalt platform, water flows into the
basin in front from 3 taps opened in the altar-recess of its front facade, as
if recalling the layout of the ancient Lusaghbyur. LUSAGHBYUR is carved on the
upper part.
The border wall starting from the back continues on the right side and ends
with a small sculptured monument, on the side of which there is a sculpture of
an eagle and a memorial inscription: FOUNTAINS-MONUMENT TO THE VICTIMS OF RUMTIKIN OF 1915
The platform and the niche are made of basalt, the monument and walls are
made of red tuff. The monument is 8 m high.
