Armenian museum opens in Turkey’s last Armenian village

Turkey’s sole remaining Armenian village will be home to an Armenian museum.

Musaler is the name of the cultural institution which opened in Vakifli , a rural community in Hatay province, NTV reports.

In an interview with the TV channel, Cem Chapa, the chairman of the board of trustees of the Armenian Apostolic Church, said the museum exhibits are a reminiscent of not only the Armenian culture but also of all the nations that once resided or still reside on the territory of Anatolia.

Chapar said he and his wife, a journalist by profession, have carried out tremendous work to compile the collection by bringing artifacts to Vakifli . He added that most of the samples include items collected from the local residents.

Chapar compared the museum to a theater featuring the culture, the everyday life and the language of the different peoples in the region.

He also thanked the provincial governor and other officials for assistance and contribution.

No official opening was held due to the epidemiological situation linked to the coronavirus pandemic, but the museum will open its doors after the end of the lockdown measures.

The museum will display historical items, ornaments, as well as big cauldrons in which the residents of Musaler cooked their traditional meal, Harisa (Harees, a dish made of cracked, or coarsely-ground wheat mixed with chicken).