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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



so blue and each tree is like a distinct 

 personality. I know how homesick for 

 this land the Armenian can be when he 

 comes to our shores ; I know how the 

 iridescent lights fall on rolling lands, and 

 how the gay flowers dot the fields in 

 springtime, and how so many towns 

 nestle in the "shadow of a great rock." 



But no one could fail to admire the 

 beauty of the Caucasus at first sight. It 

 is hard to conceive a more wonderful 

 journey than that over the Georgian 

 road from the Georgian-Armenian city 

 of Tiflis up into the fastnesses of the 

 mountains, culminating in a face-to-face 

 view of superb glacier-clad Mt. Kasbek, 

 then down through the historic Gorge of 

 Dariel to the plains once more. 



THE ARMENIAN CHURCH 



The Armenian Church is called after 

 Gregory the. "Gregorian," assuming no 

 such pretentious title as "Orthodox" or 

 "Catholic." It differs from the Greek 

 Church very little in creed, but, unlike 

 the Greeks, the Armenians are not theo- 

 logically inclined, and lay little stress on 

 doctrine. They have always been, how- 

 ever, devotedly trinitarian. 



The Armenian Church has been perse- 

 cuted not only by Moslem and Fire-wor- 

 shipper, but also by Roman and Greek; 

 yet it is one of the beautiful characteris- 

 tics of this ancient church that it never 

 persecutes in its turn. It fellowships 

 with all churches, holding that Chris- 

 tianity means brotherhood through Jesus 

 Christ and gives no warrant for oppres- 

 sion or anathema. 



The music and ceremonies are natu- 

 rally very primitive, dating back to the 

 time when the courtyards of the church 

 were the dramatic centers of the parishes 

 and moral and spiritual lessons were 

 taught through simple drama. Such 

 services as those of Holy Week, ob- 

 served even in our own time, illustrate 

 this ; for instance, the washing of the dis- 

 ciples' feet and the literal raising of Jesus 

 bv pulleys up a tower. The Greek 

 Church preserves similar primitive his- 

 trionic services. Armenians love their 

 church devotedly, and say that although 

 they may get more instruction from a 

 Protestant sermon, their own services 



seem to them warmer, touching their 

 emotions and helping them. 



Armenia's rome 



The center of the Armenian Church is 

 at Etchmiadzin, in the Caucasus Moun- 

 tains, where stands the fine old cathedral 

 built eight hundred years ago in response 

 to a vision. This church, square and sur- 

 mounted by an octagonal tower, with 

 courtyard and outbuildings, and its altar 

 in the center, has been a model for Ar- 

 menian churches ever since; while the 

 little chapel to Saint Gregory, in form a 

 canopy, has become the type of the pe- 

 culiar porches that are usually attached 

 to Armenian churches. The cathedral 

 contains a miraculous picture of the Vir- 

 gin, many sacred relics, and the sacer- 

 dotal oil, with which every true Arme- 

 nian must be anointed at his birth, his 

 marriage, and just before his death. 

 This oil is distributed for use to every 

 Armenian church. There are also at 

 Etchmiadzin gorgeous vestments, tanks 

 of celebrated fish, a world-famed library 

 containing 3,000 illuminated manuscripts, 

 and some old portraits. Schools and an 

 ecclesiastical college educate the Arme- 

 nian youth for the priesthood. 



Here under the shadow of Mount 

 Ararat lives the "Catholicos," or pope of 

 the Armenian Church, a stately man in 

 splendid robes and hood, accompanied 

 when he goes out by a bodyguard in 

 scarlet and gold. The present Catholicos 

 is George V, Surenian, the 127th Catho- 

 licos in regular succession from Gregory 

 the Illuminator. Such is the oldest Chris- 

 tian Church. 



Before we turn to the history of the 

 Armenians let us consider their race and 

 characteristics. 



RESEMBLANCE TO THE JEW 



Their appearance is definitely eastern ; 

 swarthy, heavy-haired, black-eyed, with 

 aquiline features ; they look more Ori- 

 ental than Turk, Slav, or Greek. In gen- 

 eral type they come closer to the Jews 

 than to any other people, sharing with 

 them the strongly marked features, 

 prominent nose, and near-set eyes, as 

 well as some gestures we think of as 

 characteristically Jewish. The type is so 



